Myth: All fevers are bad for children

 

Fact: Fevers turn on the body’s immune system. Fevers are one of the body’s protective mechanisms.

 

Most fevers are good for sick children and help the body fight infection. The exception is babies less than 3 months of age.They should be seen by a healthcare provider right away. Use the following definitions to help put your child’s level of fever into perspective:

 

100°F to 102°F(37.8°C to 39°C)          Low-grade fever: Beneficial. Try to keep the fever in this range.

 

102°F to 104°F (39°C to 40°C)            Moderate –grade fever- Beneficial.

 

Over 104° F(40°C                               High Fever: Causes discomfort, but is harmless.

 

Over 105°F(40.6°C)                            High Fever: Higher risk of bacterial    infection.

 

Over 108°F (42°C)                              Serious Fever: The fever itself can be harmful

 

Myth: Fevers cause brain damage or fevers over 104°F(40°C) are dangerous.

 

Fact: Fevers with infections don’t’ cause brain damage. Only the body

Temperatures over 108°F(42°C) can cause brain damage. The body

temperature goes this high only with extreme environmental

temperatures (for example, if a child is confined in a closed car in hot

weather).

 

 

Myth: Anyone can have a febrile seizure (seizure triggered by fever).

 

Fact: Only 4% of children have a febrile seizures.

 

Myth: Febrile seizures are harmful

 

Fact: Febrile seizures are scary to watch, but they usually stop within 5

minutes.They cause no permanent harm. Children who have had febrile

seizures don not have a greater risk for developmental delays, learning

disabilities,or seizures without fever.

 

Myth: All fevers need to be treated with fever medicine.

 

Fact: Wrong. Because of the brain’s thermostat, fevers from infection top out a 103°F to 104°F. They rarely go to 105°F or 106°F. f

 

Myth: With treatment, fevers should come down to normal

 

Fact: With treatment, fevers usually come down 2° or 3°F.

 

Myth: If the fever doesn’t come down( if you can’t “break the fever), the cause is serious.

 

Fact: Fevers that don’t respond to fever medicine can be caused by viruses and bacteria. Whether the medicine works or not doesn’t relate to the seriousness of the infection.

 

Myth: If the fever is high, the cause is serious.

Fact: If the fever is high, the cause may or may not be serious. If your child looks very sick, the cause is more likely to be serious.

 

Myth: The exact number of the temperature is very important.

 

Fact: How your child looks is what’s important, not the exact temperature.

 

Myth: Temperatures between 98.7°F and 100°F are low’-grade fevers.

 

Fact: These temperatures are normal variations. The normal temperatures changes throughout the day. It peaks in the late afternoon and evening. A low-grade fever is 100°F to 102°F.

 

Myth: Feed a cold, starve a fever.

 

Fact: This old saying should be ignored. Fevers cause the body to lose fluids through sweating and breathing. Children with fevers need lots of fluids. Children with a fever may or may not be hungry for food. If they are hungry, offer the food that the choose. It is helpful to do so.

 

A reading of 99.4°F is the average rectal temperature. It normally can change from 98. 4° F in the morning to a high of 100.3°F in the late afternoon.

 

A reading of 97.6° F is just the average oral temperature. It normally can change from a low of 95.8°F in the morning to a high of 99.5° F in the late afternoon.

 

Written by B.D. Schmitt, MD, author of “Your Child’s Health,” Bantam Books

 

Published by RelayHealth.

 

 

2008 RelayHealth and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.