Jun 8, 2018

Dr. Cindy Gellner: Fever phobia. It is something I talk most on a daily basis. What is a fever? Practise I need to worry, and when is it also high? I'm Dr. Cindy Gellner, and that's today on The Scope.

Announcer: Keep your kids good for you and happy. You lot are now entering The Healthy Kids Zone, with Dr. Cindy Gellner, on The Scope.

Dr. Cindy Gellner: I go a lot of questions about fevers, and there's a lot of misconceptions, too, about fevers. When is it something you lot really need to be very concerned about, and when is it something that you can say, "Okay, this is something I can manage"?

High or Low Grade Fever?

I 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 disease is and you're asked, "Did they have a fever?" And if you lot say, "Yes," the showtime question nosotros're going to ask is, "How high?" A lot of people will just say, "Oh, they felt warm."

Well, information technology's really of import from a physician's point of view that you tell us exactly what the temperature was. That tells us how concerned nosotros should be, or if this is something we would wait with whatever yous're bringing your kid in for.

And then allow's discuss a couple of things most fevers to assistance you put this all into perspective. Beginning, fevers are bad for children. Wrong. Fevers plough off the body'south immune system. A fever is actually a good sign that your trunk is working to fight off an infection. Well-nigh fevers betwixt 100 and 104 are okay for sick kids.

When Should Babies/Infants Be Seen for Fever

The exception is babies less than 3 months of historic period. If they have a temperature of 100.four or higher, and that'southward a rectal temperature 100.four or higher, they must be seen right away. That is when we actually start getting worried about infections in babies that are dangerous.

What about fevers over 104? Can they cause brain damage? No. Fevers with infections don't cause brain damage. But trunk temperatures over 108 can crusade brain damage. The body's thermometer goes high, only extreme environmental temperatures, such as if a kid is in a closed car in hot weather, that's when yous start worrying well-nigh the fever going high and causing encephalon damage.

The next concern is that, "What if my kid has a fever? They can have a delirious seizure, which is a seizure that's triggered a fever." Well, the truth is only most four pct of children accept febrile seizures, and while they may be scary to lookout, they commonly terminate inside five minutes, they don't cause permanent impairment, and children who have febrile seizures are not at greater risk for developmental filibuster, learning disabilities, or epilepsy.

Fever Treatment

Exercise all fevers need to be treated with fever medicine? Well, merely if they cause discomfort. Wait to see how your child is interim. If a fever is 102 or 103, you're going to observe that your child's not feeling so great. They're tired. They're cranky. Only I've seen kids with a fever of 101 running around in my office. So become past what your child looks like and how they're interim rather past the number on the thermometer.

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

"Well, if I get them something, the fever should come down to normal." No. Even if you treat it with it with Tylenol, fevers usually only come down two or iii degrees, and it can take virtually ii or three hours for the fever to come down.

"If the fever doesn't come down, the cause has got to exist something serious." Well, no. Non necessarily. Fevers that don't respond to fever medicine can be caused past viruses or bacteria, and, again, it doesn't matter if the medicine works or not because yous want to make sure you wait at your child's other symptoms. You tin can have a kid with a astringent virus. Bad colds. We're seeing a lot of really nasty viruses and fevers of 103, close to 104 in the function, but these are all from viruses lately.

"Once the fever comes down, information technology should stay downwardly." Well, fevers only last two or three days with virtually viral illnesses. Actually, doctors don't even kickoff 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 torso's way of trying to fight off an infection. So in one case your body overpowers the virus, usually past the quaternary day, then the fever goes downward. If information technology doesn't go down, then, yes, it's a good thought to make sure your child doesn't have some bacterial like an infection, a urinary tract infection, or something else that would crave antibiotics to care for.

"If the fever'due south high, it's got to exist something serious." Again, if your child looks very sick, the cause is more likely to exist serious. It's not of import what number is on the thermometer but how your kid looks.

Low Grade Fever

A lot of parents that say, "My child had a low-grade fever." Well, what practise you consider a low-course fever? "Anywhere betwixt 98.7 and 100." These are actually normal variations. The body'southward temperature normally changes throughout the day. Information technology peaks in the late afternoon and evening. An actual low-grade fever is 100 to 102.

Stay Hydrated

So what about helping your child go rid of the fever? Should y'all let the child sweat out the fever? Exercise they need extra fluids? Do y'all need to starve a fever? What do you need to do? The best matter is to go along your child comfortable. You can remove any actress wear and give them extra fluids because, yep, that volition help them stay hydrated.

Virtually heat is lost through the skin, so don't bundle upwardly your kid. Let them go ahead and sweat information technology out. Sometimes that is what happens because they'll seem similar they feel cold or they're shivering, simply that's actually the fever breaking.

Medication for Fevers

Again, Tylenol and Motrin are good for fevers. Do not ever give Aspirin to a kid under the age of 18. It can cause something very mortiferous called Reye's syndrome, and you don't want to give them that.

Nosotros usually say, "Don't give your babe under 3 months erstwhile whatever Tylenol or Motrin unless directed by your pediatrician, for example, subsequently vaccines." If your child does have a fever and they're under x weeks quondam, again, that's something serious we need to know nearly.

Otherwise, your child of 3 months and upwards tin can have Tylenol. For Ibuprofen, it's 6 months and up. Do not requite Ibuprofen to a baby under six months one-time. But once they're older than that, you lot can definitely give them Tylenol or Motrin.

Exist sure to look because Tylenol and Motrin dosing is based on weight. So be sure you have the right dose for your child, and if y'all're non certain what it is, go ahead and inquire your pediatrician.

Teething Doesn't Cause Fever

Ane more matter, teething does non crusade a fever. A lot of kids effectually the age where they're starting to teeth are besides trying to build up their allowed systems. And then while they may have a fever, information technology's not from teething. It'due south from them trying to fight off something.

The lesser line is that fever phobia does exist, and it is something that nosotros all worry nigh when our child has a fever. Merely the about important thing is to make certain your kid is comfortable. Make certain your kid looks okay.

If they await very sick no matter what the number on the temperature, be certain to bring them in. If their temperature is a little bit higher than you're comfy with, you're always welcome to call and get some advice. But a fever is a practiced thing. It'south your body's fashion of actually trying to fight off an illness. Let information technology exercise its job.

Announcer: Have a question about a medical process? Want to larn more virtually a health condition? With over 2,000 interviews with our physicians and specialists, in that location's a pretty expert adventure you lot'll find what y'all want to know. Check it out at TheScopeRadio.com.


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

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