Neither is recommended.
First of all, as far as the mechanism of fever is concerned, both adults and children are the same, which is the reaction of the body for the elevated temperature set point.The next step to reduce the fever is to eliminate the thermogenic source in order to make the thermoregulatory center turn down the temperature set point.
However, as examples of bathing, alcohol sponge bath, and antipyretic patches ,which are all physical cooling naturally. They lower body temperature by increasing heat dissipation, which does not achieve a lasting cooling effect.
What we do know is that children have a weak skin barrier, making it easy for alcohol to penetrate and be absorbed,with the result that cause the developing nervous system damage. Adults, unless they have a severe alcohol allergy, can moderately tolerate the alcohol absorbed by alcohol sponge bath.But they do not work to reduce fever.
