Treating Fevers
by courtkneeParents commonly think of fever as the number one enemy when their children get sick. This leads them to battle fever aggressively wit all the medication and sponge baths they can give. This is based on the mistaken notion that the fever itself is a disease and can easily harm a child. Fever is not a disease but rather a symptom, showing that a fight against a disease or infection is going on inside the body. In that fight, excess heat is generated in the core of the body and is dissipated to the head and limbs, where it radiates off the skin.
In general, pediatricians recommend not trying to lower fevers under 101 F taken rectally or by ear and they certainly don’t want parents to consider fevers in and of themselves as threats to the well-being of their children. It should be said, however, that fevers in infants less than three months old are of much more concern than fevers in older infants.
The main reason to treat a fever is to reduce your infant’s discomfort and the risk of dehydration. When fever is present the body loses more fluid that it does under normal conditions. You don’t need to treat a fever with medication until your baby’s rectal or ear temperature goes over 101 F and preferably only then if your child seems uncomfortable. Light clothing, extra fluid and a pleasant cool room are better treatments unless the fever is higher.
Related: