Parenting is difficult. Throw in a fever, and your feet level can skyrocket. Feeling your child's forehead, searching for the thermometer and calling family unit and friends for advice can become obsessions.

While your child's elevated temperature may signal an consequence, typically, a hot forehead is null to lose your cool over.  Fevers are not a medical condition. Fevers are our body's natural defense to fight infection, speeding upwardly sure metabolic processes to aid our immune system join the fight.

But with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, your child's fever may crusade y'all more feet since a fever is i of the primary symptoms of the virus. If y'all think your kid has been exposed to COVID-xix, visit Clare, the OSF HealthCare chatbot. Clare tin can screen your kid'southward symptoms and straight you to needed care and support.

What is considered a fever?

A typical trunk temperature for a healthy child is between 97.7 degrees and 99.five degrees. However, everyone'south temperature peaks around 6 p.k., nosotros just don't recognize information technology when we're healthy.

So, if your child already has a fever, and they unremarkably have a rise in body temperature every evening, the addition of the body's normal temperature increment to the fever causes that "spike" in the evenings. Unfortunately, that'due south usually when the dr.'due south offices have closed for the day.

Likewise, children don't sweat as much equally adults. They can feel warm for many reasons – crying, playing, teething, snuggling in a warm bed or hot weather condition. Their body is radiating oestrus. Feeling their forehead is not enough. You demand to accept their temperature to go an authentic reading.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends you use a digital thermometer. It's all-time to take the temperature rectally for children ages 3 and younger. A rectal temperature of more than than 100.4 degrees is considered a fever. When taken orally, a temperature higher than 99.5 degrees is diagnosed as a fever.

Typically, if your child is behaving commonly, in that location is no demand for any fever-lowering treatment. The AAP recommends you cheque with your health care provider if:

  • Age 3 months or younger: Rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees or college – should be seen immediately.
    • Telephone call your chief intendance provider or become to the nearest emergency department
  • Younger than age 2: Fever lasts more than 24 hours
  • Ages 2 and older: Fever lasts more than than 72 hours
  • Whatever age: Fever repeatedly goes higher than 104 degrees or is accompanied by other symptoms, such equally having a seizure, severe sore throat, astringent abdominal or ear pain, severe headache, unexplained rash, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, stiff cervix, unusual sleepiness or very fussy behavior
    • Blue lips, tongue or nails
    • The child's status has worsened since a previous dr. visit

Living through the fever

Your child may act normal and even want to play despite having a fever. As long as they don't over-exert themselves and play calmly, that's perfectly fine. Nonetheless, your child is however infectious and should avoid going around others.

If the child is not acting bothered by the temperature, I usually tell my parents to hold off on giving acetaminophen or ibuprofen for a fever between 100.4 degrees and 102 degrees. However, if the child is acting lethargic, having pain or non wanting to beverage fluids, I recommend giving medications. Fevers can start to go uncomfortable after they go above 102 degree or 103 degrees.

Pain volition not allow the child to residual well, which is ane of the best things someone can practise to fight infection. Decreased fluids may crusade aridity. So, yous have to pay attending to how your child is acting and how they await. You lot know your child amend than anyone else.

Other tips:

young mother holding with infant with fever calling

  • If your child is younger than 2 years onetime, phone call your health intendance provider or pharmacist to find out how much medicine is recommended.
  • If your child is older than 2, follow the label instructions for the specific medication.
  • If your child is younger than three months, check with your health care provider earlier giving acetaminophen.
  • Do non give ibuprofen to your child if they are younger than half-dozen months, dehydrated or vomiting. If the fever is treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen simply notwithstanding hasn't gone down afterwards one to four hours, you should inform your health intendance provider.
  • Do not give aspirin to children or teens. Aspirin use by young people with viral illnesses has been linked to Reye syndrome, a rare but serious disease.

A common report I go from patients in the part is that they didn't give their child any medication before they came in because they wanted me to encounter their child'southward fever and not mask whatsoever symptoms. Please do not experience that this is necessary. No ane wants a child to endure from the side furnishings of fever if they practise not have to. We will believe you.

It's normal for fevers from infections to last for two or three days. The fever volition likely come up back afterwards the fever medicine wears off. Still, the fever will not render once the body overpowers the infection. Typically, this tin take iii to 4 days.

Staying hydrated

Fever can lead to aridity. Information technology'due south essential your child gets enough liquids, especially if you lot breastfeed. Contact your health care provider if your kid refuses to drink or shows signs of dehydration, such as:

  • A sunken fontanel (soft spot on the top of the baby's caput)
  • Dry out mouth and lips
  • Lack of tears
  • Sunken eyes
  • General look of illness

Things to know about fevers

At that place are times when a fever can lead to a febrile seizure or convulsion – specially in children between the ages of three months and five years. Although scary, delirious seizures usually only final a few minutes and are not dangerous, but you should still inform your wellness care provider.

It's besides important to tell your pediatrician if your child develops a fever after traveling. Special tests can be ordered to find out if your child picked up an infection while on your trip.

Fever alone is only rarely harmful and usually remains below 105.8 degrees

young girl with a fever wearing a blanket and drinking hot tea

Our encephalon knows when our body is getting besides hot and is wonderfully designed to regulate our temperature, keeping fevers due to infection from going over 103 degrees or 104 degrees. They rarely become to 105 degrees or 106 degrees.

While these are "high" fevers, you don't need to exist alarmed considering fevers with infections don't ascent high enough to crusade brain damage. When your body temperature rises above 108 degrees, it is possible to become brain damage. But temperatures that cause brain damage are caused by surrounding temperatures being high – similar the inside of a machine, with the windows upwardly on a hot summer 24-hour interval.

Call back, fever is one of the good guys

Fever is a mechanism that the body uses to combat infection, helping to impale bacteria and viruses past boosting the production of infection-fighting white blood cells. Typically, you don't need to worry nearly reducing the fever unless your kid is uncomfortable.

If y'all tin't become your kid's fever down, call your pediatrician. Be prepared with how high the fever has been, for how long and how much and when acetaminophen or ibuprofen was given. This information can help us provide you with advice over the phone and possibly save you a trip to the role or emergency room.