Your child has had surgery to remove tonsils or adenoids. Your child will need time to get better. Below are guidelines to help your child recover.

• Expect your child to have some throat or ear pain for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Limit activity for 1 to 2 weeks or as advised by your child's doctor.

Getting enough fluids is especially important while your child recovers. Throat pain can make swallowing uncomfortable, so offer small amounts of fluids and foods often.

• Give plenty of fluids. Offer small amounts often throughout the day. Water, ice chips, ice pops, milk, milkshakes, smoothies, and other cool drinks are good choices. Let your child choose favorite drinks that are comfortable to swallow. Avoid orange juice, lemonade, and other acidic drinks if they cause throat pain.
• Try cold foods and drinks. Cold liquids and foods may soothe your child's throat and make swallowing more comfortable. Ice chips, ice pops, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, and milkshakes may be helpful, especially during the first few days.
• Offer soft foods. Good choices include yogurt, applesauce, pudding, gelatin, mashed potatoes, avocado, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, soft pasta, soup that has cooled, and other mashed or easy-to-swallow foods.
• Try honey for throat discomfort. If your child is older than 1 year, 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of honey may help soothe throat discomfort. Never give honey to a child younger than 1 year.
• Avoid foods that irritate the throat. Salty, spicy, sour, acidic, very hot, crunchy, or rough foods may hurt when swallowed. Examples include citrus fruits and juices, spicy foods, toast, crackers, pretzels, and potato chips.
• Avoid red foods and drinks during the early recovery period. Red gelatin, ice pops, juice, or other red foods can look like blood if your child spits up or vomits, making it harder to tell whether bleeding is occurring.
• Gradually return to your child's usual diet. Your child can eat more of their regular foods as soon as they feel comfortable doing so, unless their surgeon gives different instructions.

Only give your child medicines that the doctor has told you to give. This may include either ibuprofen or acetaminophen. In some cases, you may switch between these each time. Follow the doctor's directions closely. At first, you may be told to give your child medicine for pain even during the night. That means waking your child up at night to give them medicine. Check your child's pain at least every 4 hours.

Mild pain and a slight fever are normal after surgery. The area where the surgery was done will turn whitish while it's healing. This is normal. It's not an infection. Call your child's doctor right away if your child has any of these:

• Fever that is high or doesn't go away (see Fever and children section)
• A seizure caused by the fever (See below for When to call 911)
• Severe pain not eased by medicine
• Bright red bleeding from the nose or mouth, in spit, or in a clump (clot)

When to call 911

• For any trouble breathing
• If this is your child's first seizure
• If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes
• If your child has back-to-back seizures or is not waking up after a seizure
• If they were hurt during a seizure

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 doctor 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 doctor 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 okay using a rectal thermometer, ask the doctor what type to use instead. When you talk with any doctor about your child's fever, tell them which type you used.

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

When to contact a doctor about your child's fever

For a baby under 3 months old:

• First, ask your child's doctor 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 doctor

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 doctor

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 doctor