As an instrumental part of the body's defense against infection, a fever should not always be prevented. When a child has a fever, however, it is difficult to see it as a positive sign because children feel uncomfortable and fussy when they are feverish. In addition, a high fever can cause convulsions and carries a risk of serious complications.
WHAT CAUSES A FEVER?
A number of conditions can produce a fever, but infection is the most common cause. When an infection stimulates the body's defense system, white blood cells attack the bacteria, virus or other foreign organism. In response, proteins called pyrogens are released, affecting the temperature-regulating part of the brain, resulting in fever. The elevated temperature helps destroy the microorganisms responsible for the illness.
WHEN SHOULD I SUSPECT A FEVER?
The average body temperature for a human being is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but children ususally have a slightly higher normal temperature, and infants, even higher. Body temperature also fluctuates depending on activity and time of day. In all people, temperature is highest--around 100 degrees Fahrenheit--between midnight and early morning. For a child five years or older, an oral temperature reading of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit denotes a fever.
The normal rectal temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For a child under five, a rectal temperature reading higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or armpit (axillary) reading higher than 99 degrees Fahrenheit indicates a fever.
A child with a fever typically appears bleary-eyed, feels warm to the touch and is fussy or listless. However, an accurate temperature reading obtained with a fever thermometer is necessary to confirm a fever.
HOW TO TAKE A CHILD'S TEMPERATURE:
During a childhood illness, it is best to check the temperature several times each day; morning, midday and evening are usually sufficient unless the child's condition changes or your physician advises otherwise.
A rectal temperature provides the most accurate reading, especially for children younger than four or five years old, although the armpit (axillary) method offers an acceptable alternative. An oral reading can be used in older children.
ARMPIT (AXILLARY) 1. Remove the clothing on the child's upper body to ensure that nothing comes between the thermometer and the skin. 2. Place the tip of the thermometer in the top of the dry armpit. 3. Hold the child's elbow against the side of the body, closing the armpit, for four to eight minutes.
RECTAL
Position the child on his stomach, preferably across your lap. The child's hips should rest on you, but the legs should be bent and dangling off the lap at about a 90 degree angle. If the child is in bed, raise the hips slightly by placing a small pillow under them. 1. Use petroleum jelly to lubricate the tip of the thermometer and the opening of the anus. 2. With one hand, separate buttocks. Do not force, but gently insert the bulb-end of the thermometer about one inch into the child's anus. 3. Press the buttocks together to keep thermometer stable, and keep child from moving. 4. Remove the thermometer after two minutes. 5. Before reading, use a tissue to wipe off the thermometer.
ORAL 1. Before taking an oral temperature, make sure the child has not had a cold or hot drink. If the child has a congested nose, take armpit temperature. 2. Place tip of thermometer alongside the back of the tongue. 3. Ask child to hold onto it with lips and fingers (not teeth), keeping mouth closed and breathing through nose. 4. Take out after three minutes.
EAR 1. Make sure the nine-volt battery in the thermometer is fresh. 2. Gently place the earpiece in the external ear canal. 3. Remove the thermometer as soon as the tone or light indicates that the reading is complete.
Read a thermometer by tilting it until you find the endpoint of the silver mercury line. The thermometer scale should measure up to 106 degrees, with each degree divided into ten sections. If the mercury line stops at the sixth mark after the 98 degree line, the temperature is 98.6. This is the normal body temperature. The axillary temperature is usually about one degree below the rectal temperature.
Always wash and disinfect the thermometer after each use. Store it in a cool, dry area. If the thermometer breaks while in use and you cannot find all the glass, call a doctor. The mercury used in thermometers is not poisonous, so a superficial cut is usually all you have to worry about. Never leave a baby or young child alone with a thermometer.
Excerpt from THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BABY & CHILD CARE, (C)1995 DSH Communications, Inc. This material is based on current medical research and, to the best of the editors' knowledge and understanding, is accurate and valid. However the reader should not use information contained in this material to alter a medically prescribed regimen or as a form of self-treatment, without seeking the advice of a licensed physician.
