How to treat your child's fever
Your child has a fever if his or her temperature is higher than 100.4 degrees F by rectum.
Important
Call your health care provider if your child is younger than 2 months old and has a fever, if your child's temperature is higher than 104 degrees F, or if your child seems sick but has a low-grade fever.
More important than the fever is how your child looks and acts. Watch your child for signs of illness that include:
- appetite loss and/or abdominal pain
- headache
- weakness and/or fatigue
- thirst
- dry skin
- sore throat or swallowing problems
- breathing problems
- ear pain.
Treat a fever in a child younger than 1 year old only if he or she has a fever greater than 102 F by rectum. You should not give any form of fever-reducing or pain medicine to a child younger than 1 year old if you do not know his or her rectal temperature.
Giving your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are over-the-counter medicines that relieve pain and reduce fever. Ibuprofen relieves swelling but acetaminophen does not.
It is important to follow your health care provider's instructions and/or the directions on the package label. Ask your health care provider if you are unsure about giving your child medicine to reduce a fever.
Dosage information for acetaminophen
Brand names of acetaminophen include Liquiprin®, Tempra®, Little Fevers® and Tylenol Infants' Drops®.
- Always follow your health care provider's instructions.
- One dose of acetaminophen should last for 4 hours. Do not give another dose during those 4 hours.
- Do not give your child more than five doses of acetaminophen in 24 hours.
- Do not give your child more medicine than the amount recommended by your health care provider or listed on the package label.
- Keep this and all medicines out of reach of children.
- Do not save droppers from old bottles. Only give the dosage with the syringe that comes with the medicine.
Acetaminophen dosage chart Find your child's weight. Follow the column that matches the child's weight to drops, liquid or chewable tablets.
|
Weight in pounds
| 6 to 11
| 12 to 17
| 18 to 23
| 24 to 35
| 36 to 47
|
Age |
newborn to 2 years |
2 to 3 years |
4 to 5 years |
Dose (milligrams) |
40 mg |
80 mg |
120 mg |
160 mg |
240 mg |
Drops
(80 mg/0.8 mL) |
0.4 mL
(1/2 dropper) |
0.8 mL
(1 dropper) |
1.2 mL
(1 and 1/2 dropper) |
1.6 mL
(2 droppers) |
2.4 mL
(3 droppers) |
Drops
(80 mg/1 mL) |
0.5 mL
(1/2 dropper) |
1 mL
(1 dropper) |
1.5 mL
(1 and 1/2 dropper) |
2 mL
(2 droppers) |
3 mL
(3 droppers) |
Infant suspension
(160 mg/5 mL teaspoon) |
1.25 mL
(1/4 teaspoon) |
2.5 mL
(1/2 teaspoon) |
3.75 mL
(3/4 teaspoon) |
5 mL
(1 teaspoon) |
7.5 mL
(1 and 1/2 teaspoon) |
Liquid
(160 mg/5 mL teaspoon) |
1.25 mL
(1/4 teaspoon) |
2.5 mL
(1/2 teaspoon) |
3.75 mL
(3/4 teaspoon) |
5 mL
(1 teaspoon) |
7.5 mL
(1 and 1/2 teaspoon) |
Chewable tablets
(80 mg each) |
——
|
——
|
——
|
2 tablets
|
3 tablets
|
Dosage information for ibuprofen
Brand names of ibuprofen include Advil®, Motrin® and Nuprin®. Ibuprofen is also known as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
- Always follow your health care provider's instructions.
- Do not give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old. It is neither recommended nor approved.
- One dose of ibuprofen should last 6 to 8 hours. Do not give another dose during those six to eight hours.
- Do not give your child more than four doses of ibuprofen in 24 hours.
- Do not give your child more medicine than the amount recommended by your health care provider or listed on the package label.
- Keep this and all medicines out of reach of children.
- Do not save droppers from old bottles. Only give the dosage with the syringe that comes with the medicine.
Ibuprofen dosage chart Find your child's weight. Follow the column that matches the child's weight to drops, liquid or chewable tablets.
|
Weight in pounds
| 12 to 17
| 18 to 23
| 24 to 35
| 36 to 47
|
Age |
6 to 23 months |
2 to 3 years |
4 to 5 years |
Dose (milligrams) |
50 mg |
75 mg |
100 mg |
150 mg |
Drops
(50 mg/1.25 mL) |
1.25 mL
(1/2 dropper) |
1.875 mL
(1 dropper) |
2.5 mL
(1 and 1/2 dropper) |
3.75 mL
(2 droppers) |
Liquid or suspension
(100 mg/5 mL teaspoon) |
——
|
——
|
5 mL
(1 teaspoon) |
7.5 mL
(1 and 1/2 teaspoon) |
Chewable tablets
(50 mg each) |
——
|
——
|
2 tablets
|
3 tablets
|
Important information about aspirin
Do not give your child aspirin or medicines that contain salicylate to treat a viral illness, unless your health care provider gives you directions.
These medicines put your child at risk of developing
Reye's syndrome, a life-threatening brain and liver disorder.
Non-medicine treatments
- Give your child lots of liquids. Do not force him or her to drink.
- Dress your child in lightweight clothing. If your child has chills, offer him or her a blanket. Take off the blanket when your child feels warmer.
- Have your child rest or play quietly.
When to call your health care provider
Call your health care provider if:
- your child is younger than 2 months old and has a temperature of at least 100.4 F by rectum
- your child is 2 to 3 months old and has a temperature of more than 101 F by rectum and has signs of illness
- your child has a temperature higher than 104 F by rectum
- your child's fever does not go down within 24 hours
- you gave your child acetaminophen but the fever and signs of illness last for three days
- your child breaks out in a rash
- your child vomits.
