Helping children get back to normal
HELPING CHILDREN GET BACK TO NORMAL
Fever can cause distress and discomfort in children, leading to parents becoming anxious and concerned. Children with a fever may have other symptoms including a headache, stomach pains, difficulty sleeping, lack of appetite, not being as active as usual and feeling or looking generally unwell.
In children with a fever without any indication of a serious underlying condition, a key recommendation is to treat the symptoms of the fever with a focus on comforting the child, rather than on achieving a normal temperature.9
Research shows that more children treated with ibuprofen saw a return to normal activity, appetite and sleep at 24 hours when compared with children treated with paracetamol.*1
Comparison: Paracetamol suspension 15mg/kg every 4-6 hours (maximum of four doses in 24 hours) and ibuprofen suspension 10mg/kg every 6-8 hours (maximum of three doses in 24 hours. Children were included if they were aged between 6 months and 6 years and were unwell with a temperature of at least 37.8°C and up to 41.0°C.1
Ibuprofen allows for a faster improvement in these fever-associated measures.1,6,12