by Kami | Oct 14, 2013 | How to...
It can be scary when your child has a fever. You start worrying about all the possible scenarios of WHY your child has a fever. Is it something serious? Should I take my child to the doctor? Can I WAIT to take my child to the doctor? How do I reduce my child’s fever?!?! I’ve been a Registered Nurse for 8 years with most my experience in Pediatrics. First, let me clarify that fevers are NOT necessarily a bad thing. Fever is the bodies natural way of fighting off unwanted bacteria and viruses. Your intelligent body knows by increasing its temperature it slows down the growth of foreign bacteria and viruses. This gives your immune system a fighting chance to kill them off! I can’t emphasize this enough… fever ALONE is NOT a reason to take your child to the doctor or emergency room! When my friends and family call and ask whether or not to take their feverish child to the doctor, these are the guidelines I share with them. These guidelines are for children older than 3 MONTHS OLD. You should notify your pediatrician immediately if your child younger than 3 months old has a fever. If your child has a fever WITH the following symptoms, then it’s time to call your pediatrician or take your child to the emergency room: 1) A severe loss of appetite. None of us feel like eating much when we’re not feeling 100%. So, it’s okay if your child doesn’t have much of an appetite. The most important thing is that your child is drinking fluids (popsicles and slushies do count as fluid intake). If your child...
