FEVERS IN KIDS
It’s that time of year when everyone gets sick, including the youngest ones. High fever in kids is quite common, with temperatures often running as high as 104.
There’s no question that high fever in kids can be scary for a parent.
But the fear of the fever in kids--fever-phobia--is in many cases worse than the fever itself. High fevers in kids don’t last long in the majority of children, and usually pose little danger.
No question, some high fevers in kids can mean that there is a serious problem. Dr. David Stevens, a pediatrician at Albert Einstein College/Montefiore Medical Center, says, “In a child under the age of three months, any temperature of 100.4 or higher is a serious fever and should be treated as an emergency.”
But for most other high fevers in kids, as in the case of Chioke, the bigger problem is probably the fear of the fever.
Loretta Wilkins-Berry is 12 year old Chioke’s Mom. “When he gets a fever I use a little Tylenol, put him under bed rest with lots of blankets and give him lots of liquids.”
Those are effective measures, but the medicine may be unnecessary to treat high fevers in kids.
“If a high fever in a kid is left untreated the child might feel uncomfortable, lethargic and might get a headache. But the fever is not the infection, so treating the fever doesn’t necessarily treat the infection that is causing the fever,” says Dr Stevens.
Vaccines, especially the H. Flu and pneumococcal vaccines have helped markedly reduce the risk of a serious bacterial infection behind fevers in kids. Most high fevers in kids are caused by viruses which aren’t a significant problem.
Understand that a fever is a normal response to an attack by outside enemies, like viruses or bacteria. It actually helps kill the bugs, so a high fever in a kid is often a good thing. So when a fever occurs, it’s best to begin without medicines.
The most important thing: the child should drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
Medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen should be considered if the child is really miserable and/or has an exceptionally high fever of greater than 104 degrees.
Both are equally effective.
“Another important misconception is that if the fever doesn’t seem to be responding well enough to one of the medications that it is okay to alternate say Tylenol and ibuprofen and we don’t recommend that at all. In fact there can be some additive side effects if you are giving both medicines at the same time. So we recommend choosing one or the other and sticking with that one,” advises Dr. Stevens.”
Both drugs can be toxic if used in excess of the directions, with acetaminophen linked to liver failure and ibuprofen linked to kidney failure. One big problem: a major study showed only 30% of the parents accurately named and then measured a correct dose of either medication for their child. This is why perhaps it’s best not to do the common practice of alternating these medicines, and just sticking with one.
So don’t fear high fevers in kids, and if you use medicines, use them carefully.