The Parent Report: The Overreaction To A Fever
BOSTON (CBS) - Do parents overreact when their kids have a fever?
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Some parents may suffer from fever phobia. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a myth-busting report advising against treatment every time a kid's temperature inches up. Report co-author Doctor Janice Sullivan of the University of Louisville's School of Medicine says some parents overreact when their children have low-grade fevers.
Sullivan says most often a child's fever is caused by a virus and it'll go away without medicine and without causing any damage. She emphasizes a fever is not an illness but rather a mechanism that helps fight infection.
The report says parents should pay attention to other symptoms of illness, such as whether the child is unusually cranky, lethargic, or not drinking liquids and avoiding food. Those are often better measures of how sick a child is, and whether medical attention should be sought.
The report was released in the journal Pediatrics.
