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fever

When your child has a fever, he is miserable, and you are concerned.  Fever can occasionally mean a serious illness, but most often, it is the body's way to fight off infection.

 

Follow these guidelines for when to contact us if your child has a fever.  If you decide to treat the fever first with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, make sure you visit our dosing charts for the proper dosages by weight.

TREAT

AT HOME

  • No other symptoms are present

  • Child is not complaining of feeling ill

  • Fever does not go over 100.4 for a child younger than 3 months

  • Fever does go above 101 for a child 3-6 months old

  • Fever does not go above 103 for children older than 6 months

CALL

US

  • You think the child needs medical attention

  • The child is younger than 3 months old with a rectal temperature of 100.4  degrees F or higher

  • The child is 3 to 6 months old with a temperature of 101 degrees F or higher or has had any fever for more than one day

  • The child is older than 6 months and younger than a year with a temperature of 103 degrees F  or higher or has had any fever more than one day

  • The child is 1 to 2 years old with a high fever lasting more than 24 hours

  • The child is any age with a temperature of 104 degrees F or higher

  • The soft spot on the child’s skull is bulging

  • The child vomits repeatedly or has severe diarrhea

  • The child has signs of dehydration, such as not wetting diapers, crying without tears, dry mouth or mucous membranes, or sunken soft spot

  • The fever triggers a seizure

  • The child has a fever and a rash

716 592-2832

If after hours, please dial the same number and leave a message with our answering service.  A medical staff member will promptly return your call with further instructions.

CALL

911

  • Is limp or unresponsive

  • Is having trouble breathing

  • Is vomiting and has a headache or a stiff neck

  • Has blue lips or skin

  • Has a seizure

Separating Fever Fact

from Fiction

Click though this slideshow to learn to distinguish the truth from myths about your child's fever. 

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