A Clinical Study of Mother's Understanding About Children's Fever

ABSTRACT

One hundred mothers bringing their children to a pediatric outpatient deparment of Ewha Womans University Hospital were surveyed about their understanding of fever and method of fever therapy. Most mothers(91%) were unduly worried about low to moderate grade fever with the temperature of 39degrees C or less. They didn't know the thermoregulatory mechanism and thought that fever can rise to the temperature above 42degrsse C. Most mothers(80%) believed that fever has harmful effects such as brain damage and convulsion and only a few mothers(20%) know vaguely about the beneficial effects of fever . Hence, most mothers treated fever aggressively. 39% started fever therapy at the temperature of 37.5degrsse C or less and 65% gave antipyretic medication before the temperature reached 39.5degrsse C. From these results, it becomes clear that health education to counteract mother's overconcern about fever should be a part of routine pediatric care. A review of literature confirmed the beneficial effect of fever and only two serious rare harmful effects of fever, anmely, status epilepticus and heat stroke. Some guidelines to fever therapy are represented.