Just like almost every other parent who has a sick child, when my kids come down with a fever I get worried.  I have always been very good about following directions on the labels of any medications because I don’t want to cause more harm then good, but what about when the fever just doesn’t seem to be breaking?  How do you know what to do or when you should consider a visit to the doctor?

Children’s Advil® provided me a gift pack of their Children’s Advil® Suspension in all 4 flavors, along with some great tips and resources to share with you in order to help alleviate some of these worries and answer your questions.  Please read through the information below to make sure you are treating your child’s fever properly!

Thank you to Children’s Advil® for providing the following survey information regarding fevers:

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, makers of Children’s Advil®, conducted two new surveys of more than 1,000 parents and 250 pediatricians nationwide and found that more than half of consumers (52 percent) report feeling anxious, fearful or helpless when their child comes down with a fever.

In an effort to ease parents’ anxiety and minimize risks, Children’s Advil® has partnered with nationally recognized pediatrician, Alanna Levine, M.D., to introduce a fever relief program this cold and flu season to educate parents on common misperceptions and best practices when it comes to treating a child’s fever.

Survey Results:

Common Medication Missteps
• Nearly a quarter of parents (23 percent) admit to giving their child an adult over-the-counter medication at a lower dose to treat their fevers.
• More than one third of parents (36 percent) base their dose on age rather than weight, which is the preferred method by doctors.

What Pediatricians Have to Say
Pediatricians Confirm Parents Misperceptions

  • The overwhelming majority of pediatricians (94 percent) feel that their parent population needs more education on fever management. They consider parents to be either somewhat or not very knowledgeable.
  • Almost half of pediatricians (44 percent) claim that they receive the most fever-related calls in January.
  • One third of pediatricians estimate that up to half of their patient’s parents (26-50 percent) have taken their child to the emergency room due to a fever before calling them.
  • Nearly three-quarters of pediatricians (72 percent) state that they often hear that parents send their children back to school or daycare less than 24 hours following their fever.

 

Fever Relief Tips

To help better prepare for fevers during cold and flu season, Dr. Alanna Levine and the makers of Children’s Advil® recommend the following tips to parents:

–   Stay Cool:  Remember that most fevers are in fact indicators that the body is fighting an underlying illness.

–   Be Prepared: Start the season by talking to a pediatrician about proper fever management.  Also, check the medicine cabinet to ensure that all medications have not expired or been recalled.

–   Watch for Serious Signs:  Generally, it’s time to call a pediatrician:

  • ·         if your child is less than three months old and has a fever of                    100 degrees or higher;
  • ·         if the fever is over 103 degrees, no matter what the child’s age;
  • ·         if the fever lasts more than three days;
  • ·         if your child has a fever and looks and acts very sick;
  • ·         if you are concerned regarding your child’s health.

–   Long Lasting Relief: When choosing a fever medication, be sure to consider how long the medication will last.  Children’s Advil®®, which contains ibuprofen, provides up to 8-hours of relief with one dose.

 

Learn More about Children’s Advil and dosing information here:

Disclosure: Thank you to Children’s Advil® for providing free product samples, the survey information, and gift pack.