6 Effective Ways To Immediately Treat And Lower Your Child's Fever

Cold and flu season is back with a vengeance again this year! It seems like everyone is falling victim to those nasty germs that spread so quickly. Being cooped up indoors for long stretches of time due  to the cold blustery winter weather makes the perfect breeding ground for germs to grow and spread.

Trying to reduce my family's risk of exposure to these germs is nearly impossible since everyone we are around is either coughing, sneezing or has a sore throat.

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I remember the first time my oldest got sick and ran a high fever. One night when she was about  three years old she started acting really tired, extra clingy and more whiny than usual. As she crawled up on my lap I could tell that her body felt a little warmer than normal so a quick touch of my wrist to her forehead confirmed that she was running a fever. 

I got out the thermometer to get an accurate reading of her temperature - it was 103 F! . She was definately sick and fighting some sort of bug and I knew that this was a pretty high temp to be running. My husband and I were freaking out! We were scared because we knew 103F was pretty high and this was our first time dealing with a high fever.

After calling her pediatrician, who calmed me down and gave me a plan to follow, I gave her some children's Tylenol, put a cold wet wash cloth on her head, filled her sippy cup with water and sat snuggled up with her on the couch. By the next afternoon and after a good long nap her fever had broken and she was acting normal again.  Whew!!

It seems inevitable that at some point during this cold and flu season one, or all of my kids are likely to get sick, and with this type of sickness a fever is sure to be present. Fevers can be scary especially if you are a first time parent.

If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more then they have a fever. 

Every child is affected differently by fevers and some run higher temps than others when they are fighting a germ. Make sure to have a good quality thermometer on hand so you can get the most accurate temperature reading. Your child's pediatrician will want to know your child's current temperature if you call in to ask any questions. This is the thermometer I use for all of my kids and the one I recommend.

Please be aware that a high fever in a young children may cause a febrile seizure. I highly recommend discussing what to do if this happens with your pediatrician at your child's next well child visit. 

What are some common symptoms of a fever?

• noticable change in your child's behavior - less talkative, more whiny than normal
• complains of a headache
• child's body and forehead feels hot to the touch
• wants to lay down or sleep 
• feels weak or tired

6 Effective Ways to Treat and Lower Your Child's Fever? 

Here are some easy, tried and true ways that I have used with all 4 of my kids to lower a fever quickly so your child feels better fast. .

(Please note that I am just a mom of 4 kids and in no way am I an expert or medical professional. Make sure to always check with your doctor and read medicine labels before giving medicine to your child. If your child is having difficulty breathing, unresponsive, lethargic or you are worried something serious is wrong call 911 immediately)

Cold Wet Wash Cloth / Frozen Bag of Veggies

If you are hesitant to give your child medication try a cold wet wash cloth spread over their forehead. Sometimes I even wrap up a frozen bag of corn in a towel and put that on their forehead instead of a wet wash cloth. The coolness of the wash cloth (or frozen corn) will give your child some relief from the discomfort of a fever.

Popsicles & Ice Cubes

Depending on your child's age (this is not something for children under age 3) giving them a cup of ice cubes to suck on or a popsicle can be an effective way to help lower and treat a fever. Make sure you sit with them if you give them ice cubes to make sure they don't accidentally choke on one.

Children's Tylenol

Anti-fever medication that contains acetaminophen or ibuprophen work fast at reducing your child's fever. Before giving your child any medications check with your doctor to make sure you are giving the right dosage. Many times when a child has a fever they will also feel achy. Children's Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Children's Motrin (ibuprofen) can help relieve them of the achyness as well as reduce their fever. Remember children under 2 should not be given over the counter medicine unless directed by a doctor.

Remove Extra Layers Of Clothing

If your child is running a fever chances are they will feel cold and hot intermittengly. Removing extra layers of clothing including socks can help them cool their body down when they are feeling too hot. Instead of laying on more clothes have a blanket nearby that they can cover up with when they get chills.

Cool Bath

Fill the bath tub with luke warm water let them soak for a bit so that their body temperature can come down more quickly. This with the aide of Tylenol is effective for reducing a fever quickly.

Stay Hydrated

Fill up their favorite sippy cup or water bottle with ice water. If your child is refusing water try something flavored like Gatorade, Kool Aid or flavored water. I know my kids are more likely to drink these flavored drinks because they rarely get them. I am not above bribery when it comes to getting them to stay hydrated when they are sick. A mom's got to do what a mom's got to do!

Tips To Stop The Spread Of Germs

Remember your child is considered contagious until they have been fever free for 24 hours without the help of a fever reducer. Because of this it is very important to take extra care not to spread these germs to others! Regular handwashing, using hand sanitizer and covering coughs and sneezes is one way the spread of germs can be reduced. 

Since we have a large family and it can be hard to keep everyone healthy when someone else is sick therefore I try to be proactive in killing germs. I keep several containers of Clorox disinfecting wipes handy so I can quickly wipe down railings, bathroom countertops, light switches, door knobs, keyboards and screens and whatever else I think might be harboring bad germs. 

It is also a good idea to toss out any toothbrushes that might have been used while you or your child was sick. I like to stock up on extra toothbrushes during cold and flu season just for this reason. 

Kids (and adults) don't always remember to cover their mouths when they are coughing or sneezing. My kids are included in this! 

Because of this and my desperate attempt to stop the spread of germs I started giving everyone who was coughing a "coughing cloth". 

All a coughing cloth is is a wash cloth or small hand towel that they use to cough into when they are coughing. It is a visual reminder to cover their mouths when coughing. 

Every night I toss the germy used coughing cloth into the washing machine and set a clean coughing cloth out for the next day. So far this has been a very effective reminder for everyone in our house to cover their cough when they are sick.