Antipyretics do not always have to be used in children. “If children are still relatively well at 39.5 degrees, they do not necessarily have to be treated with fever syrup or suppositories. Children suffering from pain, on the other hand, should be helped regardless of their temperature,” explains Jakob Maske. Fever is basically an important defense reaction of the body and a useful process to fight an infection. If the child is doing well overall, treatment with fever reducers is therefore not necessary.
Babies and small children, on the other hand, need to be particularly careful: if babies are under three months old and have a fever, parents should consult a pediatrician immediately. Parents should also be careful with babies between the ages of three and twelve months. If the fever starts in the evening and lasts overnight, you should go to the pediatrician the next morning at the latest. For children between one and two years of age, a doctor should be consulted after about 24 hours at the latest. Older children should see a pediatrician after three days of fever. Particular care should be taken if a child is getting worse and worse, does not drink for a long time or has other side effects such as gastrointestinal diseases.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets for adults are dosed higher than products for children. The administration of such drugs to children can be very dangerous, warns Mask: “An overdose can lead to liver damage and ultimately to the death of the child.” Tablets without a punched break edge must not be divided and given to children, since the active substance is not evenly distributed over the tablet and this can lead to an overdose. Whether a tablet can be divided can be read on the package leaflet.
If parents want to give their child divisible tablets, they must pay close attention to the dosage and adapt it to the child’s age and weight. In addition, half tablets may only be administered if their content corresponds exactly to the dose required for the child. We do not recommend dividing into other sizes that are not pre-punched with a breaking edge. If children don’t want to swallow correctly dosed tablets, they can be crumbled and given with some yoghurt, for example, explains Maske.
Suppositories made for adults or older children should not be introduced into babies and young children. They must also never be divided and then administered, since the active ingredient is not evenly distributed in them and this can lead to a life-threatening overdose.
In many pharmacies, specialists are currently producing antipyretics themselves due to the shortage. These products are usually more expensive than common industrial products. They usually have to be used up within a period of about 14 days after they have been produced and can therefore not be used as a supply in the medicine cabinet.
Instructions for making fever juices are circulating online. However, parents should only leave the manufacture of such remedies to professionals so as not to harm their child, advises Maske. Tips from the Internet should be critically questioned and, if in doubt, medical advice should be sought.
In consultation with the treating pediatrician, pharmacists may be able to replace an active ingredient prescribed by the pediatrician that may not be available in the pharmacy with another. Parents can ask pharmacies about possible substitutes.
One danger of persistent fever is that the body dries out. To prevent dehydration, children should drink as much water as possible. Blankets, hot water bottles, and heat packs can help with chills. Calf wraps can also relieve discomfort.
If, despite all countermeasures, a child suffers from a very high fever over a long period of time, parents should take the child to a doctor’s office or the nearest emergency room. “As a rule, there are still medicines there, but they can only be given on site,” said Maske.