Taking Your Child's Temperature

If you suspect that your child has a fever, it's extremely important that you take your child's temperature properly. Once you have an accurate reading, you'll be able to determine if your child's temperature is high enough for you to give him fever-reducing medication or to call the pediatrician. There are several different methods of taking a child's temperature. Each one has positives and negatives. Which one you use will depend on your child's age and your personal preferences.

Mercury thermometers used to be a common means of taking a child's temperature. This is no longer recommended. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents remove all mercury thermometers from their homes to eliminate the potential danger of being exposed to the toxin.

When to take your child's temperature

• When your child feels warm or hot.

• When an infant, age  0 to 2 months, becomes irritable, stops feeding or nursing, is listless or has physical symptoms such as difficulty breathing, frequent vomiting or poor color (pale or bluish)
• From ages 3 months to 5 years when they feel warm AND they are acting ill such as listlessness, irritable, refuses food and drink, has frequent vomiting, or is complaining of headache or abdominal pain.

 Care in child's temperature 

• Infants and children with overwhelming infections may be unable to generate a fever  which  will help fight the infection. Although they may not have a fever they will look and act very sick.
• A child with a fever who may have temperatures up to the 103.5 range who is up and active, responsive, maybe playing a bit and is taking food and drink is one who needs to be observed and treated with Tylenol or ibuprofen.  The diagnosis is probably a viral illness such as Roseola.
• A child with a fever who is active and eating and is in no distress does not need fever treatment. Fever is part of the body’s defense system and shortens the course of viral infections. Children usually tolerate temperatures up to 102 degrees without much difficulty. Fever medicine can be used to lessen aches and pains, but there should not be a vigorous attempt to bring and maintain the body temperature to normal.
• A temperature of 99 degrees should not be considered a fever. After vigorous activity on a hot day the body temperature may be even higher than 99 degrees. With rest the temperature may come down.  A child’s temperature will vary during the day.  It is usually lower on awakening and is higher at the end of the day from the heat generated by activity and digestion of meals.

When to call the doctor

• Any child age 4 months or younger who has an elevated temperature (100.4 or higher)
• If your child has a fever AND has any of the following:  listless, difficult to arouse, more irritable than usual, has no appetite, has poor color, difficulty breathing, and frequent vomiting, has a headache or abdominal pain, has a rash or YOU are concerned about child’s illness.
• Fever has persisted for several days
• Your child has had a febrile seizure
• The fever does not respond to medication (Ibuprofen or acetaminophen) or sponging with tepid water.

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