NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Don’t immediately reach for the medicine cabinet when your little one’s forehead feels warm, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that says fevers alone are not a cause for intervention.
“The focus should be on comfort and not on absolute temperature,” Dr. Janice Sullivan, the lead author of the report, told Reuters Health.
That’s because fever can be help fight illness, by slowing down the reproduction of bacteria and viruses or stimulating the body’s immune response.
“That’s a benefit of fever,” Sullivan said, “and may shorten the time that your child remains ill.”
The guidelines on treating fever with over-the-counter medications, published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics, are the first the AAP has released.
The authors reviewed studies on the safety and efficacy of acetaminophen, marketed as Tylenol, and ibuprofen, marketed as Motrin and Advil.
Sullivan, a professor at the University of
Read More from the Article Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110228/hl_nm/us_treat_kids_discomfort_fevers_pediatrician
