A parent calls the pediatrician's office because her 1-year-old child has a 100 F temperature. What ...

B
In general, the height of the fever is not an indication of the seriousness of the illness. It is more important to note changes in the child's behavior. If a child has a low-grade temperature and acts sick, he or she should be assessed further. Feeling a child's forehead can give clues related to whether the child's temperature should be measured; if it has already been measured, this would be unnecessary because it does not give accurate information about the child's body temperature. Learning of other sick persons in the home will yield relevant information for the nurse to use in advising the parent, but it is not the best initial response. Although the height of the temperature is not an indication of the seriousness of the child's illness, it is incorrect to tell a parent to be unconcerned about temperatures less than 101 F.