What Is Your Magic Number for Fevers?

I don't worry about the number too much, but if my kiddo is really uncomfortable, I will give them something, especially at night so they can sleep. How is he acting?

My ped says there is better immune response without fever reducing meds, so we don't medicate every fever, we just try to keep them comfortable when sick, but if they are feverish and happy, no meds.

It is not a matter of number but how they are acting. If they seem terribly uncomfortable and/or in pain then I give it to them. Otherwise I let it be. Fever is there to help fight off whatever they are having.

Around 102, though I also observe how they feel/act. If it's just a fever but they are acting pretty normal I wait and watch. But if they clearly feel bad, especially a headache, I will medicate sooner.

I ask DS how he feels. Have since he was probably 2 or so. If he feels fine - no drugs. If he feels lousy he can have tylenol. No real magic number for us. When he was an infant, if he was over 100-100.5 and was acting sick we gave it.

There is NO MEDICAL BENEFIT to letting a child feel sick. It actually decreases their immune function and they are sick LONGER. If you want your child to rest - put them in bed and read a story. Don't withhold analgesics and fever reducers.

My son has febrile seizures (Seizures caused by high fevers), so even if he is only at 99 I give him Ibuprofin (Tylenol doens't work for him).

Around 102. But if she has body aches, etc. I'll administer it sooner.

I am usually on the watchful waiting side. At 101.5 I will start checking more often and if it keeps creeping up I will give tylenol/ibuprofen usually before it hits 102. I might give her something sooner though if she feels particularly miserable - even if her temp isn't as high.

The doctor told me 100.7 is THE magic number.

I go by behaviour more than I do the number. If they are whiney, cranky, fussy, not sleeping I will give Tylenol. If they are sleeping and content to just lie on the couch or something and are taking it in stride then I hold off.
I use wet, cool washcloths on the neck and forehead and dress them in super light weight clothing and other non-medication things as much as possible.
With all of our allergies and possible side effects of even the most commonly used over the counter drugs I do my best to save medications for only when needed when nothing else is working. I don't let them suffer endlessly hoping something else will work of course.

During the day, I never use fever reducers. I do at night, but purely so they (and as a result, I) can get better sleep. If you give it during the day, they'll FEEL better and won't rest as much, thereby actually prolonging the illness. Let him feel puny (I know it sucks, but it's actually best for him) and just make sure to push fluids!

I guess if I were to put a number on one, I would probably give Tylenol or something if it got over 102.

Once it goes to 102, immediately give Tylenol. If the fever subsides for the moment with Tylenol and then spikes ask your pediatrician about piggy backing it with motrin.

I stopped taking their temperature pretty early on. I always felt that behaviour was a much better indicator of illness. I don't give Tylenol unless they are really uncomfortable, otherwise I let the fever do its job.

101.. my pediatrician said they dont consider it to really be a fever unless its 102 or higher.. but to me 102 seems a bit high.. after my daughter had her shots a couple weeks ago i kept checking her temp and waited, once i saw that it went from 99.9 to 100.9 the next time i checked it i gave her some tylonal, after that she was perfectly fine

for me 101... anything over I give the tylenol anything over 102 I start worrying and call a nurse. Anything over 104 they go to the Peds.

With my kids:
If they have a fever, I monitor it frequently day and all night. So when my kids are sick, I do not get sleep. But that is okay. I do not give Motrin/Tylenol, unless the fever gets very high or if my kids are very uncomfortable.

With fever, I let the fever burn itself out. A fever, WILL return, after giving Tylenol or Motrin, if the child is still sick. Tylenol or Motrin, is NOT a "cure" for a fever or illness... it only alleviates discomfort and temporarily, reduces the fever.
But again, I monitor my kids and their fever/symptoms frequently and observe them well. They are also communicative about what ails them and will tell me what hurts and where and etc.

If their symptoms or fever gets worse or more symptoms arise, and I suspect it being a bad cold or worsening cold, I take them to the Pediatrician.

With Fever... a headache or chills or body aches can also occur.

It depends.
Sometimes a fever would spike and he'd be acting just fine.
When I checked again in 30 min it was close to normal and I didn't do anything about it.
Other times he'd be whiny cranky and feeling out of sorts and the temp would not be that high (100 or 101) but I'd give Tylenol to ease his aches and not just for the temp.
A LOT of the time when my son was feeling sick (stomach, intestinal or just aches and growing pains) he'd want a warm bath.
There were times I'd be giving him a bath at 2am if he woke up in pain.
A warm bath and wrapping up in a nice big towel afterward can go a long way to easing a sick feeling (plus if you're going to barf - a bath tub is the easiest to clean up).

I only give meds if they can't sleep/rest.
If they can't sleep they can't fight the illness.

My doctor told me that if you or your child feel awful with a fever and cannot rest, then the fever needs to be treated. He said that if you don't get enough rest, then the body can't do the work of fighting what ails you. So you want to treat a fever enough so that you can rest, yet give your fever the ability to do its job.

I think that perhaps the time of day and how badly you or your child feels determines how fast to jump on the tylenol train. As far as your little one is concerned, I'd wait until she feels bad to your mommy eye, and make sure she is able to sleep.

Dawn

I don't think a fever is actually necessary to fight an infection because my kids, well and me, we don't run a fever for infections. I give the Tylenol for the aches and pain. Those we get.

So I am saying if it makes them feel better give them the Tylenol.

No magic number here (but never seen really high temps in my kids). The only way I give meds is if they are acting sick.

It depends partially on the thermometer. We have an ear one and it runs an average of 1 full degree below the actual temp so for us it's closer to 100 and it also depends on how they are acting. If they are still playing and seem ok then I wait. If they don't want to play and look at me with glossy red eyes then it's time to give meds. 100 on the ear one is really 101. When we don't have a fever we run in the 97 range. The longer you can let them be with out medicine the better they can fight it off.

I don't medicate much anymore, not since probably around age 2. Mostly because, as someone said before, if they feel icky and want to lay on the couch, then it's the best thing for them. If the medicine breaks a fever and they find more energy, they don't rest as much. I also agree that the fever is there for a purpose, so I want it to cook off the bad bugs. But if they are having trouble sleeping or are achy and miserable they may choose the medicine. At this point (8 and 10) they get to decide.

102. Our daughter could function up until 102.

Of course I did not take her to school, but I did not request a doctor till102.. They also knew our daughter well enough, I could call in and request meds if needed.

It all depends. With my oldest daughter, as soon as I see her temp is rising, I have to give her Motrin and Tylenol. Her body can not take any type of temperature change. When she was little, she used to get febrile seizures so I can't take any type of chance.

With my other two, only if they have a pretty good fever going on. And, if they are in pain.

Good luck!

Depends on how they are acting, but I wouldn't let it reach 102 - so if I see 101, I give it to them. But they are 8 and 10, I might have felt differently at 3 1/2........

when the child is uncomfortable

No number. I do daycare and "normal" temp in some kids is 97, so a 100 is super high for them, where other kids' normal is 99 and a hundred is nothing. So, go by the child's behavior not by the thermometer.

BUT no matter what if it hits 103, give meds. I can't imagine a kid at that high that doesn't feel miserable and act it, but just in case there is one, that may be my no matter what number.

I give tylenol or motrin if my little one is feeling sick/bad. If they have a fever and they are acting fine, I give it if its over 101.5.

Everyone has different opinions. Usually by 100, my kids act ill most of the time anyway. So Tylenol or Ibuprofen is best. I would NOT wait until 100.5 to give them something. Why take the risk?

It all depends on how they are acting. Usually it's 99.9 and 100. But when my kids temps get over that they are very hard to get to go down. They usually end up in the er if it's over 101 and wont come down. I almost lost my oldest when he was an infant cause I waited so long to take him to get checked out. So now I don't mess around.

I let the child, or adult for that matter, be the guide. The increase in temperature is a sign and serves a purpose...there's some important work going on. Usually along with that work comes sleepiness and dehydration, which can increase the temp and often accompanying headache and muscle aches. I let the person rest, and really encourage fluids. The worst part about the chicken pox at my house was the 'sick' part, fever, etc., was over in about a day. I was then stuck w/ children that felt great but were contagious w/ all their pox, stuck in the house IN JUNE!

When the person starts really acting sick, and in my house, when the headache can't be calmed with anything else, then I'll give half of the recommended dose to see if that helps. In essence, I'm treating for comfort, but not too much. Because then they'll be up because they feel fine....until the meds wear off. Hope that made some sense.

I would also make some echinacea tea w/ extra honey and add some powdered vitamin c to apple sauce.

As a nurse practitioner, a fever is a temp. above 100.4. The fever is boosting the immune system, therefore do not give "fever reducing medication" if it is below 100.4. Above 100.4 then evaluate the temp and how your child is feeling. The other moms had good answers. I would medicate at night so the child will get a good nights sleep.