Kids’ Health: Why Does My Child Have a Fever?

No matter their age or overall health, everyone can be afraid of fevers. However, when your child has a fever, it can be extremely frightening. When their sick infant has a fever, new parents are particularly prone to fear and frequently feel compelled to head straight to the emergency hospital for treatment. A study found that worries about a high-temperature account for up to one-third of pediatric ER visits. However, the great majority don't need medical attention right away. The main cause of panic, according to the same study, was parents' ignorance of what a fever actually signifies.

Fever

It's useful to know what a fever actually is before you can make an informed decision about whether or not it's harmful. An elevation in body temperature over the normal range is referred to as a fever, or pyrexia in technical terms. Age, gender, degree of effort, emotions, and even the area of the body utilized to monitor temperature can all affect what constitutes a normal body temperature. It is believed that the usual range, which encompasses these parameters, is between 97.5 and 99.5 °F (36.5 and 37.5 °C). Most medical professionals define a fever as 100.4 °F when measured with a rectal thermometer (100 °F taken orally or 99 °F taken under the armpit), while anything above that range may be termed a fever.

When Should You Worry?

As previously mentioned, a temperature that is higher than normal can be classified as a fever, but medical professionals don't usually get concerned about a child's health until it reaches 104 °F or higher. The main explanation for this is that, in almost all cases, a temperature that is lower than that is a natural, healthy reaction to whatever ailment the body is experiencing. Stated differently, a temperature below 104 °F shouldn't raise any red flags or necessitate an emergency department visit.

In fact, specific temperature measurements alone are often not as effective as assessing additional symptoms. If your child has a fever other than the following signs and symptoms, you should call 911 right away:

• Too weak to walk or stand
• Will not wake up
• Severe difficulty breathing and barely speaking or crying
• Red or purple spots/dots on the skin.
• Other indicators of a life-threatening emergency

There are other signs and symptoms related to a high fever that can be a cause for concern. If your child is experiencing any of the following, it is recommended you seek medical care like that provided by UrgentWay Clinic, an urgent care facility dedicated to walk-in pediatric urgent care:

 

• fever over 104 °F (or any fever in children younger than 12 weeks)
• trouble breathing
• trouble swallowing
• chills and shaking
• dehydration
• weak immune system (pre-existing condition)
• fever lasts longer than 3 days
• fever returning after no fever for 24 hours
• has febrile seizures (they are usually not serious and pass within a few minutes)