Fever & Pain in Infants 0-24 Months

First, review How to take your child’s temperature and determine if your baby is running a fever and how to interpret the readings. To lower your baby’s fever, try the following tips:

• Give them lots of cool, clear fluids to drink, like water or apple juice; not milk
• Dress them in light, comfortable clothing
• If your baby starts to shiver, add more layers of clothing and remove them when the shivering has stopped
• Give them a soothing warm bath to make them feel more comfortable but stop if they start shivering or fussing as this can raise the temperature further.
• Use an over-the-counter (OTC) fever relieving medication that’s specially formulated for infants -to relieve your baby’s fever, like Infants’ TYLENOL^® Drops.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          What not to do when your child has a fever:

• Don’t wrap your little one in blankets — that will only make them hotter
• Don’t use alcohol to cool your baby — it can be absorbed through their skin
• Don’t use an electric fan — that could cause their internal body temperature to rise
• Do not “starve a fever” — your baby actually needs calories and liquids to fight their fever
• Do not give your baby products containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)— ASA may cause a dangerous medical condition called Reye’s Syndrome

Call the doctor if your baby:

• Is less than 3 months old and has a fever
• Is unusually fussy, sleepy, cranky or quiet — especially if your baby is unresponsive or hard to wake
• Is crying constantly and can’t seem to be settled
• Shows signs of pain (such as abdominal pain for more than 2 hours)
• Has noisy or difficult breathing
• Has a dry diaper (doesn’t urinate) for 6 hours
• Has a convulsion (seizure or fit)
• Can’t seem to move their joints or has a stiff neck (for example, they are unable to look downward)
• Shows signs of confusion or hallucinations
• Has a fever for more than 3 days
• Starts to look or feel different than you’ve ever experienced

You should also call the doctor if your baby’s fever:

• Rises above 38.1°C for more than 24 hours
• Rises above 39.4°C after having given them fever-reducing medication
• Rises above 38°C (if your baby is less than 3 months old) at any time
• Rises above 41°C (if your baby is more than 3 months old) at any time
• Runs for more than 3 days at any temperature

Call the doctor any time you feel unsure about any of your baby’s symptoms. That way, you’ll be sure your getting the best advice for your child — something every parent appreciates!

It can be very hard to know that your baby is in pain because it can be difficult to distinguish between different cries. You can read more about the behaviors that indicate you baby’s in pain in the About fever and pain section.

How to comfort your baby when they’re in pain:

• Hold or cuddle them
• Use a gentle soothing voice and touch
• Use your mommy or daddy magic — if your baby is walking (and more apt to fall), then “kissing it better” and/or putting a bandage on a minor bump or scrape (even if it isn’t necessary) can make them feel better
• Try to distract your baby by playing games, reading books, singing or playing music to soothe them
• Use an over-the-counter (OTC) pain relieving medication that’s specially formulated for infants - to relieve your baby’s pain, like Infants’ TYLENOL^® Drops.
• Do not give your baby products containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) — ASA may cause a dangerous medical condition called Reye’s Syndrome.

As a general rule, call the doctor if you’re not sure if your baby is showing signs of pain or not, or if you can’t subside their pain on your own.

Also, call your baby’s doctor if:

• Your child’s injury is causing excessive swelling or pain
• Your child’s pain is accompanied by other symptoms like a fever,vomiting, severe diarrhea or a stiff neck
• You suspect your child’s pain is the result of an illness
• Your child’s pain lasts longer than 5 days
• Any time you feel unsure about any of your child’s symptoms.