Fever Phobia

Hey, moms out there. Do any of you get happy when your kiddo has a fever? Do you hope and pray that the ear pain (or cough, congestion, or rash) is accompanied by a temp of 101 or 102? Do you willingly invite an above-normal reading on whichever hi-tech thermometer is in your medicine cabinet?  I’m guessing probably not.

Fever has become the dividing line for busy parents between sick and not-so-sick. Fess up. If you leave home each day to go to work chances are you use fever as the decider. Send her to school or suck it up and take a sick day to stay home. The fever will make the call.

Furthermore, you may use body temp to help you know when a trip to the doc is in order. 100.0? Ho-hum. 102.0? Grab the Tylenol and get in the car, stat! Gotta get that fever down!

Well, it may be time to reconsider because the meaning of fever is taking on a whole new look.

A new study in the Journal of Pediatrics finds that most fevers are a normal, helpful response to run-of-the-mill childhood illnesses. “It doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing”, says study author Janice Sullivan, MD, professor of pediatric critical care medicine at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. As long as your child is comfortable it isn’t always necessary to bring the fever down with medication. In fact, the fever is part of the body’s infection fighting arsenal.

Sullivan points out it’s more important to monitor children for symptoms of serious illness instead of becoming overly concerned with the number on the thermometer. But there are exceptions.

Infants under 8 weeks of age haven’t yet developed a fully functioning immune system. If they have a fever over 100.4 it needs to be checked out quickly, because these tiny ones can get very sick very fast.

Children with a persistent fever above 103 should be evaluated by a doctor, but more important than the number is how your child is acting in spite of the temp. Is she alert and playful? Is she drinking fluids? Is she willing to eat something, even if it’s a popsicle or a bowl of soup? If so, chances are the fever is a normal, yes, healthy response to the virus or bacteria that’s lurking. The elevated body temp makes an uncomfortable environment for the little buggers and hastens their eradication.

The two most common medicines used for treating fever in kids are acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but as many as half of all parents give the wrong dose, either too much or too little. So when your little one is sick and has a fever ask yourself if she’s comfortable. If so, skip the meds and let the fever do its job.

As always, trust your gut. If you have a feeling that something is really wrong don’t hesitate to call your doctor — no matter how low or high the temp may be.