The truth about fevers

Parents always worry when their child is sick. It's human nature to worry when someone you love isn't feeling well. Unfortunately, it's inevitable that you or your child will be sick at some point in time and have a fever. Especially for children, it's how they build an immune system. They are exposed to viruses, the body mounts an attack, and a fever results. This is actually the body's way of fighting an infection. Bacteria and viruses have a more difficult time existing and multiplying in the higher temperature when the body produces a fever. So parents are left with the question of what do we do? Your child is sick, miserable actually. Should you give acetominophen or ibuprophen or simply wait it out?

There are things to consider here and you should always consult with your health care professional to determine what's best for your child. Understanding what a fever is can help you make educated choices about what you do for your child.
A fever serves several purposes within the body.
1. To create an inhospitable environment for microbes to survive and multiply.
2. Stimulate the body to fire up the immune system.
3. Stimulates the production of more targeted antibodies that will help you fight off this illness.
4. Increase the production of white blood cells to fight this infection.

A fever of around 102 is the optimal temperature for fighting off an infection. Helping your child through a fever without suppressing it using medications will help get through the illness more quickly. To do this you should
1. Avoid hard to digest foods. Concentrate on offering broths and soups for nourishment. If your child is not hungry, don't push a lot of food on them. This is the body's way of directing all it's attention to getting over this bug.
2. Rest, and lots of it. Working, going to school, and active play all divert the body's attention away from healing. Fevers take a lot of energy and they will therefore most likely turn your little energizer bunny into a couch potato. This the best thing for them, so just keep things quiet for the day until the fever breaks and they are feeling better.

There are times when a fever can be problematic and immediate care should be sought.
1. Fever over 104 in anyone.
2. Fever over 100.4 in a baby less than 1-2 months old.
3. Fever over 102 in a child less than 3 years old.