Hot and red … running a high temperature?

[21 April 2010 - 14h30]

Often not serious, a fever can be useful as it helps the body to fight against infection. And it’s not often that it translates into a serious illness. However, it’s important not to let a rising temperature get out of hand.

Of course, running a high temperature is always very unpleasant for children, so you will need to take action – but take care to avoid some of the most common mistakes…

The AFSSAPS (the French Health Safety and Healthcare Products Agency) recommends taking a few simple measures when a child’s temperature remains at over 38.5°C. First of all: don’t wrap the child up too much! Remove any superfluous clothing or covers … this will allow the heat to dissipate more easily. Next, get your child to drink as often as possible and more than normally – water of course but other drinks too that he is happy to have. Finally, keep the bedroom at a temperature of 18-20°C.

The benefits of measures such as warm baths are now questioned as their effectiveness has not been proved … not to mention the fact that they can make the child feel worse. It is therefore not recommended to give a child a warm bath as a matter of course to bring down a high temperature, as was traditionally advised.

If your child’s temperature still does not fall, you can give him an antipyretic medicine, ie one that reduces fever. There are three “families” of drug available: paracetamol, which should be tried first; two anti-inflammatories – ibuprofen and ketoprofen; and finally, aspirin which, particularly in the case of children, should only be used on your doctor’s advice. Whichever you choose, make sure you follow the instructions for use carefully, particularly the amount and dosage appropriate to your child’s age. Only ever use one of these medicines at a time, unless your doctor prescribes otherwise.

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