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Dear Ask The Doctor: I have a baby boy 18 months old that has been running a fever all day. We gave him Tylenol earlier and the fever went down. The fever came back and gave him more Tylenol, a baby but he is still running a temp. He is lethargic and crying. What do I do.
Dear Michelle: I understand your concern about your babys fever. Most commonly might be due to a viral process which is very common on his age and at this time of the year. I would suggest that you continue giving him acetaminophen or ibuprofen based on the package recommendations for age or weight. I would also recommend you that if the fever is more than 102F, you might want to give your child a bath, use only lukewarm water; cool water may cause shivering, which actually raises body temperature. Never use alcohol (it can cause poisoning when absorbed through the skin) or ice packs/cold baths (they can cause chills that may raise body temperature).You should also keep him in light clothes, overdressing can prevent body heat from escaping and can cause a temperature to rise and most importantly give him plenty of fluids.Fever will cause a child to lose fluids more rapidly. Water, soup, ice pops, and flavored gelatin are all good choices. If the fever persists until tomorrow, a visit to the Pediatrician would be the next step to rule out other possibilities. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 May 2010 )
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