One in three parents may unnecessarily give children fever-reducing
medicine
Some parents may reach for medication too quickly when children feel
warm, new national poll suggests.

Date:
February 20, 2023
Source:
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Summary:
Some parents may not be properly measuring or responding to elevated
temperatures in children, a new national poll suggests.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
For many children, winter season comes with regular exposure to
circulating viruses at school or daycare. And a warm forehead is often
one of the first clear signs a child has caught a bug.


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But some parents may not be properly measuring or responding to elevated temperatures in children, a new national poll suggests.

While most parents recognize that a low-grade fever helps a child's body
fight off infection, one in three would give fever-reducing medication
for spiked temperatures below 100.4 -- which isn't recommended --
according to the C.S.

Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at University
of Michigan Health.

Half of parents would also use medicine if the fever was between 100.4
and 101.9 degrees, and a quarter of parents would likely give another
dose to prevent the fever from returning.

"Often parents worry about their child having a fever and want to do
all they can to reduce their temperature. However, they may not be aware
that in general the main reason to treat a fever is just to keep their
child comfortable," said Mott Poll co-director and Mott pediatrician
Susan Woolford, M.D.

"Some parents may immediately rush to give their kids medicine but
it's often better to let the fever runs its course. Lowering a child's temperature doesn't typically help cure their illness any faster. In
fact, a low-grade fever helps fight off the infection. There's also the
risk of giving too much medication when it's not needed, which can have
side effects." The report is based on 1,376 responses from parents of
children ages 12 and under polled between August and September 2022.

Two in three parents polled say they're very confident they know whether
their child needs medication to reduce a fever. But just over half are
sure they understand how temperature readings can change according to
the method used.

The method used to take a child's temperature matters and can affect
the accuracy of the measurement, Woolford notes. Parents polled most
commonly take their child's temperature by forehead scan or mouth while
less than a sixth use ear, underarm or rectal methods.

Remote thermometers at the forehead or inside the ear canal can be
accurate if used correctly. But forehead readings may be inaccurate,
Woolford says, if the scanner is held too far away or if the child's
forehead is sweaty. With ear thermometers, which aren't recommended for newborns, earwax can also interfere with the reading.

For infants and young children, rectal temperatures are most
accurate. Once children are able to hold a thermometer in their closed
mouth, oral temperatures also are accurate while armpit temperatures
are the least accurate method.

"Contact thermometers use electronic heat sensors to record body
temperature but temperatures may fluctuate depending on how it's
measured," Woolford said.

"Regardless of the device used, it's important that parents review
the directions to ensure the method is appropriate for the child's age
and that the device is placed correctly when measuring temperature."
Three in four parents say they take their child's temperature as soon as
they notice a possible problem, while a little less than a fourth wait
to see if the problem continues or worsens before taking the temperature.

Two-thirds of parents also prefer to try methods like a cool washcloth
before using fever-reducing medication. Most parents also say they
always or usually record the time of each dose and re-take their child's temperature before giving another dose.

"A quarter of parents would give their child more medicine to prevent
a fever from returning even though it doesn't help them get better,"
Woolford said. "If a child is otherwise doing well, parents may consider monitoring them and using alternative interventions to help keep them comfortable." However, if a newborn or infant less than three months
old has a fever, they should immediately see a health professional,
Woolford adds.

She shares more tips on how to handle fevers in kids: Fevers can help
fight infections A fever can be beneficial, and there are several
reasons to let a low-grade fever run its course in older children --
mainly because it's working as a weapon to kill the virus or bacteria
causing sickness, Woolford says.

Evidence shows that fevers are part of the immune response to prevent
viruses and bacteria from replicating and also produce more white blood
cells and antibodies.

Fever-reducing medications also mask symptoms.

"Medications used to lower temperatures also treat pain, but pain is
often a sign that helps to locate the source of an infection," Woolford
said. "By masking pain, fever-reducing medication may delay a diagnosis
being made and delay receiving treatment if needed." She adds that
parents may also be tempted to take kids in public when they noticeably
seem better after medicine when in fact they're still highly contagious
and may infect others.

If you do use medicine, be careful about not overmedicating When parents
choose to give fever-reducing medication, it's helpful to keep a log
of temperature readings and when medicine was given. This will provide
an accurate record in the event that the child's fever continues for an extended period of time.

Parents of young children in particular should also avoid using
combination cold medications along with fever-reducing medications due
to the risk of over dosage.

"As we know, all medications can have side effects and we really don't
want children to get too much medication when it's not necessary,"
Woolford said.

When communicating with the child's provider to help determine the best recommendations about treatment, it's helpful for parents to share the
timeline of the child's fever, doses of fever-reducing medication, other symptoms and how the child is acting compared to their "usual" behavior.

Try alternatives to relieving child's discomfort Parents may consider
other interventions to relieve discomfort and aid in more restful sleep
instead of medicine, Woolford says.

Such approaches could include keeping their room cool and not letting them overexert themselves, as well as ensuring the child is in light clothing
and encouraging them to stay well hydrated with fluids or popsicles.

Be aware of signs to call the doctor For infants and newborns three months
and younger, any sign of a fever should prompt a call to the provider.

For children 4-12 months, parents should consult with a doctor if a
fever is accompanied by signs such as decreased activity, increased
fussiness, or decreased urine output. Parents should also call if their
child has signs of pain or if they are not acting themselves even when
their temperature comes down.

Fevers that reach 104 degrees or fevers that remain for an extended period (more than 24 hours for children under two, or more than three days for children ages two and older) should prompt contact with the provider.

* RELATED_TOPICS
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# Infant's_Health
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========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Michigan_Medicine_-_University_of_Michigan. Original written by Beata Mostafavi. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230220121918.htm

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