Fever is the most common reason parents visit an OPD — and most childhood fevers are viral infections that resolve with rest, fluids, and paracetamol syrup dosed by weight (ask your pharmacist for the right dose, roughly 15 mg per kg).
Safe home care
- Keep the child drinking: water, milk, ORS, home fluids little and often
- Paracetamol (Calpol) for comfort; avoid cold baths and don't overdress
- Watch the child, not just the thermometer — an alert, playing, drinking child with 101°F is usually safer than a listless one with 100°F
See a doctor urgently if the child has
- Age under 3 months with any fever
- Fits (convulsions), unusual drowsiness, or a stiff neck
- Fast or difficult breathing, or sucking in of the chest
- Refusing all feeds, vomiting everything, or signs of dehydration (dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, less urine)
- A rash that does not fade when pressed, or bleeding
- Fever lasting more than 3 days
The bigger picture
In Pakistan, malaria, typhoid, and dengue all present as fever — if fever persists past 48–72 hours, a CBC and malaria smear are cheap, widely available first tests worth doing before antibiotics.
Based on WHO IMCI (Integrated Management of Childhood Illness) danger signs. This article is general guidance, not a diagnosis.