Your toddler comes to you, crying in the middle of the day. His cheeks are flushed and his face feels hot. He has a fever. When your child comes down with a bacterial or viral infection, your goal is to treat the infection, not the fever. Use the fever as a tool to help your child fight his illness.
What Fever Does
A fever is the body's defense against infections, whether bacterial or viral. When a toddler comes down with an illness, his fever is allowing beneficial microbes in his body to fight the illness in his system. These microbes need extra heat -- the fever -- to reproduce and allow his immune system to release white blood cells, according to the Parents website.
Duration of a Fever
If you have given your toddler a dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, his temperature will rise again once the medication has worn off. The fever reducers aren't acting on the primary infection and cause of your child's fever, according to the Baby Center website.
A fever's duration depends on the illness causing the fever -- a more severe illness will cause your child's fever to last longer.
Illnesses and Fever
Fever resulting from a bacterial infection that is being treated with antibiotics will fall back to normal within 48 hours; a fever caused by a viral infection such as a cold will last two to three days; the flu will keep your toddler feverish for five to seven days, says the Baby Center website.
Roseola, a viral infection, can cause three days of high fever. When the fever breaks, your toddler breaks out with a light rash all over his trunk. More serious illnesses, such as meningitis, can cause your toddler to develop a high temperature with no additional symptoms, which makes your job and the doctor's more difficult.
What to Do
Keep your toddler comfortable while he is ill. Sponge him down in lukewarm water -- not rubbing alcohol. Give him plenty of clear fluids. Dress him lightly and allow him to play quietly or rest. Keep him comfortable enough to rest so his body can fight his illness. If he is too hot to rest comfortably, it won't be as easy for him to improve.
If your child's fever is making him uncomfortable, give him acetaminophen or ibuprofen according to his weight. When you do give him medication, make sure you use the measuring cup that comes with the bottle.
