MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT
Healthcare
PROFESSIONAL
Know Your Fever Facts
We asked a pediatrician at Urgent Care for Children to set the
record straight when it comes to caring for children with fever.
Myth: A fever requires an emergent evaluation.
Fact: Most generally healthy children do not require immediate
evaluation or intervention for fever alone.
Fever itself is not an illness. It is actually a way that your
body naturally stops the growth of bacteria and viruses and
these infections. Because certain populations are at risk of
severe infections and complications, though, children less
than 3 months old and children with certain underlying medical
conditions do require immediate evaluation by a physician.
Never be afraid to clarify with your healthcare provider if you
are unsure if your child falls into that category.
Myth: The higher the temperature, the more severe the illness.
Fact: The degree of fever does not always correlate with
the degree of illness. How your child looks and acts is more
important. When caring for patients, physicians will take into
context how well a patient is staying hydrated, how they are
behaving, how comfortably they are breathing, and many other
factors to determine what is the cause of the illness and how
serious it is. So, if you are concerned about any of these or
other symptoms, even if the temperature is not very elevated,
then you should have your child evaluated.
Myth: With treatment, temperatures should remain normal.
Fact: Fever will go away once the infection is cleared; this
“treating” fevers with acetaminophen or ibuprofen is to provide
comfort to the patient. If your child continues to have a fever
despite medications, you do not need to try to lower the
temperature with external means.
alcohol baths, can cause more harm than good.
Myth: Without treatment, the temperature will continue to climb.
Fact: In the setting of an infection, the brain is what created
the fever as a response. It knows when the body is too hot and
will not allow it to get past a certain point.
Myth: My child feels warm so he or she has a fever.
Fact: There are many external and internal factors that cause
temperatures to vary throughout the day. If your child feels warm
and you are concerned, measure his or her temperature with a
thermometer. A reading of 100.4 degrees or higher may indicate
a fever.
Dr. Hilary Anderson
Dr. Hilary Anderson is a pediatrician at Urgent
Care for Children and was recently named as
one of Birmingham’s Favorite Kids’ Docs for
2019. She was born and raised in Kentucky.
She and her husband moved to Birmingham
to complete their residency training at
Children’s of Alabama and UAB. In her free
time, Dr. Anderson loves spending time with
her family, reading, and doing puzzles.
ABOUT URGENT CARE FOR CHILDREN
Launched by a group of local physicians
and entrepreneurs who recognized the need
for continuity of care between after-hours
treatment and routine pediatric care, Urgent
treat newborns through ages 21 and is open
365 days a year. Weekday hours are 2-10
p.m.; weekend hours are available on their
website. Offering an affordable alternative
to emergency rooms, their pediatricians
automatically send a summary report card to
your child’s regular physician upon your visit.
24 Reach your market with us — (205) 617-9609 or matthew@jbmcmedia.com
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