Care For Your Child's Fever

If your child is burning up with a fever, you generally do not have to worry. Of course, if you're a parent, you almost certainly will. That's why it's important to remember that a fever is the body's natural response to viruses and bacterial infections. A child's fever means that their body is working hard to fight off the illness.

As a parent, there are multiple ways to keep your child comfortable while their body fights a bug. There are also warning signs that it's time to react if the fever is a sign of something more serious. Follow these tips to soothe your child and know when to seek treatment.

1. Give your child OTC medication. Proper doses of Acetaminophen are often very effective in treating fevers in children and adults. If your child is older than six months, they can also take Ibuprofin, which is even more effective. Just be sure never to give your child Advil, as this has been linked to Reye's syndrome. And, of course, always follow the dosage instructions. Doubling the dosage won't help the body fight the fever twice as fast; it will put your son or daughter at risk of organ damage.
2. Draw a lukewarm bath. A warm bath can soothe your child's achy muscles and open up their airways if they have a cold. A handful of epsom salts is another great way to ease body aches. Just make sure that the temperature is not too hot or too cold, as this could make their body temperature spike too high.
3. Encourage sleep and fluids. Especially when their fever is the result of a cold, flu, or other virus, plenty of rest and fluid intake is the best possible regimen. Sleeping and nourishing the body will raise your child's immune response.
4. Know when to visit a walk in clinic. If your child has a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, it is time to visit one of your local clinics or call your pediatrician. This is also true if your child is younger than three-months-old and has a fever higher then 100.4 degrees. It is also important to visit an urgent care center if the fever has lasted for longer then 72 hours for children over two-years-old and 24 hours for children younger than that. If their fever is accompanied by a stiff neck, seizures, ear pain, a rash, lethargy, or other more severe symptoms, be sure to take them to urgent care or the emergency room.