Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
There are two main categories of fever – fever from viral or bacterial infection, and fever from poisons, toxins, or other environmental factors.
The fevers that you should be very concerned about as stated in the article, “Fun Fever Facts”, stem from obvious causes like poison, toxic substances, or the environment. Some of these causes can overwhelm the body’s natural defense systems and outside care needs to happen. Call your doctor or poison control center immediately if you suspect that your child has ingested a poisonous substance and be sure to take the bottle of whatever they ingested with you. If you suspect heat exhaustion or heat stroke it is advised that you should go to the ER immediately.
It is important to note that fevers from bacterial or viral infections do not cause convulsions that cause permanent damage or brain injury. Additionally, there is no evidence that febrile seizures in childhood increases susceptibility to epilepsy when your child gets older. According to the National Institute of Health, only 2-5% of children have febrile (fever) seizures, and most occur under the age of 5. If your child has one, they have a 40% chance of recurrence. Not all children are at risk, however. Your risk is heightened if you have a family history of febrile seizure, had one before the age of 18 months, or had one with a low temperature.
If you’re child has had a seizure due to high fever, then some doctors will recommend long-term therapy with phenobarbital or anticonvulsants. But if they do, you should be sure to ask them about the risks and potential behavioral changes. These risks from Phenobarbital include hyperactivity, behavioral problems, sedation, and even dementia. It does seem that these effects are dose related to some extent.
You can rest assured that fevers caused by infections don't cause brain damage. Only temperatures above 108° F (42° C) can cause brain damage and these temperatures occur because of toxins, poisons, or environmental factors such as heat stroke or high ambient air temperature. It's very rare for the body temperature to climb this high.
Knowing some of these basic facts can help save you a trip to the doctor or get you there quicker if you need to. Your fever only an overachiever when it's forced to be.
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El-Radhi AS. Fever management: Evidence vs current practice. World J Clin Pediatr. 2012;1(4):29-33. Published 2012 Dec 8. doi:10.5409/wjcp.v1.i4.29
Schnaiderman D, Lahat E, Sheefer T, Aladjem M. Antipyretic effectiveness of acetaminophen in febrile seizures: ongoing prophylaxis versus sporadic usage. Eur J Pediatr. 1993;152:747–749
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/febrile-seizures-fact-sheet#:~:text=Febrile%20seizures%20are%20the%20most,seizure%20will%20have%20a%20recurrence.