Believe it or not, fever in itself is not an illness. In fact, elevated body temperature is one of the body's ways of fighting infection.
Fever is one of the most common reasons for parents to visit a pediatrician with their child.
Children tend to have an average of nine upper respiratory tract infections a year that include fevers, and children in day-care or preschool tend to have more. Fever itself is rarely a problem. However, it is a sign that infection may be present. Therefore, when a child has a fever, the focus should be on the child and the possible infection, and not the reading on the thermometer. Has a fever higher than 102 F. Looks very sick, is poorly responsive and uninterested in his or her surroundings, is sluggish and won't suck on breast or bottle.