With your kids back in school and new exposure to germs and other fun little sniffles from the other children – how do you recognize when your child doesn’t just have the sniffles, but actually has a fever that might lead to illness and you should possibly see a doctor? Well, I have been ‘down for the count’ for 3 whole days with a fever and sore throat which I caught from my boyfriend’s 3-year-old cousin who recently went back to school. I won’t lie though, I did call my mom for advice on my sickness.
As a parent, you’ve probably experienced waking in the middle of the night to find your child rosy checked, hot, and sweaty. You check your little one’s forehead, and it feels warm. You might immediately suspect a fever, but are unsure of what to do next. Should you get out the thermometer? Call the doctor?
According to Kids Health Organization, “In healthy kids, fevers usually don’t indicate anything serious. Although it can be frightening when your child’s temperature rises, fever itself causes no harm and can actually be a good thing — it’s often the body’s way of fighting infections. And not all fevers need to be treated. High fever, however, can make a child uncomfortable and worsen problems such as dehydration.”
Here are some facts about fevers, how to measure them and when to call the doc.
Fever Facts
Fever occurs when the body’s internal “thermostat” raises the body temperature above its normal level. This thermostat is found in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be (usually around 98.6° Fahrenheit or 37° Celsius) and will send messages to your body to keep it that way.
Sometimes, though, the hypothalamus will “reset” the body to a higher temperature in response to an infection, illness, or some other cause.
Causes of Fever
It’s important to remember that fever by itself is not an illness — it’s usually a symptom of an underlying problem. According to Kids Health Organization, fever has a few potential causes:
Infection: Most fevers are caused by infection or other illness. Fever helps the body fight infections by stimulating natural defense mechanisms.
Overdressing: Infants, especially newborns, may get fevers if they’re over bundled or in a hot environment because they don’t regulate their body temperature as well as older kids. However, because fevers in newborns can indicate a serious infection, even infants who are overdressed must be evaluated by a doctor if they have a fever.
Immunizations:
Babies and kids sometimes get a low-grade fever after getting vaccinated.
Although teething may cause a slight rise in body temperature, it’s probably not the cause if a child’s temperature is higher than 100° F (37.8° C).
How to Tell Your Kid Has a Fever.
A gentle kiss on the forehead or a hand placed lightly on the skin is often enough to give you a hint that your child has a fever. However, this method of taking a temperature (called tactile temperature) is dependent on the person doing the feeling and doesn’t give an accurate measure of temperature.
Use a reliable thermometer to confirm a fever (which is when a child’s temperature is at or above one of these levels):
- 100.4° F (38° C) measured rectally (in the bottom)
- 99.5° F (37.5° C) measured orally (in the mouth)
- 99° F (37.2° C) measured in an axillary position (under the arm)
But how high a fever is doesn’t tell you much about how sick your child is. A simple cold or other viral infection can sometimes cause a rather high fever (in the 102°-104° F / 38.9°-40° C range), but this doesn’t usually indicate a serious problem. And serious infections might cause no fever or even an abnormally low body temperature, especially in infants.
Other signs are:
- Hot and flushed all over
- Irritability or crying
- Listless or lethargic
- Restless during the night
- Loss of appetite
- Uncontrollable shivering
- Sudden vomiting
- Whining, complaining or clinginess
When a Fever Is Something Serious
In the past, doctors advised treating a fever on the basis of temperature alone. But now they recommend considering both the temperature and a child’s overall condition.
Kids whose temperatures are lower than 102° F (38.9° C) often don’t require medication unless they’re uncomfortable. There’s one important exception to this rule: If you have an infant 3 months or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4° F (38° C) or higher, call your doctor or go to the emergency department immediately. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young infants.
If your child is between 3 months and 3 years old and has a fever of 102.2° F (39° C) or higher, call your doctor to see if he or she needs to see your child. For older kids, take behavior and activity level into account. Watching your child’s behaviors to give you an idea of whether it is a minor illness or if your child should see a doc.
The illness is probably not serious if your child:
- is still wanting to play
- is eating and drinking well
- is alert and smiling at you
- has a normal skin color
- looks well when his or her temperature comes down
When to Call the Doctor
The exact temperature that should trigger a call to the doctor depends on the age of the child, the illness, and whether there are other symptoms with the fever. According to Kids Health Organization, call your doctor if you have an:
- Infant younger than 3 months old with a temperature of 100.4° F (38° C) or higher
- Older child with a temperature of higher than 102.2° F (39° C)
Call the doctor if an older child has a fever of less than 102.2° F (39° C) but also:
- Refuses fluids or seems too ill to drink adequately
- Has persistent diarrhea or repeated vomiting
- Has any signs of dehydration (urinating less than usual, not having tears when crying, less alert and less active than usual)
- Has a specific complaint (e.g., sore throat or earache)
- Still has a fever after 24 hours (in kids younger than 2 years) or 72 hours (in kids 2 years or older)
- Has recurrent fevers, even if they only last a few hours each night
- Has a chronic medical problem such as heart disease, cancer, lupus, or sickle cell anemia
- Has a rash
- Has pain with urination
Seek emergency care if your child shows any of these signs:
- Inconsolable crying
- Extreme irritability
- Lethargy and difficulty waking
- Rash or purple spots that look like bruises on the skin (that were not there before the child got sick)
- Blue lips, tongue, or nails
- Infant’s soft spot on the head seems to be bulging outward or sunken inwards
- Stiff neck
- Severe headache
- Limpness or refusal to move
- Difficulty breathing that doesn’t get better when the nose is cleared
- Leaning forward and drooling
- Seizure
- Abdominal pain
It’s also best to ask your doctor for his or her specific guidelines on when to call about a fever.
Fevers are Part of Kids and Being Sick
All kids get fevers, and in most cases, your child will be completely back to normal within a few days. But if you’re ever in doubt about what to do or what a fever might mean, or if your child is acting ill in a way that concerns you even if there’s no fever, always call your doctor for medical advice.
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