Treating a Fever
Generally speaking, fevers are not dangerous. A fever usually means that your immune system has been activated by an infection or from a vaccine. In fact, fever is your friend because it helps your immune system respond more effectively to an infection. There is no need to treat a fever as long as the fever is low (less than 101.5) and your child seems comfortable. However, if your child seems uncomfortable (cranky, not wanting to eat, unable to sleep) it is reasonable to treat the fever.
If your child is more severely ill (breathing difficulty, inconsolable fussiness or pain, making less urine, unable to drink fluids, etc) then you should definitely call us 215-525-8600) or go to the nearest emergency department. If your child is less than 3 months old and has a fever you should call us or go to the nearest emergency department.
How much fever medicine should I give?
This depends on what type of medicine you have. Below we provide information for Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. Be sure to follow directions strictly or your child could experience severe side effects. Please review the dosing tables below and double check your medication label before giving medication. You can always call us if you want to confirm the correct dosage. (these tabled come from http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4015.pdf)
Never, ever give aspirin to a child to treat a fever! Even though they are called “baby aspirin” these should NEVER be given to children.
