1. Reassure parents with anxiety about the child's fever.
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Explain the nature of the child's illness.
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Fever is not an illness, but a beneficial response of the body to illness. Most fevers are of short duration and are not harmful.
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Children with fever are not at increased risk of seizures, dehydration, brain damage or death.
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Body temperature during fever normally fluctuates and the fever will run its course.
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The fever will return until the illness is better and strict control of fever is never required.
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Fever after vaccination is normal and not harmful. Most vaccine-related fevers are detectable 10 to 20 h after vaccination and the duration of fever is usually <12 h [109].
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If an antibiotic is not indicated, explain the reasons why and harms associated with prescribing an antibiotic.
2. Advise the parent on management of fever at home (Box 5).
3. Give clear instructions on how to administer medication.
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Correct dose; how to measure the dose; how often to administer a dose.
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Warn parents not to exceed the prescribed dose or dosing interval.
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Unless the medicine comes with a measuring device, caregivers should be provided with an appropriate syringe or measuring spoon whenever medicine for a child is dispensed.
4. Advise parents on the correct use of antipyretic medication.
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Antipyretics are used to make the child more comfortable by reducing symptoms.
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Antipyretics are not used routinely with the sole aim of reducing the temperature and will not reduce body temperature to normal.
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Antipyretics will not cure the illness.
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Antipyretics do not prevent febrile convulsions and should not be used specifically for this purpose.
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Antipyretic medication starts to work within 1–3 h, but will not bring body temperature to normal unless the fever was low to start with.
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If the child vomits immediately after taking a dose of medicine, another dose may be given, but care must be taken not to overdose. For children who are vomiting intermittently, suppositories may be used instead of oral medication. Suppositories and oral medication of the same type should not be used together.
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Avoid combination products and ‘cough and cold medicines’, which complicate dosing and may increase the risk of overdose and side effects.
5. Provide written instructions about follow-up.
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