Health Topics for Child Health and Development

UI Children's Hospital

UI Family Care Centers

Divisions Within the Department of Pediatrics

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

Fever Treatment

Fever is not an illness. It is a sign that the body is fighting infection. Children often have high temperatures with infections. Fever may accompany respiratory illnesses, ear infections, flu, severe colds, and sore throats. Not all fevers mean that a child has a serious illness or needs an antibiotic.

Never give aspirin to a child under 18 years. An elevated temperature can usually be managed with acetaminophen. Refer to a pharmacist, your child's pediatrician, or the package insert to determine the correct dose for your child. The exact weight of your child is the main factor to determine the dosage.

Normal temperature for a child varies by the time of day and how it is taken.

* Oral temperature over 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Centigrade) is a fever.

* Rectal temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Centigrade) is a fever.

* Axillary (armpit) temperature over 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Centigrade) is a fever. Axillary temperatures can be unreliable, so an elevated temperature should be checked with a rectal temperature.

Notify your child's pediatrician if your infant is:

* under 3 months of age and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Centigrade) or more

* between 3 and 6 months and has a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Centigrade) or more, or

* a child at any age has a fever over 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Centigrade)

Immediately contact our child's pediatrician if your child has a:

* fever with seizures, a rash, or unexplained pain

* temperature that remains elevated for more than 72 hours or

* temperature that does not respond to home care measures

Generally, a child with a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Centigrade) or more should be given acetaminophen every 4 hours. Contact your pediatrician if your child has other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or a severe cough. In most cases, the child will show improvement after a dose of acetaminophen. Do not give acetaminophen to infants under 3 months of age unless directed by a physician.

The goal of care for mild fevers is to help your child feel better. Make sure the child drinks extra fluids. Keep the child quiet. Dress the child in light cotton clothes. Keep the room comfortably cool. Add or remove an extra blanket when the child is chilled or too warm.

Devices are available that can monitor the ear temperature. Follow the instructions carefully. Ear thermometers are NOT reliable when used in a child under 12 months of age, because of the small size of their ear canal. Use a digital or mercury thermometer to take the child's temperature either rectally or under the arm. If your child is having diarrhea, or has blood in the bowel movement, a rectal temperature should not be taken.