A Guide to Fever Control for Infants and Children

1. What is a fever? Fever is your immune system responding to either infection or inflammation. It’s normal for your immune system to produce fever. The reason we lower a fever is to make the infant or child more comfortable, not treat the illness. They’ll still have the “cold” or “sore throat”, but we want them to feel better.

2. What fever is too high? Low fever is 99.0 to 101. Medium fever is 101 to102.5 High fever is over 102.5. Fevers over 102.5 are a concern. They may mean there’s an infection that’s getting out of control. If you have given Tylenol and still see a high fever, call the office for further help. Some children are prone to high fevers even with minor illness, but in general, we worry more about persisting fevers over 102.5. NOTE: IF YOU HAVE AN INFANT UNDER 6 MONTHS AGE, ANY FEVER IS SERIOUS AND YOU SHOULD CALL US FOR INSTRUCTIONS!

3. Taking a temperature. Practice taking your child’s temperature when they’re healthy so you get a feel for how the thermometer works. In infants under a year, use rectal temperatures. From 1 year to school age, you can take it under the arm (or in the ear with the newer models). In older children, use oral temperatures. I still tell parents to use glass mercury thermometers. They’re still the most reliable ones (and the cheapest you can use.

4. Treating a fever. A low-grade fever (99-101) is not too serious and if the infant or child isn’t too fussy, you don’t have to treat it at all. If you want to give them something, use Tylenol first. Make sure they’re drinking fluids well. You don’t need to get their temperature down to 98.6 and simply watch for signs the temperature is going higher. A Medium Fever (101-102.5) is a little more of a concern. If the infant or child is not too irritable, give Tylenol and make them drink extra fluids. Fluids alone can drop their temperature a degree or two. If their temperature is still medium, give them Motrin in addition to Tylenol. A High Fever (102.5 and above) is more serious. This time make sure they’re drinking extra fluids. Give both Tylenol and Motrin together. Take their temp again in 30 and if it’s still high call the office. If it has lowered and the infant or child is not irritable, you can watch the temperature for the next few hours.

5. Giving Tylenol and Motrin. It’s OK to use them together. They are separate drugs and don’t interfere with each other. Both work well treating fevers, either alone or together. I usually tell patients to use Tylenol first, as there has been more experience with the safety of Tylenol.

The timeline below gives an example of how to dose the two drugs. In the example, you can give Tylenol every 4 hours, Motrin every 6 hours. Use the full dose of each. Make sure the infant or child is drinking plenty of fluids.

Tylenol Tylenol Tylenol Tylenol

12 noon 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm 12 midnight

Motrin Motrin Motrin

6. Other fever reducers. Sponge bathing infants or children are the most effective way to lower a fever. Use water comfortable to the child, starting slightly warm and letting the water and child cool off together. Avoid chilling the child, as chills are the body’s way of raising the temperature. Don’t use alcohol or Epsom salts in the water. Just use plain old tap water. Again, get the infant or child to drink fluids. They use up more fluids with fever, and dehydrating caused higher fevers. If you can over hydrate them, they’ll be more comfortable, have a lower temperature and have the extra fluids they need to keep their temperatures under better control.

If you have questions about your child and fever, you can contact us at:

Info@Laramiekids.com

[ Home ] [ Up ]

A Guide to Fever Control for Infants and Children

Send mail to Klep@Laramiekids.com with questions or comments about this web site.