Innovative Nursing Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Febrile Children: Warm Water Foot Immersion and Vinegar Compresses: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Fever is a common indication of disease among children and is considered harmful by many parents, occurring when the body temperature rises above the normal range. The normal range of body temperature varies with a child's age, measurement method, and time of day. To compare the effects of warm-water foot immersion versus vinegar compresses on reducing body temperature in febrile children. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pre-test—post-test design was employed in this study, involving 180 children at Karbala Teaching Hospital for Children. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and divided into three groups. Participants in the control group (n=60) received only standard hospital care; participants in the WWFI group (n=60) received a warm foot bath for 15 minutes; and participants in the vinegar compress group (n=60) received cider apple vinegar compresses for 15 minutes. Axillary body temperature was measured by using a mercury thermometer before and after the intervention. Using SPSS version 26, the data were analyzed. Employing descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test for group comparisons. The control group shows only a modest decline in body temperature over time, starting at a mean of 38.91±0.53° C and gently decreasing to 38.17±0.50° C by 60 minutes (P=0.145). In contrast, both interventions significantly lowered body temperature in children with fever (P=0.001). WWFI produced a statistically significant reduction in mean body temperature from 38.88±0.42° C at baseline to 36.85±1.32° C at the 60‑minute mark, and the vinegar compresses demonstrated a significant, steep decline from a baseline mean of 39.05±0.54° C to 36.87±0.28° C after 60 minutes. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in effectiveness between the two interventions (P<0.001), with vinegar compresses being more efficacious. However, WWFI and vinegar compresses are both supportive non-pharmacological interventions among febrile children. But vinegar compresses were more effective than WWFI in reducing body temperature. As a non-pharmacological intervention, vinegar compresses should be involved in the fever management protocol for children, and additional studies with a large sample size and another age group in a different setting are also recommended.