Understanding why fevers occur is the first step in fever management in kids. Taking an accurate temperature, knowing what it means, and having the knowledge about how to treat it can prevent the uncertainty and anxiety many parents feel when their child has a fever.
Kids get fevers all the time, but a fever can be a frightening experience for a parent. Controversy surrounding the management and treatment of fevers only confuse parents, leaving them not completely sure of what to do.
Understanding why fevers occur is the first step in fever management in kids. Taking an accurate temperature, knowing what it means, and having the knowledge about how to treat it can prevent the uncertainty and anxiety many parents feel when their child has a fever.
How a Fever Works
A minor fever is the body’s response to illness. It is the body’s attempt to fight infection. White blood cells increase in response to a fever. The job of white blood cells is to kill infected cells.
Obviously there can be a lot more involved in the explanation of fever. For our purposes here however, this explanation will suffice.
Some medical professionals believe that suppressing a fever will stop the body’s ability to fight infection. Current research demonstrates the fact that outcomes are improved when a fever is allowed to run its course. As frightening as this may be for a parent, it only makes sense that allowing a fever to continue without suppressing it allows white cells to do their job, which means the white cells can finish fighting the infection and prevent further illness. Suppressing or stopping the fever will decrease the number of white cells, allowing the infection to continue or get worse.
Normal Temperature
Health care professionals have different opinions about what defines a normal temperature. Many factors influence what your child’s temperature will be. Temperatures vary according to the time of day, what your child is wearing, environment, activity, method of taking the temperature and many other factors.
Generally speaking, an oral (by mouth) temperature ranges from 97 degrees to 99.5 degrees. A rectal (anal, in the bottom) temperature will usually be 1 degree higher than an oral temperature. If your child has an oral temperature of 99 degrees, his rectal temperature will most likely be 100 degrees.