Parents need not fear fever in kids

LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 1 (UPI) -- Fever in children -- the top reason parents seek a pediatrician -- is a physiological mechanism that helps fight infection, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Janice E. Sullivan and Dr. Henry C. Farrar, both of the American Academy of Pediatrics, say fever in a child can be a major concern to parents, but the primary goal of parents should be to help the child feel more comfortable, rather than to lower the child's temperature.

The findings, published online ahead of print in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics, says parents should focus on the general well-being of the child, his/her activity, observing the child for signs of serious illness and maintaining appropriate fluid intake.

Parents should not wake a sleeping child to administer a fever-reducer like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, the researchers say.

"There is some evidence that combination therapy -- alternating doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen -- may be more effective at lowering body temperature, but questions remain about whether it is safe and whether it helps children feel more comfortable," the study says.

Previous research shows kitchen spoons vary in size and can result in wrong dosages, so parents are urged to use calibrated medicine syringes to dispense liquid medication.