I. What is fever? Fever is a rise in body temperature above a specific level. The criteria for fever vary according to the way the body temperature is measured. Here are some values to consider fever: 1. Anal temperature over 38℃; 2. Mouth temperature over 37,8℃; 3. Axillary temperature over 37,2℃; 4. Ear temperature over 38℃; 5. Frontal temperature over 38℃. Second, the best way to measure body temperature. The most accurate is to measure the anal temperature, axillary temperature, ear temperature and forehead temperature are easier to measure, but less accurate. III. Causes of fever. The most common causes of fever in children are infections: 1. colds or flu; 2. respiratory infections, including laryngitis and bronchiolitis; 3. gastrointestinal infections; a few children develop fever after vaccination. IV. You need to take your child to a doctor if. 1. Infants less than three months old with anal temperature over 38℃ need to be taken to the hospital even if they look fine. Do not give antipyretics on your own without consulting a doctor. 2.Infants aged 3-36 months whose temperature exceeds 38℃ for more than 3 days. If the child looks sickly, fussy, clingy or refuses to drink please consult a doctor immediately. 3. Infants aged 3-36 months with a temperature over 38,9°C. A child of any age also needs to be seen if: 1. Mouth, anal, ear or forehead temperature exceeds 40°C 2. Axillary temperature exceeds 39,4°C 3. Convulsions caused by fever (epilepsy) 4. Repeated temperatures (even if they only last for a few hours) 5. Combination of fever with other illnesses such as heart disease, malignant tumors, lupus, or sickle-cell anaemia 6. Fever with a new onset of skin rash v. How can we make our child feel more comfortable? How to make your child feel more comfortable? 1.Give your child plenty of fluids. If he or she is unwilling or unable to drink for more than a few hours, see a doctor. 2. Encourage your child to rest as much as possible, but do not force him or her to sleep or rest (he or she can go to school or participate in regular activities 24 hours after the fever subsides). Some parents cool their child by rubbing the bath, but this is usually unnecessary. Do not use alcohol of any kind to cool your child. VI. Treatment of fever. Depending on the cause of the fever, many children do not need treatment and some do: 1. Use antibiotics to treat fevers caused by infection. However, antibiotics work only on infections caused by bacteria. They are not effective against viral infections. For example, antibiotics are not effective against the common cold. 2. Medications such as acetaminophen (trade name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (trade names: Merrill Lynch, Edelweiss, Motrin) can help lower the body temperature, but are usually not necessary. For example:Infants older than three months with a temperature below 38,9°C do not need to be used if they have normal activity. If you do not know how to deal with your child’s fever, consult your doctor. Do not give aspirin to children younger than 18 years of age; it can cause the life-threatening condition __Reye syndrome (a rapidly progressive encephalopathy that is a potentially fatal syndrome).