Fever, Myths About

PARENT CARE:  FEVER, MYTHS ABOUT

MYTH:  All fevers are bad for children.
FACT:  Fevers turn on the body's immune system.  
Fevers are one of the body's protective mechanisms.
Most fevers are good for children and help the body fight infection.  

MYTH:  Fevers cause brain damage or fevers above 104°F (40°C) are dangerous.
FACT:  Fevers with infections don't cause brain damage.  Only body temperatures above 108°F (42.2°C) can cause brain damage.  Fevers only go this high with high environmental temperatures (e.g., confined to a closed car).

MYTH:  Anyone can have a febrile seizure.
FACT:  Only 4% of children can have a febrile seizure.

MYTH:  Febrile seizures are harmful.
FACT:  Febrile seizures are scary to watch, but they usually stop within 5 minutes.  They cause no permanent harm.

MYTH:  All fevers need to be treated with fever medicine.
FACT:  Fevers only need to be treated if they cause discomfort.  Usually fevers don't cause any discomfort until they go above 102° or 103°F (39° or 39.5°C).

MYTH:  Without treatment, fevers will keep going higher.
FACT:  Wrong.  Fevers from infection top out at 105° or 106°F (40.6° or 41.1°C), due to a thermostat in the brain.

MYTH:  With treatment, fevers should come down to normal.
FACT:  With treatment, fevers usually come down 2° or 3°F (1° or 1.5°C).

MYTH:  If the fever doesn't come down (if you can't "break the fever"), the cause is serious.
FACT:  Fevers that don't respond to fever medicine can be caused by viruses or bacteria.  It doesn't relate to the seriousness of the infection.

MYTH:  If the fever is high, the cause is serious.
FACT:  If your child looks very sick, the cause is serious.

MYTH:  The exact number of the temperature is very important.
FACT:  How your child looks is what's important.

MYTH:  Oral temperatures 98.7° to 100°F (37.1° to 37.8°C) are low-grade fevers.
FACT:  Oral temperatures 98.7° to 100°F (37.1° to 37.8°C) are normal temperature variations--often peaking in the late afternoon and evening.  For rectal temperatures, normal elevations are 99.5° to 100.3°F (37.5° to 37.9°C).

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REFERENCES

  1. AAP Committee on Quality Improvement: Subcommittee on Urinary Tract Infection. Practice parameter: The diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of the initial urinary tract infection in febrile infants and young children. Pediatrics. 1999;103:843-852.
  2. Birmingham PK, Tobin MJ, Henthorn TK, et al. Twenty-four hour pharmacokinetics of rectal acetaminophen in children: an old drug with new recommendations. Anesthesiology. 1997;87:244-252.
  3. Bonadio WA. The history and physical assessments of the febrile infant. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1998;45(1):65-77.
  4. Crocetti MT, Serwint JR. Fever: separating fact from fiction. Contemp Pediatr. 2005;22(1):34-42.
  5. Finklestein JA, Christiansen CL, Richard Platt. Fever in pediatric primary care: Occurrence, management and outcomes. Pediatrics. 2000;105:260-266.
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  8. Ishimine P. Fever without source in children 0 to 36 months of age. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2006;53(2):167-194.
  9. Mayoral CE, Marino RV, Rosenfeld W, Greensher J. Alternating antipyretics: Is this an alternative? Pediatrics. 2000;105:1009-1012.
  10. McCarthy PL. Fever. Pediatr Rev. 1998;19:401-407.
  11. Newman TB, Bernzweig JA, Takayama JI, Finch SA, Wasserman RC, Pantell RH. Urine testing and urinary tract infections in febrile infants seen in office settings. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156:44-54.
  12. Press S, Quinn BJ. The pacifier thermometer. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:551-554.
  13. Rideout ME, First LR. Fever: measuring and managing a sizzling symptom. Contemp Pediatr. 2001;18(5):42-50.
  14. Roberts KB. Young febrile infants. JAMA. 2004;291(10):1261-1262.
  15. Sarrell EM, Wielunsky E, Cohen HA. Antipyretic treatment in young children with fever. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160:197-202.
  16. Scolnik D et al. Comparison of oral versus normal and high-dose rectal acetaminophen in the treatment of febrile children. Pediatrics. 2002;110:553-556.
  17. Shann F. Comparison of rectal, axillary and forehead temperatures. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150: 74-78.
  18. Tal Y, Even L, Kugelman A, et al. The clinical significance of rigors in febrile children. Eur J Pediatr. 1997; 156:457-459.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.

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