Fever Myths Parents Often Believe

Fever Myths Parents Often Believe
The right (and wrong) ways to treat a rising temperature
Very few symptoms worry parents more MYTH NO. 2: Febrile seizures cause epilepsy
than a child’s high fever. Why? It may be in children.
because they’ve subscribed to one of the Febrile seizures— during which a child loses
many myths about fevers that have been consciousness and control of his motor functions,
circulating for years. There’s a lot of folk resulting in a rhythmic shaking of his arms and
mythology about fever that's passed on from legs— occur in 2% to 5% of all children between
one generation to the next. Here are five the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Most doctors
common fictions about childhood fevers and now believe they have more to do with the rate at
the right way to handle them. which the body’s temperature rises than the actual
height of the fever. Seizures that come with fever
MYTH NO. 1: All fevers need to be often happen before a parent knows that a child
treated. has a fever.
This myth is widespread— and so is the flip While these convulsions are truly scary for
side: that no fever needs to be treated. parents to witness and should always be reported
Fevers should be treated based on the to doctors, they are rarely dangerous and do not
comfort of the child rather than the number cause brain damage or increase a child’s risk of
on the thermometer. Fevers are beneficial. developing a seizure disorder (such as epilepsy)
They help the immune system fight in- later in life. Babies who have these seizures
fection by making the body less hospitable before age 1 have a 50% chance of having
to germs. They also help antibiotics work another; for children over 1, the likelihood drops
better. These benefits can occur with fevers to 30%. Furthermore, 90% of children who go a
of 100°to 101°F as well as with higher full year without a seizure have outgrown the
ones. You will probably treat the majority of tendency to have them.
fevers over 102°F because generally they
cause some discomfort. MYTH NO. 3: A fever of 105°F. can cause
If your child has a serious illness, you’ll brain damage.
more than likely see a difference in her Fevers of 104°or 105°F are actually common in
demeanor or behavior, even if she’s mellow kids of any age and won’t cause brain damage.
by nature. If she’s playing comfortably Children tend to run higher fevers than adults do,
despite her fever, you probably don’t need partly because their immune systems are less ma-
to treat her. But if she’s irritable, lethargic, ture. So an infection can become more
or obviously uncomfortable, try to bring widespread before the body jumps on it. While
down the fever. Parents should trust their in- it's true that very high fevers can cause brain
stincts about when their child’s behavior is damage, this occurs only when the mercury rises
really off. Some doctors recommend to 107°F or higher. This is extremely rare in
treating any fever aggressively if a child has children and is usually seen in specific disorders,
had a febrile seizure in the past. If yours has, such as malignant hyperthermia, a brain disorder,
you should discuss the issue with your or with heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Parents
pediatrician. are afraid of a high fever because they fear that it
1
will keep rising. But the body controls ture too quickly. And alcohol baths are an
temperature very well. When a child has a absolute no-no. They can cause skin problems,
fever, the body resets its set point from severe dehydration, and loss of the skin’s cooling
98.6°F to, say, 104°F Then the temperature mechanism. Giving your child acetaminophen
will hover around 104°F, but will stabilize (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Motrin)
while the body fights the infection. also helps to reduce fever. Many doctors prefer
that parents give children acetaminophen because
MYTH NO. 4: To lower your child’s it has a longer safety record.
temperature, give her an ice or alcohol
bath. MYTH NO. 5: The higher the fever, the sicker
Wrong. First of all, bathing will only lower the child.
the temperature as long as the child is in the By itself, fever is not a reliable indicator of
bath. Shortly after getting out, the serious illness. Gauge how your child is acting. If
temperature may be right back where it her behavior suggests she’s feeling okay, you
started. If she seems happier or more probably don’t need to worry. On the other hand,
comfortable in the bath, go ahead and do it. when babies under 3 months have a fever higher
However, it should be a lukewarm bath, one than 100.4°F (rectally), call the doctor right
that feels like a person’s natural body away. In that age group, it's very hard to
temperature. Or you can dip a washcloth in distinguish between children who have something
lukewarm water and gently rub your child’s mild and those who have something serious. This
skin to dilate the blood vessels on the is the reason doctors will normally run a battery
surface and reduce body heat. Anything of tests on a newborn who has a fever to deter-
cooler can lower the child’s body tempera- mine whether he has a serious bacterial illness.
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The right (and wrong) ways to treat a rising temperature

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