Parents, especially new ones, freak out about fevers. A third of all pediatric visits involve worried parents bringing in feverish little ones. But there's really no reason to fret when your kiddo's temperature starts to rise. And there's no reason to push drugs to alleviate the fever, according to a new clinical report published online today in the journal Pediatrics.Fever in and of itself is not harmful. Even more than that, it can actually be helpful since it prompts the body to churn out more infection-fighting white blood cells. Because fever decreases the ability of viruses and bacteria to reproduce, it can actually shorten the duration of an illness.
It's not that you want your child to suffer in hopes that a cold will wind down sooner, but Janice Sullivan, a co-author of the study, says it's not necessary to ply children with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) unless they're uncomfortable.
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