Fever in Children

Fever is actually not an illness; it is the rise in body temperature when the body’s defensive mechanisms such as White Blood Corpuscles (WBC)fight against infecting micro-organisms. Fever accompanies illnesses such as severe colds, sore throats, flu, pneumonia, ear infections, urinary-tract infections and various other viral illnesses.

A child’s normal temperature changes with the child’s activity. Temperature varies also with different times of the day – highest between late afternoon and early evening and lowest between midnight and early morning. A temperature of 99 degree or lesser is said to be normal, temperature higher than this indicates fever.

Fevers under 100 degrees Fahrenheit and even a higher temperature is not serious and needs no medication as long as your child has normal sleep, eats normally and has a normal playtime. If she feels uncomfortable, or has previously had convulsions or chronic disease, then she needs medication.

Upper limits of normal temperature.

• Below 3 months --- 100.4 degree Fahrenheit (rectal temperature).
• Above 3 months --- 100 degree Fahrenheit (rectal temperature), 99 degree Fahrenheit (oral temperature)

Symptoms in infants

• Loss of appetite
• Irritability
• Crying too much
• Not feeding and sleeping normally
• Feel warm or hot to touch
• Fussy and lessened activity
• Rapid breathing

Symptoms in older children

• Feel warm or hot to touch
• Body pain
• Head ache
• Loss of appetite
• No normal sleeping

Home treatment

Give your child more of warm water and other fluids at frequent intervals. Allow her to take foods which she feels like eating. Do not force her to eat. Do not give drinks containing caffeine. Milk can be given if she likes. Do not give fatty food as the digestion process is slow during fever. Keep your child’s room cool to the extent she feels comfortable. Dress her lightly so that she doesn’t feel too warm. The child need not be confined to her room or bed, she can move about the house without overexerting herself. Ensure that she gets proper rest and sleep.

Medication

For babies under 2 years, do not give any medication without the advice of your paediatrician. For older children, antipyretic medications such as paracetomol and ibuprofen are effective. Be careful to follow the instructions on the manufacturer’s label so that your child receives the proper dosages. Doses of paracetomol and ibuprofen are based on the child’s weight, not his age. Unless your child is unusually light or heavy for his age, the dosage on the manufacturer’s label are generally safe and effective.

When to call your doctor

If the symptoms are more than the usual fever symptoms, like vomiting, diarrhoea, and shivering or if the temperature is very high, then you should take your child to the doctor.

If your baby is less than 3 months old, you need to take him to the doctor immediately, if she has a temperature, 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C) or higher. For babies 3 to 6 months old, doctor’s treatment is a must if she has a temperature of 101 degrees F (38.3 degrees C) or higher. For babies above 6 months old, a temperature of 102 degrees F (39.4 degrees C) or higher needs immediate attention by the doctor.