Facts About Fever

By Christina Elston

Fever can be frightening to a parent, especially when it afflicts the very youngest of children. If you’re unsure what to do in the face of a high fever, here are some excellent guidelines from William H. Cotton, M.D., medical director of the Primary Care Centers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio.

First, don’t believe everything you hear about fevers.

Among the myths out there:

• Myth 1 – All fevers are dangerous. Actually, Cotton says, fevers are a part of illness and may be one way that the body fights off disease and infections.

• Myth 2 – Fevers cause brain damage. A child would have to have had a temperature higher than 108º F for brain damage to occur, Cotton says.

• Myth 3 – An untreated fever will continue to rise. In most cases, the child reaches a certain temperature and the temperature does not continue to rise, regardless of whether the fever is treated or not, Cotton says. However, treating the fever does make the child feel better while he or she is recovering from illness.

If your child has a fever, dress him or her comfortably and appropriately (don’t overdress); push fluids and help your child feel better with medicine to control the fever. Stay with one medication for the fever (e.g., don’t alternate between acetaminophen and ibuprofen, because dosing so could become confusing). Remember, however, that ibuprofen is not approved for use in children younger than 6 months, and that you should never use aspirin to control a fever in children.

When your child has a fever, instead of focusing on the specific temperature, look at the whole child.

Consider:

• Does the child look “sick”?
• Are his eyes glassy? Is he less responsive?
• Does she have poor color (pale)?
• Is he breathing too fast or not fast enough?
• Does she have decreased muscle tone?
• Is he not eating or drinking at all or less than usual?