A fever indicates your child is fighting an infection. While you reduce a fever, this alleviates the symptoms but doesn't treat the illness. Knowing whether to reduce your kid's fever or to let it run its course is important. Take an infant younger than 3 months to the emergency room if he has a rectal temperature of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher. The American Academy of Physicians recommends not treating a fever up to 100.2 Fahrenheit in kids older than 3 months. Treat slightly higher fevers if they're causing discomfort and take steps to bring down a fever of 101 Fahrenheit or higher. These are general guidelines; consult your pediatrician first.
Step 1
Remove most of your child's clothing, except a diaper or underwear. Give him light cotton pajamas or a light blanket if he develops chills, but avoid bundling kids up as this can raise body temperature and prompt sweating.
Step 2
Keep the temperature in the house between 70 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3
Give your child an over-the-counter pediatric, fever-reducing medication that his pediatrician has approved. Use children's ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but don't give kids aspirin due to the risk of causing Reye's syndrome. Determine the direct dosage by your child's weight, not his age. Follow all package directions and warnings for safe use.
Step 4
Bathe a baby or toddler in lukewarm water, but never in cold or ice water. Alternatively, wipe your kid down with a washcloth soaked in lukewarm water.
Step 5
Have your child drink water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration, especially if he has diarrhea or vomits. An ice pop made from real fruit juice works too, and may be soothing and better received by a fussy kid. Give small amounts of juice at a time to avoid triggering more stomach upset. Avoid acidic juices if your child was vomiting, though, because they irritate the throat further. Your child may do best with a simple soup made with clear broth for a meal, which also replaces lost fluids and electrolytes.
Tips and Warnings
- Take an infant, baby or toddler's temperature rectally, because it's the most accurate method. Don't take a reading right after a bath, though. Take an older kid's temperature orally, but wait at least 20 minutes after he eats or drinks. Make sure your child isn't bundled up when you take his temperature.
- Never try to reduce a kid's fever by applying rubbing alcohol to his skin. It can be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause too sudden a drop in body temperature, as the website BabyCenter cautions.
