Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that is most often caused by viruses or bacteria. This infection leads to inflammation in the lungs, causing the tiny air sacs (or, alveoli) that are usually filled up with air to fill up with pus and other liquid instead. This can cause many different symptoms, including fever, cough, chest pain, and increased work of breathing (difficulty/labored breathing).

It is important for parents of young children and those with certain high-risk conditions to understand how to recognize the signs and symptoms of pneumonia as well as key prevention strategies available and recommended to help keep their kids healthy and safe.

When your child is sick and has a fever, it can be a parent’s first instinct to try to immediately treat and bring down the fever as well as call the pediatrician to be seen right away. While this reaction is understandable—we all just want our kids to be healthy and safe—it may not be necessary. Learning the basics of fevers, including what causes them and what to look out for, can lessen parents’ fears and anxieties and help them confidently care for their children when sick.