Evidence shows that fevers are part of the immune response to prevent viruses and bacteria from replicating and also produce more white blood cells and antibodies.
Fever reducers also mask the symptoms.
“Medicines that reduce temperature also treat pain, but pain is often a clue that helps locate the source of infection,” Woolford said. “Reducing pain, with fever-reducing medication may delay diagnosis and delay receiving treatment if needed.”
She says parents may also be tempted to take children out in public when they look better after medication, when in fact they are still highly contagious and can infect others.
If you do use medication, be careful not to overdose.
When parents choose to give fever-reducing medication, it is helpful to keep a log of temperature readings and when the medication was given. This will provide an accurate record in the event that the child’s fever persists for an extended period of time. For many children, the winter season comes with regular exposure to the spread of viruses at school or daycare. A hot forehead is often one of the first obvious signs that a child has caught a worm.
But some parents are not properly measuring or responding to elevated temperatures in children, a new national survey suggests.
While most parents believe that a low-grade fever helps a child’s body fight off infection, one in three attribute the fever to a high temperature below 100.4, according to the CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children. Will give anti-inflammatory medicine – which is not recommended. Health at University of Michigan Health.
If the fever was between 100.4 and 101.9 degrees, half the parents would also use the drug, and a quarter would give a second dose to prevent the fever from coming back.
Mott said, “Often parents worry about their child having a fever and want to do everything they can to bring down their temperature. However, they may not be aware that is that the main reason to treat a fever is just to comfort your child.” Poll co-director and MOT pediatrician Susan Woolford, MD.