Treat kids’ discomfort, not fevers

Don’t immediately reach for the medicine cabinet when your little one’s forehead feels warm, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that says fevers alone are not a cause for intervention.
“The focus should be on comfort and not on absolute temperature,” Dr. Janice Sullivan, the lead author of the report, told Reuters Health.

That’s because fever can be help fight illness, by slowing down the reproduction of bacteria and viruses or stimulating the body’s immune response.

The guidelines on treating fever with over-the-counter medications, published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics, are the first the AAP has released.

Sullivan, a professor at the University of Louisville and head of the AAP’s section on clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, said parents should recognize that fever is a sign that a child is ill, and they should take note of other symptoms – such as lethargy, pain or dehydration – to see if a call to the doctor is warranted.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/28/us-treat-kids-discomfort-fevers-pediatri-idUSTRE71R6EV20110228