Your Care Instructions

A fever is a high body temperature.

Fever is the body's normal reaction to infection and other illnesses, both minor and serious. Fevers help the body fight infection. In most cases, fever means your child has a minor illness. Often you must look at your child's other symptoms to determine how serious the illness is. Although it may be scary when your child's temperature goes up, a fever often does not harm your child.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Don't use temperature alone to judge how sick your child is. Instead, look at how your child acts. Care at home is often all that is needed if your child is:
  • Comfortable and alert.
  • Eating well.
  • Drinking enough fluid.
  • Urinating as usual.
  • Starting to feel better.
• Give your child extra fluids or flavoured ice pops to suck on. This will help prevent dehydration.
• Dress your child in light clothes or pyjamas. Don't wrap your child in blankets.
• If your child has a fever and is uncomfortable, give an over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 18. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.
• Be careful when giving your child over-the-counter cold or flu medicines and Tylenol at the same time. Many of these medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Read the labels to make sure that you are not giving your child more than the recommended dose. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.