Fevers are part the body’s effort to activate the immune system, so they are one of our innate protective mechanisms. Most fevers are good for children because fevers help them to fight infection.

The body’s temperature normally fluctuates throughout the day and peaks in the late afternoon and evening. For instance, an oral or axillary (under the arm) temperature can be 97.6° F (36.5° C) in the morning and go to a high of 99.5° F (37.5° C) in the evening. Similarly,
a rectal temperature can be as low as 98.4° F (36.9° C) in the morning and become as high as 100.3° F (38° C) in the late afternoon.

If your child has a fever, remember to stay calm and use the following definitions to put your child’s fever into perspective:

Many people mistakenly believe that fevers cause brain damage and that temperatures above 104° F (>40° C) are dangerous. However, fevers with infections don’t cause brain damage. Only body temperatures over 108° F (42.2° C) can cause brain damage, and body temperature only climbs to this level with very high environmental temperatures (like in a closed
car).

Fevers only need to be treated if they cause discomfort, and these are usually fevers over 102 or 103° F (38.9 or 39.5° C). The exact number of the temperature or fever is not as important as how your child looks. Is he/she alert, interactive, curious despite the fever? Is he/she
drinking and urinating? Most children with temperatures below 105° F (40.6° C) are alert and interactive despite their fever. These are the questions that should be asked to determine if you should seek out a doctor’s care (unless your child is less than 4 months of age).

If you treat a fever, temperatures don’t always normalize. With treatment, temperatures often drop 2 or 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1-1.5° C), usually enough to allow your child to feel a little better. And if the fever “doesn’t break,” this isn’t cause for alarm. There is no greater risk that
a fever that doesn’t come down is caused by a serious infection. Fevers that don’t respond to fever medicine (usually ibuprofen or acetaminophen) can be caused by viruses or bacteria.

Fevers will not continue to climb higher and higher if not treated. Fevers from infection usually stop rising at about 105-106° F (40.6 or 41.1° C) or lower, because the brain’s thermostat keeps body temperatures lower than this.

Not every child with a fever is at risk for a febrile seizure. Only about 4% of all children will ever have a febrile seizure. If your child has a febrile seizure, though it is scary to watch, they cause no permanent harm and usually last less than 5 minutes. Children who experience febrile seizures have no increased risk of developmental delay, learning disability, or epilepsy.

• When your child has a cold, make sure he/she gets plenty of rest and drinks extra fluids (water, herbal teas such as chamomile or mint (even cold), Pedialyte).
• Consider using saline nose drops to soften nasal mucus and temporarily dry up mucus membranes. Drops can be purchased or made at home (1/4 teaspoon of salt to 4 ounces or 1/2 cup of warm water.) Use 2-3 drops per nostril at least four times a day or as often as needed for kids over 1 year. Children under age 1 need only one drop at a time.
• Use a suction bulb to clear the nose of a child too young to blow his own, and help or encourage an older child to blow his or her nose.
• Protect the skin around stuffy noses with Shea butter, Aquaphor, or Vaseline.
• If your child has a fever, read our Fever Phobia section. Consider giving him/her a tepid bath; don’t overdress/bundle your child if he/she is has a fever; ensure good liquid intake.
• Sore throats can be remedied (in children over 1 year) with chicken soup, lemon and honey mixed in equal quantities and heated, herbal tea with honey and lemon.
• Contact your pediatrician at the first signs of fever/illness for infants younger than 4 months.