Topic Overview
Fever is the body's
normal and healthy reaction to infection and other illnesses, both minor and
serious. Fevers help the body fight infection. Fever is a symptom, not a
disease. In most cases, fever means your child has a minor illness. Often you
must look at your child's other symptoms to determine how serious the illness
is. Although it may be scary when your child's temperature goes up, fever is
not harmful.
Normal body temperature
The average normal body
temperature is about
98.6°F (37°C). It usually rises
during the day from a low of
97.4°F (36.3°C) in the morning
to a high of 99.6°F (37.6°C) in the late afternoon. Each child has a normal temperature
range that may be different from another child's. Mild increases to
100.4°F (38°C) can be caused by exercising,
wearing too many clothes, taking a hot bath, or being outside in hot
weather.
Fever
Temperature varies depending on how you take it. The most common ways to measure it are:
- Under the tongue.
- In the armpit.
- In the rectum.
- In the ear.
You can also use:
- Forehead thermometers.
- Pacifier thermometers.
Some methods may not be as reliable or accurate as others. For information about taking
accurate temperatures, see the topic
Body Temperature.
If you think your child
has a fever but you are not able to measure his or her temperature, it is
important to look for other symptoms of illness.
Children tend to
run higher fevers than adults. The degree of fever may not indicate how serious
your child's illness is. With a minor illness, such as a cold, a child may have
a temperature of 104°F (40°C), while a very serious infection may not
cause a fever or may cause only a mild fever. With many illnesses, a fever temperature can go up and down very quickly and often, so be sure to look for other
symptoms along with the fever.
Babies with a fever often have an infection caused by a virus, such as a cold or the flu. Infections caused by bacteria, such as a urinary infection or bacterial pneumonia, also can cause a fever. Babies younger than 3 months should be seen by a doctor anytime they have a fever because they can get extremely sick quickly.
A fever in a healthy child is
usually not dangerous, especially if the child does not have other symptoms and
the fever goes away in 3 to 4 days. Most children who have a fever will be
fussy and play less and may not eat as much as usual.
High fevers
may make your child uncomfortable, but they rarely cause serious problems.
There is no medical evidence that fevers from infection cause brain damage. The
body limits a fever caused by infection from rising above
106°F (41.1°C). But outside heat—such as from
being in a car that is parked in the sun—can cause body temperature to rise
above 107°F (41.7°C), and brain damage can
occur.
Childhood immunizations can reduce the risk for
fever-related illnesses, such as
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection.
Although no vaccine is 100% effective, most routine childhood immunizations are
effective for 85% to 95% of the children who receive them. For more
information, see the topic
Immunizations.
Causes of fever
It is not unusual for a
preschool-aged child to have 7 to 10 viral infections in a year. Each new viral
infection may cause a fever. It may seem that a fever is ongoing, but if 48
hours pass between fevers, then the new fever is most likely from a new
illness.
Common causes of fever include:
Teething does not cause a fever. If a baby is teething and
has a fever, look for other symptoms that may need to be evaluated.
A fever that increases quickly may lead to a
fever seizure in some children. After a fever has
reached a high temperature, the risk of a seizure is less. Fever seizures can
be frightening to see, but they usually do not cause other problems, such as
brain damage,
intellectual disability, or learning problems. If your
child has a high fever and a seizure, see the topic
Fever Seizures.
Check your
child's symptoms to decide if and when your child should see a doctor.
Check Your Symptoms
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Home Treatment
It can be hard to know whether you
should call your doctor when your child has a
fever, especially during the cold and flu season. The
degree of the fever may not be related to the seriousness of the illness. The
way your child looks and acts is a better guide than the thermometer. Most
children will be less active when they have a fever.
If your child
is comfortable and alert, is eating well, is drinking enough fluids, is urinating normal
amounts, and seems to be improving, home treatment without medicine is all that
is needed for a fever. Dress your child
lightly, and do not wrap him or her in blankets. Dressing lightly will help
your child's body cool down.
Try these home treatment measures to make sure your child is drinking enough fluids and does not get dehydrated while he or she has a fever.
Newborns and babies younger than 1 year of age
Don't
wait until
dehydration develops to replace lost fluids. Offer
fluids to your baby often.
- If you breast-feed your baby, nurse him or her
more often.
- If you use a bottle to feed your baby, the amount of
fluid you normally use in the formula should be enough to replace lost fluids.
Check with your child's doctor if you think you need to feed your baby more
often.
- Use an
oral rehydration solution (ORS) if mild or moderate dehydration develops. The
amount of ORS your baby needs depends on his or her weight and how dehydrated
he or she is. You can give the ORS in a dropper, spoon, or
bottle.
- If your baby has started eating cereal, you may replace
lost fluids with cereal. You also may feed your baby strained bananas and
mashed potatoes if your child has had these foods before.
Children ages 1 through 11
- Make sure your child is drinking often.
Frequent, small amounts work best.
- For children with dehydration,
an oral rehydration solution (ORS) or plain water (if the child is eating food) may be used to replace lost
fluids.
- Allow your child to drink as much fluid as he or she wants.
Encourage your child to
drink extra fluids or suck on flavored ice pops, such as Popsicles. Children
ages 4 to 10 should drink at least 6 to 10 glasses of liquids
to replace lost fluids.
- Cereal mixed with milk or water may also be
used to replace lost fluids.
Keep your child comfortable
Lowering your child's
temperature is important when the fever is causing discomfort. If your child is
uncomfortable:
Medicine you can buy without a prescription
| Try a nonprescription
medicine to help treat your child's fever or pain: |
|
Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and
forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two
medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine.
|
Safety tips
| Be sure to follow
these safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine: |
- Carefully read and follow all labels on
the medicine bottle and box.
- Give, but do not exceed, the maximum
recommended doses.
- Do not give your child a medicine if he or she
has had an
allergic reaction to it in the past.
-
Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20
unless directed to do so
by your child's doctor.
- Do not give naproxen (such as Aleve) to children younger than age 12 unless your child's
doctor tells you to.
|
- Try giving your child a
sponge bath with lukewarm water. Do not use cold water, ice, or rubbing alcohol.
- Encourage quiet
activities.
- Watch for
signs of dehydration. These include your child being thirstier than usual and having darker urine than usual.
Symptoms to watch for during home treatment
Call your child's doctor if any of the following occur during home
treatment:
-
Level of consciousness
changes.
- Your child has
signs of dehydration and is not able to drink
enough to replace lost fluids. Signs of dehydration include being thirstier than usual and having darker urine than usual.
- Other symptoms develop, such as pain in one area of the body,
shortness of breath, or urinary symptoms.
- Symptoms become more severe or frequent.
Prevention
The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce
your child's exposure to infectious diseases.
Hand-washing is the single most important prevention
measure for people of all ages.
Childhood immunizations can reduce the risk for
fever-related illnesses, such as
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection.
Although no vaccine is 100% effective, most routine childhood immunizations are
effective for 85% to 95% of the children who receive them. For more
information, see the topic
Immunizations.
Preparing For Your Appointment
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
You can help your
child's doctor diagnose and treat your child's condition by providing the
following information:
- The history of the fever, including:
- When did the fever start? Did it come on
suddenly or increase over several hours?
- Are you able to measure
your child's temperature? How high is the fever?
- Does the child
have any other symptoms?
- Does your child have frequent fevers?
- How often does your child get a
fever?
- How long does the fever usually last?
- Has your child had any other health problems during
the past 3 months?
- Has your child been eating, drinking, and
playing normally?
- Has anyone else in your family been
ill?
- Is your child in day care? If so, have any other children at
the facility been ill?
- Has your child recently traveled outside the
country?
- Has your child recently had close contact with immigrants
or nonnative people?
- Has your child had any animal or insect bites
(including ticks) in the past 6 weeks?
- Does your child have any
health risks?
References
Other Works Consulted
- Centigrade to Fahrenheit temperature conversions (2011). In MJ Hockenberry, D Wilson, eds., Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children, 9th ed., (inside back cover). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.
Credits
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine |
|
Last Revised
|
September 13, 2012 |