Royal Children’s Hospital research reveals parents are giving wrong care to sick kids

Well-meaning parents are giving the wrong or potentially harmful care to their sick children due to widely held misconceptions around childhood illness and fever.

The vast majority of Australian parents give the wrong – and at times – harmful care to their sick child, with more than 80 per cent falsely believing they should lower a high temperature.

New Royal Children’s Hospital research found 40 per cent of the 2000-plus parents surveyed thought fever could cause death if left untreated, while 60 per cent said a “very high fever” was “always” a sign of serious illness.

These myths drove parents to over-medicate or mistakenly try to lower their child’s temperature with over the counter medication like paracetamol (66 per cent), a cold sponge or washer (39 per cent) or removing all their child’s clothes (24 per cent).

Pediatrician and National Child Health Poll director Dr Anthea Rhodes said fever alone was not harmful but a sign the immune system was working to fight an infection.

A study from the Royal Children’s Hospital has pinpointed common misconceptions about childhood fevers. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“There is a misunderstanding among Australian parents that if left untreated, fever can cause severe illness, seizures or fits, brain damage, coma or even death,” she said.

“If you cool them down, that can actually be counter-productive.

“It can mean they’re less well.

“They might be less comfortable, they might have to use more energy to actually deal with that low body temperature.”

The survey, released on Thursday, found more than half of children under five have had a fever in the past three months.

Other findings included that two-thirds of parents did not know the temperature for a fever (38* or above) and those who were younger, single or did not speak English at home were more likely to believe common misconceptions.

One in three parents said they often or always take a child with fever to their general practitioner, while one in ten go to the emergency department.

One in three parents said they often or always take a child with fever to their general practitioner, while one in ten go to the emergency department.

But Dr Rhodes said this was not necessary for a fever alone (except for babies under 3-months-old) and in Australia most infections were a mild viral illness.

“What is important is looking for other signs,” she said.

“Parents should instead seek help if they are worried about the underlying illness driving the fever.”

She said to see a GP if kids also have ongoing vomiting or dehydration, a rash, headache or pain over the counter medicine doesn’t fix, a stiff neck, irritability, lethargy drowsiness or if the fever lasts for more than three days.

“Obviously, parents know their child best, so if they’re worried that something is not right … absolutely they should see a doctor,” she said.

She said over the counter medication was only necessary for children with a fever if needed to treat other symptoms – such as headache – and the best care was rest, keeping children’s fluids up and monitoring for other signs.

Originally published as Royal Children’s Hospital research reveals parents are giving wrong care to sick kids