LOS ANGELES - A third of U.S. parents are giving their kids fever-reducing medication when it may not be needed, according to a new C.S.
Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll.According to researchers, it may be tempting to give your child anything to make them more comfortable when they’re feeling sick, however, unnecessarily giving a child this medication could postpone the correct diagnosis by masking pain and other symptoms.
89% of parents say they agree that running a low-grade fever helps a child fight off infection. "Fever is a signal that the child has an illness and the body is attempting to fight off the cause.
When parents suspect their child may have a fever, their first decision is whether to take the child’s temperature. Some parents do this at the first sign of any problems, while others choose to monitor their child, and likely consider other factors such as whether the child has additional symptoms of illness," poll authors write.