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The information provided by The Pediatric Group, PLLC website is information of a general nature and is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be relied on for personal medical reasons and should not be relied upon as providing specific medical advice or for diagnosis or treatment. All information contained on this website is presented as is, without any warranties of any kind, express or implied.
Please note that visiting this website alone does not establish a physician-patient relationship with any physician engaged by The Pediatric Group, PLLC. You should consult your own physician for specific advice for your own personal situation.
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Fever (Elevated Temperature)
Definition Fever is the most common reason
that
parents call the pediatrician. Many parents worry that a fever
can cause lasting damage to their child and/or that a high fever must
be aggressively controlled in order for their child to become well.
An elevated temperature should not be considered a “fever” until it
reaches 100.4° measured
by a rectal thermometer. Your child
may have normal temperature variations during the day caused by
excessive clothing or exercise within the past 30 minutes.
True fever is the body’s normal response to
infection. By itself
(fever without any other symptoms), fever is not dangerous
and should
not go high enough to cause harm (even when it is over
104°F). In fact, fever is useful in fighting
infections. Most fevers in children are caused by viral illness,
fluctuate between 101-104°F, and usually last 2-3 days.
It's scary when your child is obviously feeling miserable; however,
parents can rely too much on the measurement of fever (the child’s
temperature) or to the child’s response to medications to determine the
severity of illness in their child. If your child has a high
temperature but looks and acts fine, don’t be too concerned about the
fever. However, if your child has only a low-grade fever but
looks and acts very sick, he/she is likely more ill than the low fever
would indicate.
Home Care: The most effective
response to fever caused by viral illness is to keep your child
comfortable.
- Dress your child lightly to allow the warmth from
his/her body to escape. Do not bundle the child.
Use only one light blanket for nap time and bed time.
- Give cold fluids in unlimited amounts. Good
hydration replaces sweat and improves heat loss through the skin.
- If your child’s temperature is over 102°F and
he/she is uncomfortable, give acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or if your
child is older than 6 months of age,
you may use ibuprofen (Motrin®). The goal
of giving medication is to bring the temperature down to a comfortable
level. Usually medication will reduce the
temperature by 2-3 degrees.
Caution: *Never
give aspirin to a child under age 18
years because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome*.
- Don’t alternate ibuprofen and acetaminophen;
it’s too easy to get confused and give your child too much medicine.
- For higher temperatures (>104°F) that
do
not respond to acetaminophen or ibuprofen, a sponge bath in lukewarm
water (never alcohol)
may help your child to
feel better and will lower the temperature
temporarily. Sponge for 20-30 minutes. If your child is
shivering, the water is too cold. Shivering
increases body temperature. Carefully add warm water
(be careful
with hot water! – scalding risk).
Call our office urgently if your child
has an
elevated temperature and:
- Your child is less than 3 months old and has a
temperature higher than 100.4°F rectally.
- Your child of any age has a fever of more than 105°F.
- Shaking chills are present for more than one hour.
- Your child cries when touched or moved, or cries
inconsolably (won’t stop crying with usual comforting routines;
holding, sshh-ing, rocking,
etc.)
- Your child shows signs of dehydration (very dry
mouth, no urination or wet diapers for more than 12 hours.
- Your child won’t move an arm or leg normally.
- Your child looks very ill to you.
Call our office during office hours if:
- Your child is 3-6 months old and has a temperature
higher than 102°F that is not helped by acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Your child is 3-6 months old with a lower fever
who acts sick.
- Your child is 3-24 months old and has had an
elevated temperature of more than 100.4°F rectally for more than 24
hours but has no other symptoms.
- Your child’s fever has lasted more than three days
(72 hours).
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