When parents ask me when to give Tylenol/Advil to their sick children, I usually run through the following scenarios:

Fever + Irritable/Pain = Give Tylenol or Advil

Fever + Happy = Do not give Tylenol or Advil

No Fever + Happy = Do not give Tylenol or Advil

No Fever + Irritable/Pain = Give Tylenol or Advil

You’ll notice from the above that fever is not the important variable when making the decision.  Tylenol/Advil is really only for symptom control.  So the only thing to remember is:

Irritable/Pain = Give Tylenol or Advil

This means that it is not necessary to bring an otherwise happy child’s fever down. Fever, in the vast majority of these cases, is the normal bodily response to infection.  The infection might be dangerous (which is why you may choose to bring your child in to see the doctor) but the fever, per se, is not cause for concern and does not require aggressive treatment.