Bacterial Sore Throat: Strep Confirmed (Child)

Home care

Medicines

Follow these guidelines when giving your child medicine at home:

• The healthcare provider has prescribed an antibiotic to treat the infection and possibly medicine to treat a fever. Follow the provider’s instructions for giving these medicines to your child. Make sure your child takes the medicine every day until it's gone. You should not have any left over. 

• If your child has pain or fever, you can give them medicine as advised by the healthcare provider.  

• Don't give your child any other medicine without first asking the healthcare provider, especially for the first time.

• If your child received an antibiotic shot, your child should not need any other antibiotics.

Follow these tips when giving fever medicine to a usually healthy child:

• Don’t give ibuprofen to children younger than 6 months old. Also, don’t give ibuprofen to an older child who is vomiting constantly and is dehydrated.

• Read the label before giving fever medicine. This is to make sure that you are giving the right dose. The dose should be right for your child’s age and weight. Ask your child's healthcare provider if you have questions about dosing.

• If your child is taking other medicine, check the list of ingredients. Look for acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If the medicine contains either of these, tell your child’s healthcare provider before giving your child the medicine. This is to prevent a possible overdose.

• If your child is younger than 2 years, talk with your child’s healthcare provider before giving any medicines to find out the right medicine to use and how much to give.

• Don’t give aspirin to a child younger than 18 years old who is ill with a fever. Aspirin can cause serious side effects, such as liver damage and Reye syndrome. Although rare, Reye syndrome is a very serious illness usually found in children younger than age 15. The syndrome is closely linked to the use of aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines during viral infections.

General care

• Wash your hands with clean, running water and soap before and after caring for your child. This is to help prevent the spread of infection. Others should do the same.

• Limit your child's contact with others until they are no longer contagious. This is 24 hours after starting antibiotics, or as advised by your child’s provider. Keep them home from school or daycare.

• Give your child plenty of time to rest.

• Encourage your child to drink liquids.

• Don’t force your child to eat. If your child feels like eating, don’t give them salty or spicy foods. These can irritate the throat.

• Older children may prefer ice chips, cold drinks, frozen desserts, or ice pops.

• Older children may also like warm chicken soup or beverages with lemon and honey. Don’t give honey to a child younger than 1 year old.

• Older children may gargle with warm salt water to ease throat pain. Have your child spit out the gargle afterward and not swallow it. 

• Tell people who may have had contact with your child about their illness. This may include school officials and daycare center workers. 

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s healthcare provider, or as advised.

When to seek medical advice

Call your child's healthcare provider right away if any of these occur:

• Fever (see Fever and children, below)

• Symptoms don’t get better after taking prescribed medicine or seem to be getting worse

• New or worsening ear pain, sinus pain, or headache

• Painful lumps in the back of neck

• Lymph nodes are getting larger 

• Your child has trouble swallowing liquids, has lots of drooling, or can’t open their mouth wide because of throat pain

• Signs of dehydration, including very dark urine or no urine, sunken eyes, and dizziness.

• Muffled voice

• New rash

Call 911

Call 911 if your child has any of these:

• Fever, and your child has been in a very hot place, such as an overheated car

• Trouble breathing

• Confusion

• Feeling drowsy or having trouble waking up

• Unresponsive

• Fainting or loss of consciousness

• Fast (rapid) heart rate

• Seizure

• Stiff neck

Fever and children

Use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer. There are different kinds and uses of digital thermometers. They include:

• Rectal. For children younger than 3 years, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

• Forehead (temporal). This works for children age 3 months and older. If a child under 3 months old has signs of illness, this can be used for a first pass. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Ear (tympanic). Ear temperatures are accurate after 6 months of age, but not before.

• Armpit (axillary). This is the least reliable but may be used for a first pass to check a child of any age with signs of illness. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Mouth (oral). Don’t use a thermometer in your child’s mouth until they are at least 4 years old.

Use a rectal thermometer with care. Follow the product maker’s directions for correct use. Insert it gently. Label it and make sure it’s not used in the mouth. It may pass on germs from the stool. If you don’t feel OK using a rectal thermometer, ask the healthcare provider what type to use instead. When you talk with any healthcare provider about your child’s fever, tell them which type you used.

Below is when to call the healthcare provider if your child has a fever. Your child’s healthcare provider may give you different numbers. Follow their instructions.

When to call a healthcare provider about your child’s fever

For a baby under 3 months old:

• First, ask your child’s healthcare provider how you should take the temperature.

• Rectal or forehead: 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Armpit: 99°F (37.2°C) or higher

• A fever of ___________as advised by the provider

For a child age 3 months to 36 months (3 years):

• Rectal or forehead: 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• Ear (only for use over age 6 months): 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the provider

In these cases:

• Armpit temperature of 103°F (39.4°C) or higher in a child of any age

• Temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher in a child of any age

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the provider