Fever.

Fever – when to worry and when to let it go.

Fever in children can be frightening, especially as they usually occur later in the day or evening after the doctor’s office has closed. But not all fevers should be feared.

If your child has a fever of less than 100.2 there is usually no reason to worry, unless the child is younger than 3 months old. For children younger than 3 months it is advisable to call the doctor if the baby’s rectal temp is a few degrees higher than the 98.6 normal body temperature, as it may be an indication of an infection.

Why does our body generate a fever? The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating our temperatures and it’s thought that as our body is invaded by bacteria or a virus our body produces a fever in response.

So, why does the hypothalamus tell the body to change to a new temperature? Researchers believe turning up the heat is the body’s way of fighting the germs that cause infections and making the body a less comfortable place for them. It also usually means your body is fighting the infection on its own.

If your child is responding fairly well and acting normally despite the fever it is advisable to let whatever it might be run its course. Make your child comfortable with loose clothing, limit physical activity and feed plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and your child should be fever free within 24 hours. If the fever lasts more than 3 days it would be prudent to call and check-in with their doctor.

When should you call the doctor for a fever?  Children whose temperatures are lower than 102° typically only require medication if they’re uncomfortable. There’s one important exception to this rule: If you have an infant 3 months or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4° or higher, call your doctor or go to the emergency department immediately. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young infants. It is not adviseable to administer the ‘usual’ over-the-counter medications to children this young without first speaking with your doctor.

If your child is between 3 months and 3 years old and has a fever of 102.2° or more, call the doctor to see if he or she needs to see your child. For older kids, take behavior and activity level into account.

Watching how your child behaves will give you a pretty good idea whether a minor illness is the cause or if your child should be seen by a doctor. The illness is probably not serious if your child:

• is still interested in playing
• is eating and drinking well
• is alert and smiling at you
• has a normal skin color
• looks well when his or her temperature comes down

Don’t worry its quite normal if your child refuses to eat, lack of appetite is common in reaction to an infection that might cause the fever. Just watch how much fluids go in and out. Ideally your child will produce tears when crying and urinate about once every 4 to 6 hours.

Sadly, despite the severity of a fever it’s hard to judge exactly how sick your child might be. High fevers in the 102-104 range can be caused by anything from a simple cold to some other viral infection, but again this doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious problem. More problematic is that sometimes a serious infection may cause no fever or may even result in an abnormally low body temperature, especially in infants.

As your child’s fever rises and falls, they might experience chills as the body tries to generate additional heat as its temperature begins to rise. The child may sweat as the body releases extra heat when the temperature starts to drop. This is quite typical.

Children with a fever often breathe faster than usual and may seem to have a higher heart rate. You should place a call to your doctor if your child is having difficulty breathing, is breathing faster than normal, or continues to breathe fast, especially if it continues after the fever comes down.

Call your doctor immediately if your baby or young child has any of these warning signs that may indicate something more serious than just a common cold or viral infection.

• Breathing problems, including wheezing
• Consistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Earache or an indication of ear pain
• A fever of several days duration
• Abnormal crying (hysterical or high-pitched)
• Is easily irritated, or very irritable
• Pale
• Seizures
• Severe headache
• Skin rash
• Sore or swollen joints
• Sore throat
• Stiff neck
• Stomach pains
• Swelling of the fontanel
• Unresponsive and / or limp, lethargic
• Whimpering and in constant obvious pain

Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
Make an adjustment: Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy!

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