Dear Dr. Lindeman,
How do I tell if my daughter has a fever?
Your daughter has a fever if the rectal temperature is over 100.4° F or the oral temperature is over 99.5° F. Of course, the height of the fever has nothing to do with how sick the child is. The important thing is how the child looks, not how high the temperature is!
Viral infections cause fevers just as bacterial infections do. A high fever does not mean your child needs antibiotics. Fever does not damage the brain unless it is greater than 107° F, but this is very rare. A fever will go up and down on its own, even if you do not give medicine.
Though all children get fevers, only 4% of children have seizures (convulsions) with fever. With these children, what causes the seizure is not the height of the fever but the speed with which the fever rises.
You should not take the temperature of a sleeping child (you might awaken the child), and you certainly should not awaken a child to give him/her fever medicine!
Home Treatment
- Fluids: Encourage, but do not force, your child to drink extra fluids. Ice pops count!
- Dress: Keep your child dressed in cool clothing: one layer if room temperature permits. If the child is shivering, use a light blanket.
- Sponging: You should avoid giving sponge baths in general, and you should never sponge bathe a child with rubbing alcohol. This is very dangerous. If you must sponge bathe a child with a fever, give acetaminophen (Tylenol) first and wait at least 1/2 an hour.
- Fever/comfort medicines: These medicines only lower the body's temperature 2-3 F. The medicines will not return your child's temperature to normal unless the temperature was not high to begin with. You can expect to give repeated doses over the course of an illness because fevers go up and down frequently until the illness is over.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be given every 4 hours, but no more than 5 times per day.
- Click here for our Acetaminophen & Ibuprofen dosing chart
Call us immediately at 508-655-9699 if
- Your child is less than 2 months old
- Your child cries non-stop for 1 hour
- Your child is difficult to wake up
- Your child's neck is stiff
- There are purple spots on your child's skin
- Your child cannot swallow and is drooling
- Your child looks and acts very sick (if possible, give fever medicine and check the child again in 1 hour)
Call during call-hour at 508-655-9699 if
- The fever lasts more than 72 hours
- Your child tells you he/she has an ear ache, sore throat, or painful urination.
- Fever is more than 104° F and the child is less than 2 years old.
- Your child has had seizures with fever
- You have any questions or concerns
Lincoln Medical Building
61 Lincoln Street, Suite 210
Framingham, MA 01702
(508) 655-9699
(508) 655-2984 fax
Updated: 10/30/02
