If you’re a new mom, it can be scary when your child is burning up with a fever. Even if you’re not a rookie parent, fevers can still cause worry for moms of older kids. To help ease your mind, I’ve put together the information you need to make decisions about how to treat your child when she’s got a fever.
What is a Fever?
A fever is a normal and protective response the body has to infection. That infection can be caused by a virus or by bacteria. In order to fight the infection, our bodies turn up the heat to kill off the invading illness. So a fever is actually a good thing that’s helping your child get better.
You probably know a normal body temperature is 98.6° F. But our body temperatures fluctuate throughout the day. You might be 96° F in the morning and 100° F in the afternoon. So if your child has a temperature of 99° F, we don’t consider that a fever. A fever is when your child is measuring 100.4° F or more on a rectal thermometer.
Measuring a Fever
Parents often ask me what type of thermometer they should have at home for the most accurate reading and they never like the answer. A rectal thermometer is the most reliable way to measure a fever. However, most parents are not comfortable using one. You can use thermometers that scan the forehead or oral thermometers, but often the best way to measure a fever is to feel your child’s forehead. Does your child feel hot to you? If so, it’s likely she has a fever.
Treating a Fever
As a rule of thumb, if your child is 6 months or younger and has a fever, bring them to The Urgency Room to be seen. The challenge with that age is we can’t use their behavior as a mechanism to determine how sick they are.
If your child is 6 months or older, then get ready to see a lot of fevers in your house. It’s normal for children to have up to 11 colds during their first year of life—especially if they’re in daycare—and they will continue to catch colds as they head into their school years. It’s totally normal and it’s helping them build the strength of their immune system. There’s not a lot you can do about a fever, except to treat it with lots of rest and fluids. Keep in mind fevers usually last a full five days.
When is a Fever Too Hot?
We don’t actually go by a number to determine what is too hot. Instead we ask, “Is your child acting sick? Or is he playful?” If your toddler has a temperature of 102° F but is tearing around the room playing, then we know it’s probably a minor infection his body is fighting and will likely go away on its own just fine. If your child is on the couch and refuses to eat or drink, then it’s time to start paying attention.
If your child is not drinking, you can give her Tylenol or Ibuprofen in the appropriate dose for her age and size to help bring the fever down so she feels good enough to start drinking again. If she doesn’t drink fluids and she’s not urinating at least 2 – 3 times a day, then your child needs to be seen by a doctor immediately.
You should also bring your child to The Urgency Room if she or he has a fever and:
- Acts really sick
- Looks pale or ashen
- Develops mottling on the skin that looks like a spider web
- Looks like she’s working hard to breathe—her stomach muscles are really pulling in and out during each breath
A few more things to note about fevers:
- Up to 5% of children experience a seizure when they have a fever. It’s called a febrile seizure that only comes on with a fever and tends to run in families. This is very scary for parents, but febrile seizures do not mean your child has a serious or life-threatening illness.
- Up to 50% of kids will develop fevers after they receive immunizations. This is also normal and is indicating that the immune system is strong and doing its job.
- It’s very common for children who get a virus to develop a secondary bacterial infection in the fluid behind the ears. This causes ear infections that come on extremely quickly. So even if you were at the doctor earlier in the day for a high fever and your child tested negative for an ear infection, one could develop by later that evening.
In general, fevers are a good thing. We don’t feel great when we have them, but they’re doing what our bodies are designed to do—fight off infections so we can get well, soon.
The Urgency Room (UR) is a state-of-the-art medical facility specializing in the treatment of acute injuries and illnesses in adults, children, and infants. Staffed with board-certified emergency physicians, the UR is prepared to handle it all. If you need immediate medical attention and don’t need an ambulance come to The Urgency Room.
