OTTUMWA, IOWA -- For Wednesday's Facebook story of the day, you wanted to know how high a child's temperature should be before you need to take them to the doctor or hospital.
It's good to keep an eye on the child's symptoms. If they're lethargic or dehydrated, you should consult your health care provider. It also can depend on the age of the child.
"If a child is three months or less, if they have a fever, you need to call your doctor because they can become dehydrated very quickly when their body temperature is elevated," said Lynelle Diers, Director of Wapello County Public Health. "If they're three months or older, if it's 102 or less, don't worry about it."
Generally, a child can hold a higher temperature than adults.
"It would vary a little bit, with the adult you need to look at the symptoms too, because like I said, you can become dehydrated more quickly when you are running a temperature because of the elevation of the core body temperature," Diers said. "If you are becoming dehydrated, you really need to go to the doctor."
To lower a slight temperature, Diers suggests taking Tylenol or giving a child children's Tylenol, giving the child a lukewarm bath and taking all the blankets and covers off that could elevate the body temperature even more.
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