Do parents worry too much about their child's temperature?

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts) May 8th 2008 10:00AM

No one likes to see their kids get sick, and fevers can be especially worrisome. When my daughter caught the flu this winter, her fever soared to 104.5 and she felt like she was on fire. I think I checked her temperature every hour that night, until I could feel that she had cooled back down.

But researchers say that parents may be worrying too much about childhood fevers, and that many tend to medicate (or worse, over-medicate) a condition that doesn't even need treatment, even waking up comfortably sleeping children to give them medication.

Most germs, say doctors, can't live at temperatures over 101 degree, and fevers actually help our bodies immune systems work more efficiently. In fact, fevers may actually shorten the duration of the illness.

When deciding whether or not to treat a fever, say doctors, observe your child closely. If he or she is comfortable, active, and playing, then you can hold off on treatment. But if the fever is making your child uncomfortable, go ahead and give the appropriate dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Source

Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ninainindia 5-08-2008 @ 11:42AM

I have never understood parents that pump medicine into their children at every oportunity. A friend of mine even complained about our doctor when he refused to medicate her daughter for a harmless sickness.

Flu, colds etc don't warrent drugs in my opinion. Just stay in bed a few days and most of the time you'll feel better soon.

Shirali 5-08-2008 @ 12:11PM

Just this week, I listened to the advice to just let the fever do its work, and she had a seizure, which scared the heck out of me. I had to call an ambulance and spent 2 days in the pediatric emergency room. It was very scary, and I won't be doing that again.

Judy 5-08-2008 @ 1:37PM

My older son tends to run a very high fever with even a minor illness. Our two boys will get sick at the same time, with what would seem to be the same illness, and the younger one will have a slight fever while the 4 yo will get up to 104 (or higher). It's always a little scary, and my husband totally panics, but I know it's just not that big a deal, usually. We will give him ibuprofen or acetaminophen to bring it down if it's bothering him, but otherwise we just let it be. Neither of them has ever been sick enough to have to see a doctor - a cold does not warrant a doctor's visit, and most things there is nothing a doctor can do anyway.

I agree that lots of parents overmedicate and give their kids a drug of some sort with every cough sniff or tummy ache. It's pretty scary, especially when they insist on drugs to treat things drugs can't treat.

Meagan 5-08-2008 @ 1:41PM

I dunno... I think medicating anything under 101 is silly but I don't blame parents for wanting to get high fevers down. This article claims that the point at which a fever becomes dangerous is 107... I don't disbelieve that but I know it's the highest figure I've heard, which is further complicated by the fact that that number changes depending on age. I think to some degree (ha!) it's a case of so much information being confusing... leaving parents scared, and who can blame them? The guidelines they give for how to tell when to medicate a child seem good, but calling the Dr. or a service like Ask-A-Nurse would probably ease far more minds. Most important is to read the damn directions on the meds if you do decide to medicate your kid... half the debacle over kid's cold medicine being dangerous was caused by parents overdosing their children (though the other half was that it just wasn't effective so laying off the cold medicine makes even more sense).

Bethany Sanders 5-08-2008 @ 1:45PM

Good point, Megan. Parents of very young infants need to remember their doctor's advice -- any fever in a baby under three months old warrants a call to the doctor.

Tara 5-08-2008 @ 3:47PM

Like Shirali, I had the horrible experience of watching a fever cause my 2 y.o. daughter to have a febrile seizure. I am extremely cautious of fevers now-- and I am one of those mothers who will wake a child up to medicate them. I never want to watch my child go limp and stop breathing again-- and if waking her up twice a night to give her a dose of motrin means that will not happen, then I am all for it.

Tamyu 5-08-2008 @ 7:15PM

I don`t really give it much thought unless it goes over 103. And even then, I don`t medicate unless it lasts for over 4 or 5 hours. If there is any way we can make it to the doctor, we go and let him take a look. I know my son`s sickness patterns, and he rarely if ever has a high fever unless he has an infection. Viruses tend to stay in the 101 range. If he goes much over that, I usually have reason to suspect it`s something a bit more serious (ear infection, influenza, etc).

I am the type to get very high fevers very quickly, almost always hitting 104 to 105 - and find that my illnesses end around twice as quickly as my husband whose fevers never go over 101. I am a strong believer in the benefits of a fever.

I still keep a very close eye on my son when he is feverish. If things start looking iffy, prescription strength suppositories here we come!

Kevin 5-09-2008 @ 2:05PM

from the "National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke" website:
Are febrile seizures harmful?

Although they can be frightening to parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures are harmless. During a seizure, there is a small chance that the child may be injured by falling or may choke from food or saliva in the mouth. Using proper first aid for seizures can help avoid these hazards (see section entitled "What should be done for a child having a febrile seizure?").

There is no evidence that febrile seizures cause brain damage. Large studies have found that children with febrile seizures have normal school achievement and perform as well on intellectual tests as their siblings who don't have seizures. Even in the rare instances of very prolonged seizures (more than 1 hour), most children recover completely.

Between 95 and 98 percent of children who have experienced febrile seizures do not go on to develop epilepsy. However, although the absolute risk remains very small, certain children who have febrile seizures face an increased risk of developing epilepsy. These children include those who have febrile seizures that are lengthy, that affect only part of the body, or that recur within 24 hours, and children with cerebral palsy, delayed development, or other neurological abnormalities. Among children who don't have any of these risk factors, only one in 100 develops epilepsy after a febrile seizure.

FEAR and lack of knowledge is the biggest hinderence. The childs body knows exactly what to do. Keep an eye on the child - keep the child hydrated (a common mistake which can lead to dire consequences) and stop over-medicating!

However, if a febrile seizure occurs after a vaccination - seek medical attention immedietly!

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