Jun 8, 2018

Dr. Cindy Gellner: Fever phobia. It is something I talk about on a daily footing. What is a fever? Do I need to worry, and when is information technology too high? I'm Dr. Cindy Gellner, and that's today on The Scope.

Announcer: Go on your kids salubrious and happy. Yous are now inbound The Healthy Kids Zone, with Dr. Cindy Gellner, on The Scope.

Dr. Cindy Gellner: I become a lot of questions about fevers, and in that location's a lot of misconceptions, too, about fevers. When is information technology something you really need to be very concerned almost, and when is it something that y'all can say, "Okay, this is something I can manage"?

High or Low Grade Fever?

One of the first questions your pediatrician will ask if you come in for a cold, for a fever, or for something else that's an illness is and you're asked, "Did they accept a fever?" And if yous say, "Aye," the first question we're going to enquire is, "How high?" A lot of people will just say, "Oh, they felt warm."

Well, information technology'south actually important from a doctor'south indicate of view that you tell united states of america exactly what the temperature was. That tells united states of america how concerned we should be, or if this is something we would expect with whatever you're bringing your child in for.

So allow's discuss a couple of things nigh fevers to assistance you put this all into perspective. First, fevers are bad for children. Wrong. Fevers turn off the trunk'southward immune system. A fever is actually a good sign that your body is working to fight off an infection. Most fevers between 100 and 104 are okay for ill kids.

When Should Babies/Infants Exist Seen for Fever

The exception is babies less than three months of age. If they have a temperature of 100.4 or higher, and that'south a rectal temperature 100.4 or higher, they must be seen right away. That is when we really outset getting worried virtually infections in babies that are dangerous.

What nearly fevers over 104? Can they cause brain harm? No. Fevers with infections don't crusade encephalon damage. Only body temperatures over 108 tin cause encephalon damage. The trunk'south thermometer goes high, but extreme environmental temperatures, such as if a child is in a closed car in hot weather, that's when you start worrying about the fever going high and causing brain damage.

The side by side concern is that, "What if my child has a fever? They tin take a delirious seizure, which is a seizure that'south triggered a fever." Well, the truth is only most four percentage of children have febrile seizures, and while they may be scary to picket, they usually stop within 5 minutes, they don't cause permanent impairment, and children who have febrile seizures are not at greater risk for developmental delay, learning disabilities, or epilepsy.

Fever Treatment

Exercise all fevers need to be treated with fever medicine? Well, only if they crusade discomfort. Look to encounter how your child is interim. If a fever is 102 or 103, you're going to notice that your kid's not feeling and then great. They're tired. They're cranky. But I've seen kids with a fever of 101 running around in my office. So go past what your child looks similar and how they're acting rather by the number on the thermometer.

"Only what if I don't give them anything for their fever? Won't the fever keep going higher?" No. The encephalon has an internal thermostat, and fevers from infection height out at almost 103 and 104. They ordinarily don't get college than that.

"Well, if I get them something, the fever should come up downwards to normal." No. Fifty-fifty if you treat it with it with Tylenol, fevers usually just come up down two or three degrees, and it tin accept near two or three hours for the fever to come down.

"If the fever doesn't come up downwards, the crusade has got to be something serious." Well, no. Not necessarily. Fevers that don't answer to fever medicine tin can exist caused by viruses or bacteria, and, once again, it doesn't matter if the medicine works or not because you desire to make sure you look at your child's other symptoms. You can have a child with a astringent virus. Bad colds. Nosotros're seeing a lot of really nasty viruses and fevers of 103, close to 104 in the office, just these are all from viruses lately.

"Once the fever comes down, it should stay down." Well, fevers only terminal two or three days with most viral illnesses. Actually, doctors don't even get-go worrying until a fever has lasted for five or more days.

Fever Lasting Longer Than Five Days?

When the medicine wears off, the fever'due south going to come dorsum because this is, again, your body'due south way of trying to fight off an infection. So once your torso overpowers the virus, usually by the quaternary day, then the fever goes down. If it doesn't go down, then, aye, it'southward a good idea to make certain your child doesn't have some bacterial similar an infection, a urinary tract infection, or something else that would require antibiotics to treat.

"If the fever's high, it'southward got to be something serious." Again, if your child looks very sick, the cause is more likely to exist serious. Information technology'south not important what number is on the thermometer but how your kid looks.

Low Grade Fever

A lot of parents that say, "My child had a depression-grade fever." Well, what do you consider a depression-form fever? "Anywhere between 98.7 and 100." These are actually normal variations. The torso'southward temperature unremarkably changes throughout the day. It peaks in the late afternoon and evening. An actual low-grade fever is 100 to 102.

Stay Hydrated

So what virtually helping your kid get rid of the fever? Should y'all let the kid sweat out the fever? Do they need extra fluids? Do yous need to starve a fever? What practise you demand to do? The best matter is to keep your kid comfortable. You can remove whatsoever extra habiliment and requite them extra fluids because, yes, that volition aid them stay hydrated.

Most heat is lost through the pare, so don't parcel up your child. Allow them go alee and sweat information technology out. Sometimes that is what happens considering they'll seem like they experience cold or they're shivering, but that'due south really the fever breaking.

Medication for Fevers

Again, Tylenol and Motrin are good for fevers. Do not always give Aspirin to a child nether the age of xviii. It tin can cause something very deadly chosen Reye's syndrome, and you don't want to requite them that.

We usually say, "Don't give your baby under three months old any Tylenol or Motrin unless directed by your pediatrician, for example, after vaccines." If your child does take a fever and they're under ten weeks old, again, that'south something serious nosotros need to know near.

Otherwise, your kid of 3 months and up can take Tylenol. For Ibuprofen, information technology's 6 months and up. Do not requite Ibuprofen to a baby under 6 months erstwhile. But one time they're older than that, you tin definitely give them Tylenol or Motrin.

Be sure to look because Tylenol and Motrin dosing is based on weight. So exist certain you have the right dose for your kid, and if you're not sure what it is, go ahead and enquire your pediatrician.

Teething Doesn't Cause Fever

One more than thing, teething does not cause a fever. A lot of kids effectually the age where they're starting to teeth are also trying to build upward their immune systems. So while they may have a fever, information technology'southward not from teething. Information technology's from them trying to fight off something.

The bottom line is that fever phobia does exist, and it is something that nosotros all worry nigh when our kid has a fever. But the most important matter is to make sure your kid is comfortable. Make sure your child looks okay.

If they look very sick no matter what the number on the temperature, be sure to bring them in. If their temperature is a piffling chip higher than yous're comfortable with, you're always welcome to call and get some advice. But a fever is a expert matter. It's your body'south fashion of really trying to fight off an illness. Permit it practice its chore.

Announcer: Accept a question nearly a medical procedure? Want to learn more than about a health condition? With over 2,000 interviews with our physicians and specialists, there'due south a pretty good chance you'll notice what you want to know. Check information technology out at TheScopeRadio.com.


updated: June 8, 2018
originally published: May 27, 2015

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