Understanding Fever

What is Fever?

A fever is usually the first sign that your child is fighting illness. You’ll probably notice that your child’s temperature rises (anything above 37.2°C is classed as a fever). This rise in temperature – caused by chemicals called pyrogens – is the body’s way of attempting to kill any infective agents in your child’s system.

Fever Temperature levels:

Fever is a sign of infection in the body. Fever is often caused by a virus and sometimes by bacteria. Viral infections are far more common and do not need antibiotics; bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.

Recognising the signs

Your child will probably let you know if they have a fever by crying – especially if they’re too young to talk. Older children will tell you when something’s not right, but you may have to ease their worries by describing what’s happening and why.

Symptoms may vary according to the underlying cause of a fever, but some common signs to look out for include:

• Irritability and lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Restlessness during the night
• Shivering uncontrollably
• Pale with cool hands and feet but hot forehead, tummy and back
• Hot and flushed all over
• Vomiting suddenly
• Febrile convulsion

What causes a fever?

A fever is a symptom of an underlying condition rather than an illness itself. So as well as taking steps to bring a fever down, like giving your child effective pain relief (such as Nurofen for Children*), it’s important to seek medical advice to discover the root cause. Here are some of the most common causes of fever in babies and children:

• Colds and flu
• Chicken pox
• Infected cuts or grazes
• Urinary or kidney infections
• Mumps
• Measles
• Immunisation

When should you be concerned about fever?

Always see a doctor if:

• The fever is accompanied by a stiff neck, confusion or irritability
• Your child is under 6 months
• Your child is between the age of 6 months and 1 year and the fever lasts longer than 24 hours
• The fever stays above 37°C for longer than 2 hours
• The fever lasts longer than 2 days
• The fever goes above 37.2°C

Treating fever

Most fevers are not serious and tend to go away on their own once the illness or infection clears-up. To help make your child more comfortable here are some ways to help bring a fever down:

• Keep your child in a warm room
• Check he’s not getting too hot or too cold
• Offer drinks and food, even though you might be turned down
• Give him some medicine such as Nurofen for Children. It contains ibuprofen to reduce fever up to 8 hours.¹
• If you’re worried for any reason, please speak to your doctor

Febrile convulsions explained

A febrile convulsion (or fit) is usually triggered off when your child’s temperature rises suddenly (to over 38ºC). When this happens, your child may become rigid and his body and limbs may go stiff or floppy. Fits normally last for no more than two minutes. They are not considered dangerous and generally cause no long-term problems. And they tend to disappear as a child gets older.

If your child does have a fit, here are some tips to help you deal with the situation:

• Place him on the floor to protect him from injury
• If you can, lie your child on his side or tummy to prevent choking
• Don’t try to hold his limbs still because this may cause injury
• Do not put anything in his mouth
• Once the fit is over reassure your child and call your doctor
• If the fit does not stop within 5 minutes, call an ambulance.

¹ Autret Leca E et al. Current Medical Research and Opinion 2007; 23(9); 2205-11.