Fever Phobia
Misconceptions about the dangers of fever are very common. Many parents lose sleep and experience unnecessary stress due to unwarranted concerns about the harmful side effects of fever.
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 (If your child is less than 6 months old, then you should immediately call your doctor.):
- 100-102 F (37.8-38.9 C) Low grade fevers are beneficial (Try to keep temps here*)
- 102-104 F (38.9-40.0 C) Moderate grade fevers are beneficial*
- > 104 F (>40.0 C) High fevers cause discomfort but are harmless
- > 105 F (>40.6 C) Higher risk of bacterial infection
- > 108 F (>42.2 C) The fever itself can be harmful
Many people mistakenly believe that fevers cause brain damage and that temperatures above 104° F (>40° C) are dangerous. However, fevers caused by infection do not produce 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. (Example: being inside a closed car on a hot day.)
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 your child’s temperature or fever is not as important as how your child looks and feels. Is he/she alert, interactive, curious despite the fever? Is he/she drinking and urinating? Is he/she complaining of pain or very uncomfortable? 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 6 months of age, then you should call your doctor immediately).
If you treat a fever, temperatures don’t always normalize. With treatment (removal of clothing, cool bath, ibuprofen), 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. And there are no medicines that kill viruses.
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.
