The more a parent knows about a child's special health needs, the more effective he or she will be when responding to an illness or emergency. To help you prepare for a fever, here's some information from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
What is a fever?
Believe it or not, fever in itself is not an illness, but a symptom for a wide range of childhood conditions. In fact, elevated body temperature plays a role in the body's normal response to fighting infection. For children, fever is defined as a rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degress Celsius) or an oral temperature above 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degress Celsius).
How common are fevers in children?
Fever is one of the most common reasons for parents to visit an emergency department with their child or infant. Children tend to have an average of nine upper respiratory tract infections a year that include fevers, and children in day-care or preschool tend to have more.
"Fever itself is rarely a problem," said Dr. Sharon Mace of the American College Of Emergency Physicians. "However, it is a sign that infection may be present. Therefore, when a child has a fever, the focus should be on the child, and the possible infection, and not the reading on the thermometer."
Contact a physician for any child with a fever who:
- Is under two months of age, because infants don't have well-developed immune systems and could have serious infections
- Has a body temperature higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
- Looks very sick, is poorly responsive and uninterested in his or her surroundings, is sluggish, and won't suck on breast or bottle
- Cries constantly, continuously, or without relief
- Is difficult to awaken
- Has a stiff neck
- Has purple spots on the skin
- Has difficulty breathing
- Is drooling excessively or having great difficulty swallowing
- Has symptoms of earache or sore throat
- Has a limp or will not use an arm or leg
- Has significant abdominal pain
- Has painful urination or difficulty urinating
- Has any amount of redness or swelling on his or her body
- Has a seizure (fit or convulsion)
If the illness does not appear sufficiently serious, you can help children by not over-dressing them and by encouraging them to drink small amounts of clear fluids frequently.
Also keep in mind that children's normal body temperature varies considerably, from 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. It will probably be lowest in the early morning and tend to rise as the day progresses and during active play.
"Don't rely on touch to judge a fever," said Dr. Mace "If a child is extremely ill or dehydrated, he or she could have decreased circulation to the skin and feel cool despite having a fever. Also, when a child's temperature starts to drop, circulation to the skin may increase, allowing heat to escape, but the child may appear flushed or feel hot, despite a decreasing temperature."
Do not give children under age 19 aspirin to treat a fever, because it has been linked to Reye's Syndrome, a disease that can be fatal. Acetaminophen is effective treatment; use one 80-mg (children's chewable) tablet for each 12 pounds of body weight.
