Health Topics

Northeast Cincinnati Pediatrics is dedicated to serving the community with the highest quality of pediatric medical care.

Myths and Facts about Fevers

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Myth: All fevers are bad for children.
Fact: Fevers are one of the body's protective mechanisms. They turn on the body's immune system and help the body fight infection.
Myth: Fevers cause brain damage, or fevers >104°F are dangerous.
Fact: Fevers with infections don't cause brain damage. Only body temperatures >108°F can cause brain damage. Fevers only go this high with high environmental temperatures (for example, being confined in a closed car on a hot day).
Myth: Anyone can have a febrile seizure.
Fact: Only 4% of children can have a febrile seizure.
Myth: Febrile seizures are harmful.
Fact: Febrile seizures are scary to watch, but they usually stop within 5 minutes. They cause no permanent harm.
Myth: All fevers need to be treated with fever medicine.
Fact: Fevers only need to be treated if they cause discomfort. Usually fevers don't cause any discomfort until they are above 102° or 103°F.
Myth: Without treatment, fevers keep going higher.
Fact: Fevers from infection top out at 105°F or 106°F or lower, due to the thermostat of the brain.
Myth: With treatment, fevers should come down to normal.
Fact: With treatment, fevers usually come down 2-3°F.
Myth: If the fever doesn't come down -- if you can't "break the fever" -- the cause is serious.
Fact: Fevers that don't respond to fever medicine can be caused by viruses or bacteria. It doesn't relate to the seriousness of the infection.
Myth: If the fever is high, the cause is serious.
Fact: If your child looks very sick, the cause is serious.
Myth: The exact number of the termperature is very important.
Fact: How your child looks is what is important.
Myth: Temperatures between 98.7°F and 100°F are low-grade fevers.
Fact: Oral temperatures between 98.7°F and 100°F are normal temperature variations -- often peaking in the late afternoon and evening. (For rectal, normal elevations are 99.5°F-100.3°F.)

Locations

Landen Office

3611 Socialville-Foster Rd.
Mason, OH 45040
Phone 513.398.7171
Fax 513.398.8683
In the Office Today
  • Balzer Sandock, MD
  • Laurie Freese, CNP
  • Cindy M. Allison, CNP
  • Christina DuMont, MD
  • Denise Rankin, MD

Blue Ash Office

11238 Cornell Park Dr.
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Phone 513.530.0200
Fax 513.530.0730
In the Office Today
  • Lea Kirkham, MD
  • Pierre Manfroy, MD
  • Kathy Peterson, MD

Lebanon Office

986 Belvedere Dr.
Lebanon, OH 45036
Phone 513.934.1200
Fax 513.934.1317
Toll-Free 877.809.0967
In the Office Today
  • Cynthia Cook, MD
  • Marilyn Boerio, CNP