Treating Your Child’s Fever

If your infant or child is older than 6 months and has a fever, they probably do not need to be treated for the fever unless they are uncomfortable.

The key is to watch your child's behavior. If they are drinking, eating, sleeping normally, and is able to play, you do not need to treat the fever. Instead, you should wait to see if the fever improves by itself.

What you can do to help your child feel better

• Keep their room comfortably cool.

• Make sure that they are dressed in light clothing.

• Encourage them to drink fluids such as water or a store-bought electrolyte solution.

• Be sure that they do not overexert themselves.

What  not  to do if your child has a fever

• Do not use aspirin to treat your child's fever or discomfort. Aspirin has been linked with side effects such as an upset stomach, intestinal bleeding, and Reye syndrome. Reye syndrome is a serious illness that affects the liver and brain.

• Do not use sponging to reduce your child's fever. Cool or cold water can cause shivering and increase your child's temperature.

• Never apply rubbing alcohol on your child to treat fever. Rubbing alcohol can be absorbed into the skin or inhaled, causing serious conditions such as a coma.

 

Fever & pain medicine for children

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help your child feel better if your child has a headache or body aches or a fever that is making them uncomfortable.

• Acetaminophen for children comes in liquid as well as pills that can be chewed. It also comes as a pill that is put in the rectum (suppository) if your child is vomiting and can't keep down medicine taken by mouth.

• Ibuprofen comes in liquid for infants and children and chewable tablets that may be given to older children. With ibuprofen, keep in mind that there are 2 different kinds of liquid medicines: one for infants and one for children (including toddlers and children up to age 11 years). Infant drops are stronger (more concentrated) than the medicine for children.

A " tripledemic " of respiratory viruses is making it harder to find over-the-counter children's pain and fever medications in some areas. Try not to panic if stores near you are out of stock. While fever-reducing medicines can make your child more comfortable, they do not cure illness.

Remember

Always look carefully at the label on the medicine and follow the directions. Each type of medicine has different directions based on the age and weight of a child. You should ask your child's doctor about the right dose for your child. Also, if your child is taking other medicines check the ingredients. If they include acetaminophen or ibuprofen, let your child's doctor know.

More information

• Acetaminophen Dosing Tables for Fever and Pain in Children

• Ibuprofen Dosing Table

• Coughs and Colds: Medicine or Home Remedy?

• How to Use Liquid Medicines for Your Child

• Using Over-the-Counter Medicines With Your Child

• Ask the Pediatrician: With a shortage of the antibiotic amoxicillin, what if my child needs it? Is there a replacement?
   

Last Updated

 

12/13/2022

Source

 

Adapted from Fever and Your Child (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.