by Heart Mom X 2

Created on: June 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 09, 2012

When your child has a fever it can be very scary especially for first time parents. Fever is your body's way of fighting off an infection. In many cases what many parents consider a fever is not. A fever is a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher. A rectal of 103 degrees or oral or ear temperature above 102 degrees is considered a significant fever.

You should always try to treat your child's fever with Tylenol and Motrin before calling the doctor. You can rotate giving either Tylenol and Motrin every two hours. If you have given your child a dose of each and the fever has not began to subside then it is time to call your pediatrician. If your child's fever is above 103 rectally or 102 orally or taken in the ear then give one dose of Tylenol and call the Pediatrician right away.

If your child is less than eight weeks old and has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, call the Pediatrician right away.

An important things to remember when calling the Pediatrician is: if you took the temperature axillarily (under the arm) do not add a degree, just simply tell the doctor what the thermometer read and where you took it. Do not take a rectal temperature in infants unless your doctor asks you to, in some cases rectal thermometers can cause internal damage.

Other signs of when to call the doctor are:
*The fever is accompanied by unusual wimpering or crying
*If your child is tugging or pulling at their ear
*Loss of appetite, especially clear liquids
*If your child has fewer wet diapers than usuall
*If the fever is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting or a rash
*Difficult, noisy or labored breathing; blue lips
*Thick yellow or green mucous
*If the fever is accompanied by seizures

Treatment of a temperature below 100.4 is not recommended. Once again a fever is your body's way of fighing off infections and treating it before it is high enough to help fight the infection is only asking for trouble.

Remove any extra clothing from your child and give them a sheet or light blanket if they are cold. The extra layers may increase your child's temperature. Offer your child lots of fluids during this time to help avoid dehydration. Pedialyte and water are the best liquids to offer your child when they have a fever as they replace electrolytes.

Knowing when to call the doctor when your child has a fever is not always an easy thing to recognize. Here are a few key questions to ask yourself; Do they have an appetite? Are they lethargic or listless, or does she want to get up and play. Does the temperature remain constant or does it change?

It is not easy to determine the cause of a fever but remember the sooner the cause is established the sooner treatment can begin.

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