Parenting Toddlers

Toddler fevers scare me half to death. As most of you know by now, my son Alex has been struggling these past few months with repeated fevers and ear infections. Over this wonderfully long and tedious cold and flu season, I’ve figured out some simple ways to bring his fever down. Now obviously, I’m not a doctor, and these ideas shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. They are simply what’s worked for Alex along the way. I have confirmed all these suggestions as okay through my pediatrician (and some of them he suggested), but it might not hurt to run them by your doctor as well.

Here’s what worked for us:

1) Light clothing. I have gone all the way down to just letting Alex wear only his diaper before as well, though if the fever is that bad I always cover him with a light blanket to prevent chills.

2) Cool cloth. If Alex will tolerate it, I use a cool washrag on his forehead. His “baby sized” washcloths work well for this. The key is not to make it cold, you don’t want to give your already upset and uncomfortable toddler a headache on top of everything else.

3) This one actually should be number one. Once you notice your toddler is running a fever, and especially if it seems to be affecting their normal playing and eating habits, give them a dose of Tylenol. Make sure to follow dosage instructions on the medication itself, and if your toddler is younger than the instructions offer, put in a call to your doctor’s office. Any nurse at your pediatrician’s office can give you quick dosage instructions over the phone.

4) To keep down a particularly high fever, alternate between giving Tylenol and Children’s Motrin. Switching between the two allows you to give a dose every three hours rather than every four. Be aware however, that your toddler may react differently to different medications. The Tylenol may knock them out, and the Motrin might jazz them up. Or vice versa. Just watch your toddler and go with what works.

5) To quickly bring down an already raging toddler fever, we give Alex a bath. We make sure the water is leukwarm, (close to room temperature without being cold) and give Alex a quick rubdown. I avoid washing his head or hair though, as it could aggravate a cold or ear infection, and I make sure to dry him off quickly afterwards.

6) As a general rule, I contact my pediatrician anytime Alex has a fever of 101 or above. I don’t automatically schedule an appointment, but I let the nurses know, so they can notate Alex’s file. That way if an appointment does become necessary, or if his fever rises despite my best efforts, his doctor already knows something is going on.

Now again, I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I have no medical training whatsoever. So please don’t use any of these ideas UNLESS you have checked with your doctor or pediatric nurse beforehand. In any situation, if your little one has a fever of 104 or above, they need to see as doctor as soon as possible. Anything higher could cause febrile seizures, and though I’ve never actually seen these, I’m fairly certain they aren’t something any of us wants to have to experience.

I hope these few tips can help the next time your toddler has a fever, and until then, we’re wishing you a long, and HEALTHY spring!

toddler fevers, pediatrician, kids health