In paediatrics practice one of the commonest reasons for seeking help is fever. Nothing distresses the parents like a febrile illness of their kids.There is a certain element of phobia associated with fever, we can call it fever phobia. Most of it is exaggerated and unfounded.
Fever is body's response, in vast majority of cases, to infection( There are other uncommon ailments which can also cause fever). When ever our body is invaded by infective organisms, mostly viruses, uncommonly bacteria and few others like parasites, fungi etc., the body's defence mechanism produces certain chemicals ( Like interleukins and tumour necrosis factors) which mobilise the defence machinery of the body to go and fight and restrict the invading organisms. There is a temperature control centre in our brain which acts as a thermostat and does not allow the body temperature to fluctuate much ( our body…
