Your child is hydrated to help cool down Encourage your child to rest as much as possible, but do not force your child to sleep or rest (your child can return to school or participate in regular activities 24 hours after the fever has subsided). Your child can be cooled down with a bath. Do not use alcohol of any kind to cool your child. How is a fever treated? It depends on the cause of the fever. Many children do not need treatment, while others do: Antibiotics are used to treat fevers caused by infections, but antibiotics only work on infections caused by bacteria and are not effective for viral infections. For example, antibiotics are not effective for the common cold. Medication to lower the body temperature, such as acetaminophen (trade name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (trade names: Merlin, Edelweiss, Motrin) can help lower the body temperature when the temperature is greater than or equal to 38,5 degrees. However, attention should be paid to the time interval between medications.