Your child's fever -- friend or enemy?

What is a fever?

Starve a fever, feed a cold? Parents are often confused about how to deal with their child's fever. Instead of going into panic mode, it is best to understand what a fever is to determine if it is an emergency situation or not.

A fever is one of the body's many adaptive functions, a way to deal with foreign substances or environments such as an infection. Viruses and bacteria live at body temperature. When your internal thermostat rises and creates a fever, white blood cells are activated and body temperature heats up to kill off potentially threatening bugs. In fact, research shows that medicating a child with an anti-fever drug for a low to moderate fever may interfere with this natural defense.

How to take your child's temperature

Normal body temperature in a child can vary. The average normal temperature values are:

Oral -- 36-37.5 C / 97-99 F
Under the arm (axillary) -- 35-37 C / 96.5-98.5 F

When selecting a thermometer, do not select a glass mercury thermometer. If this type of thermometer breaks, it is an environmental toxin and can cause serious harm to your child. Digital thermometers are the best and safest type to purchase and can be found in drug stores.

For children under 4, I recommend using the armpit method for taking a child's temperature.

For children over the age of 4, an oral digital temperature can be taken.