TWINS - February 2018

It’s cold
and flu
season:
are you
ready?
7 Fever Myths
by Steven J. Sainsbury, M.D.
Parental concerns about fevers are a
common reason for midnight visits to
the emergency room. With the bewildering
assortment of oral, rectal, skin and ear
thermometers, along with dozens of varieties
of fever-reducing medicines, a whole
fever-phobia has developed in our culture.
Fever should certainly be respected, but it
should not be feared. Lets’ dispel some of
the myths surrounding this symptom, and
hopefully your life will be a little less stressful
when your twin’s internal furnaces are working
overtime.
MytH #1: Fevers cause brain damage
This is perhaps the most commonly held fever
myth, and one that I have to discuss almost every
night in the ER with worried parents. Fevers that
are due to infection, even those reaching heights
of 105F, will not cause brain damage. It is true that
aches and pains can accompany high fevers, and
the fever can even produce some nonsensical or
babbling behavior, but high fevers will not permanently
injure your child. (Brain damage will occur
in body temperatures over 108F, which only results
from environmental conditions—a child left in a
closed car in hot weather, for example.)
MytH #2: Fever seizures are harmful
There is nothing quite so frightening as to observe
your precious child seizing in front of you. Fortunately,
fever seizures rarely last more than a few
minutes and do no permanent harm. Thankfully,
children who have had febrile seizures are not at
increased risk for learning disabilities, developmental
delays, or epilepsy.
MytH #3: all fevers need to be treated
Fever does not have to be treated. Why? Because
treating the fever will not help combat the underlying
disease process. However, because fevers
above 102F can sometimes cause discomfort, it
is reasonable to treat these fevers with acetaminophen
or ibuprofen liquid. A few words of caution:
It is not necessary to soak or sponge your
child with cold-water baths---this only reduces the
fever for a few minutes. And never use rubbing
alcohol to cool your feverish child. Alcohol is toxic
to infants, and will be absorbed through the skin.
30 TWINS Magazine A www.twinsmagazine.com