February 21, 2023 – Many parents give their children fever-reducing medication though it isn’t really helpful, a brand new survey shows.
One in three parents of kids ages 12 and under said they provide their child fever-reducing medication to cut back a extreme temperature that remains to be below 100.4°F (38°C). Relying too quickly on medications similar to Tylenol can mask other symptoms that accompany a low-grade fever, potentially delaying diagnosis of the reason for the fever.
The Results were released Monday by the University of Michigan's CS Mott Children's Hospital. The survey included responses from 1,376 parents in August and September 2022.
Child health experts often define fever as 38°C or more. An elevated temperature in itself isn’t dangerous and may sometimes be helpful.
“Some parents give their children medication immediately, but it is often better to just let the fever subside. Lowering a child's temperature does not usually help cure the illness any faster,” said researcher and pediatrician Susan Woolford in a opinion“In fact, a mild fever helps fight the infection. There is also the risk of giving an unnecessary amount of medication, which can lead to side effects.”
Among the parents who participated within the survey:
- 35% would administer medication at a temperature below 38 °C.
- 50% would administer medication for a temperature between 38 and 39 °C.
- 15% would administer the medication at a temperature of 39 °C or more.
One in 4 parents also said they’d give one other dose later to stop the fever from recurring.
The essential advantage of antipyretic drugs is often to alleviate symptoms, the researchers explained.
An increased body temperature has been shown to make immune cells higher in a position to destroy viruses and bacteria that cause infections, the researchers wrote. They said parents should as an alternative monitor the extreme temperature and use calming strategies without medication, similar to:
- Keep the room cool.
- Make sure that the kid isn’t overexerted.
- Dress the kid in light clothing.
- Make sure you drink enough fluids.
The researchers encouraged parents and caregivers to make use of accurate methods to measure a baby's temperature. Oral temperatures are essentially the most accurate and could be used once a baby is sufficiently old to carry a thermometer with their mouth closed. In infants and young children, rectal temperature measurement is essentially the most accurate method.
It's also vital to know when to call a health care provider if a baby's fever continues to rise while being monitored, the researchers advise. When to choose up the phone will depend on the kid's age.
Any sign of fever in an infant 3 months of age or younger is a reason to call a health care provider. For infants 4 to 12 months of age, researchers advised calling if the fever is accompanied by lower activity levels, more fussiness or fewer wet diapers.
For older children, call your doctor if the fever lasts longer than 24 hours in children under 2 years old or longer than 3 days in children 2 years old and older. Always call if the fever reaches 104°F (40°C).