Treating a Child's Fever -
Fever is when body temperature rises above the normal range. Normal oral temperature (taken by mouth) ranges from 97.7° F to 99.5° F.
A fever isn't harmful or dangerous unless it's very high (106° F) and lasts a long time. It's one of the ways the body defends itself against illness and fights infection.
A child's temperature can change slightly during the day, depending on the time of day and how active your child is. Usually, a child has a fever if an oral temperature is above 99.8° F or a rectal temperature is above 100.4° F.
If your child has a high fever, from 104° to 106° F, call your child's doctor's office for an appointment. After medical center hours, contact the Consulting Nurse Service.
Symptoms-
Take your child's temperature when you notice any of the following:
- Excessive sweating.
- Dry, hot skin.
- A rash.
- Very pale or very red face.
- Breathing is unusually fast, slow, noisy, or strained.
- Cold symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, hoarseness, or sore throat.
- Mood changes, such as crankiness, not interested in favorite toys, low energy.
- Your child says, "I feel sick."
- Vomiting or diarrhea.
- Pain in any part of your child's body.
Call your child's doctor if your child:
- Has a fever and is less than 2 months old.
- Has a temperature of 102° F or higher and is 3 to 6 months old.
- Has a temperature over 104° F.
- Has a fever that lasts longer than 3 days.
- Has diarrhea or vomiting and can't keep fluids down.
Any child younger than 2 months with a fever needs to be seen by a doctor.
Treatment-
To care for a child with a fever:
- Keep your child cool. Don't dress your child in clothing that's too warm or cover with extra blankets. This stops the heat of the fever from escaping. The cooler the child is, the faster the fever will go down.
- Give your child plenty of cool, clear liquids such as fruit juices, Popsicles, Gatorade, or Pedialyte.
- Check for early symptoms of dehydration such as dry mouth, no tears when crying, and decreased urine output. Infants younger than 6 months should have at least 6 to 8 wet diapers per day. Older children should urinate 3 times each day or 1 time every eight hours. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your child's doctor right away.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen can be used in infants and children 6 months and older to ease discomfort. Infants 2 to 6 months may be given Tylenol, but tell your child's doctor. Do not give aspirin to a child or youth under age 20. It has been linked to a rare but serious disease called Reye syndrome.
- Medicine isn't usually necessary in treating fevers under 102° F. Children with fevers who aren't uncomfortable don't need treatment.
- Lukewarm baths can help lower the fever. Never use cold baths or sponge a child with alcohol.
Your child can return to school when he or she has had no fever or symptoms for 24 hours after you have stopped treatments such as Tylenol.
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