Your baby: How to treat your child's fever
A fever in children and infants can be scary, but it is common. It means your child's body is reacting to an infection.
Your child has a fever if his or her temperature is higher than 100.4 degrees F by rectum.
The degree of fever does not always show how bad an illness may be. Children often run a higher temperature than adults for the same illness.
Call your health care provider if your child is younger than 2 months old and has a fever, if your child's temperature is higher than 100.4 degrees F, or if your child seems sick but has a low-grade fever.
More important than the fever is how your child looks and acts. Watch your child for signs of illness that include.
- appetite loss and/or abdominal pain
- headache
- weakness and/or fatigue
- thirst
- dry skin
- sore throat or swallowing problems
- breathing problems
- ear pain.
How to treat your child's fever
To get an accurate temperature reading for newborns to 1 year olds, use only a rectal thermometer. Follow package directions.
Your health care provider recommends treating a fever in a child younger than 1 year old only if he or she has a fever greater than 102 F by rectum. You should not give any form of fever-reducing or pain medicine to a child younger than 1 year old if you do not know his or her rectal temprature.
Acetaminophen
Brand names include FeverAllŽ (suppository), LiquiprinŽ, PanadolŽ, TempraŽ and TylenolŽ.
Always follow your health care provider's instructions. The dosages recommended are:
- 6 to 11 pounds (0 to 3 months): 0.4 mL
- 12 to 17 pounds (4 to 11 months): 0.8 mL (one-half teaspoon)
- 18 to 23 pounds (12 to 23 months): 1.2 mL (three-quarter teaspoon)
- 24 to 35 pounds (2 to 3 years): 1.6 mL (1 teaspoon)
One dose of acetaminophen should last 4 to 6 hours. Do not give another dose during those 4 to 6 hours.
Do not give your child more than five doses of acetaminophen in 24 hours.
Do not give your child more medicine than the amount recommended by your health care provider or listed on the package label.
Keep this and all medicines out of reach of children.
Ibuprofen
Brand names include AdvilŽand MotrinŽ.
Do not give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old. It is neither recommended nor approved.
Always follow your health care provider's instructions. The dosages recommended are:
- 12 to 17 pounds (6 to 11 months): 25 mg (one-quarter teaspoon)
- 18 to 23 pounds (12 to 23 months): 50 mg (one-half teaspoon)
- 24 to 35 pounds (2 to 3 years): 75 mg (three-quarter teaspoon)
One dose of ibuprofen should last 6 to 8 hours. Do not give another dose during those 6 to 8 hours.
Do not give your child more than four doses of ibuprofen in 24 hours.
Do not give your child more medicine than the amount recommended by your health care provider or listed on the package label.
Keep this and all medicines out of reach of children.
Aspirin (important information)
Do not give your child aspirin or medicines that contain salicylate to treat a viral illness, unless your health care provider gives you directions. These medicines put your child at risk of developing Reye's syndrome, a life-threatening brain and liver disorder.
Non-medicine treatments
- Give your child lots of liquids. Do not force him or her to drink.
- Dress your child in lightweight clothing. If your child has chills, give him or her a blanket. Take off the blanket when your child feels warmer.
- Have your child rest or play quietly.
When to call your health care provider
Call your health care provider if:
- your child is younger than 2 months old and has a temprature of at least 100.4 F by rectum
- your child is 2 to 3 months old and has a temperature of more than 101 F by rectum and has signs of illness
- your child has a temperature higher than 104 Fahrenheit by rectum
- your child's fever does not go down within 24 hours
- you gave your child acetaminophen but the fever and signs of illness last for 3 days
- your child breaks out in a rash
- your child vomits
Taking your baby's temperature Pediatric specialists Family medicine specialists
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