MYMICHIGAN HEALTH: UNDERSTANDING FEVERS IN CHILDREN

Worried when your child’s temperature rises? Here are some questions and answers surrounding the common myths about pediatric fevers, what’s really happening when your child has one, and when it might be time to call a doctor.

Q. Are all fevers bad?

A. No, not all fevers are bad. Fevers are a normal immune response that helps the body fight infection. When we get an infection, the immune system senses that and releases pyrogens, which tell the body that we would do better with a higher temperature. Those signals go to an area in the brain called the hypothalamus, which is like our thermostat and helps set our temperature where the body needs it to be. What matters more than the number is how the child looks and acts.

Q. Do all fevers need to be treated with fever medication then?

A. No. Fevers don’t need treatment unless the child is uncomfortable. Treating a fever doesn’t make the illness go away faster, but it can help kids feel better and stay hydrated.

Q. Is it OK to manage a fever rotating Tylenol and ibuprofen?

A. Yes. Either alternating or giving one at a time is fine, as long as the dose is correct for the child’s weight. Proper dosing is more important than the method.

Q. Do all fevers continue to increase without treatment?

A.

No. Fevers from infection usually stop around 104–105°F. Extremely high temperatures come from external heat (hyperthermia), not illness. For example, if somebody is sitting in a hot car in the summertime, you can’t take them out of them hot car, give them ibuprofen and expect their temperature to go down.

Q. After taking medicine, how many degrees would you expect the fever to come down?

A. Usually about 1–2 degrees if the medication is dosed correctly for the child’s weight.

Q. Can a body temperature above 104 cause brain damage?

A. Brain damage is rare from infection-related fevers. Higher risks come from hyperthermia, especially above 105–106°F.

Q. Are febrile seizures harmful if they do occur?

A.

Most febrile seizures are brief and not dangerous. Simple febrile seizures usually resolve on their own and don’t mean a child will develop epilepsy.

Q.  Do all children with fevers need to be seen in the Emergency Department?

A. No. The most important thing is how the child is acting. Kids who are playing, drinking and acting normally usually don’t need the ER. Children who are lethargic, not drinking, confused, very young (under 3 months), or immunocompromised should be seen promptly.

Emergency Room Physician George Elliot, M.D., M.H.A., is chief of staff for MyMichigan Medical Center Alma and is the Emergency Department medical director for MyMichigan Medical Centers in Alma and Mount Pleasant.

2026-01-17T18:28:18Z