Treating fever

If your child has a fever, the first thing you should do is check the current condition of the fever. Is the child lethargic? Are they dehydrated? Is their temperature above 38.5ºC? Then you should start treating the fever.

If your child's fever surprises you during the night or on a holiday, you can try to reduce the fever with some home remedies before resorting to the medications the pediatrician prescribes:

- Keep the child in a well-ventilated room where there is no draft, around 21 degrees Celsius.
- Remove excess clothing to prevent their body temperature from rising further. Dress them in something light, preferably cotton. If it's a baby, just the diaper will suffice.
- Avoid using wet cloths, alcohol rubs, showers, or baths to reduce fever, as these can cause a sudden drop in temperature, which is counterproductive.
- Only use fever medication if there is pain or discomfort. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are usually recommended (never aspirin), and alternating between them is discouraged because its efficacy isn’t fully proven and there is a risk of error.
- Offer the child a liquid diet to compensate for losses caused by sweating and to prevent dehydration. It is advisable for the child to drink mineral water, fruit juices, and light broths. Homemade oral rehydration solutions are also recommended, especially for babies.

There are myths about the consequences fever can have in children, such as deafness, brain damage, blindness, or even death, but fever itself does not cause any of these, as it is usually a symptom of another issue. For this reason, and according to the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics, it is important that parents watch for worsening of the child's condition (which could indicate a more dangerous situation than just fever) and seek urgent medical attention if:

- Dark, red, or purple spots appear that do not fade when the surrounding skin is stretched.
- Excessive lethargy, irritability, or crying that is difficult to calm.
- Neck stiffness.
- Convulsions or loss of consciousness.
- Difficulty breathing (very fast and labored breathing, wheezing sounds, ribs pulling in, or chest sinking).
- Persistent or very abundant vomiting or diarrhea causing dehydration (sunken eyes, dry tongue, lack of saliva).
- No urination or very little urine.
- For infants under 3 months, it is essential to visit the pediatrician, as their immune system is immature and infections can spread quickly.
- Fever lasting more than 2 or 3 days.