Child with a fever? What should you do?
2012
I’d dare say that every parent has had to deal with a child with a fever at some point. And for first-time parents that fever can be a stressful circumstance. It seems that most parents are afraid of fevers. As soon as one is detected they are quick to “get it down,” call the doctor, or use Tylenol or another fever-reducing medicine.
What is a fever?
Did you know that a fever isn’t actually an illness. It’s a symptom. It is the body’s ways of “turning up the thermostat” to help the body fight off some sort of “bug” that has infested it. In fact, a child with a fever is an indication that their body is protecting itself.
Inflammation and fever help clear the body of unwanted “gunk.” When bad bacteria or a virus has invaded the body, it has done so because the body has provided the right conditions. When those unwelcome guests are detected, the body instinctively knows that a higher temperature will create an inhospitable environment that will kill the bad stuff. Thus the fever is actually the body’s way of healing.
If you have a child with a fever and you rush to get rid of that high temperature, however, the bad stuff can take hold again. This prolongs the illness by keeping the enemy around and giving them opportunities to multiply and spread. This means that, unfortunately, many good-meaning parents are prolonging the sickness by trying to get rid of the fever.
So what do you do if you have a child with a fever?
Every situation and child is unique, so I hate giving any sort of definitive answer. But in our house if we see our child with a fever we monitor it and let it run its course. I try and make my daughter comfortable. Give lots of hugs. Make sure she’s well rested and nourished.
But my child is miserable!
When it comes down to it you should always follow your instincts. If the fever is really high, definitely talk to your healthcare provider. But keep in mind that medication like Tylenol and ibuprofen are not that safe (and are actually the top two causes of liver failure in this country). There is also concern about parents giving the right dosage. As researcher Janice E. Sullivan, MD of the American Academy of Pediatrics says:
The possibility that parents will either not receive or not understand dosing instructions, combined with the wide array of formulations that contain these drugs, increases the potential for inaccurate dosing or overdosing. (source)
In fact, researchers say acetaminophen is the most common single ingredient involved in emergency room visits for medication overdoses in children. (Although, the majority of those overdoses are the result of unsupervised ingestion.) (source)
That’s not to say that utilizing the benefits of our modern medicine is always bad. But they should be used in extreme circumstances rather than the “go to” for fever reduction and pain relief.
Child with a fever: When to be concerned
Generally a fever is just part of life… one of the many inconveniences we get to endure as humans. But there are instances where a fever should not be ignored. (Make sure you are keeping track of your child’s temperature. This is my favorite thermometer to do the job.)
If your child’s fever lasts more than 48 hours or is accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea, definitely seek help from a medical professional. Other symptoms to be careful of:
- When their fever is accompanied by a cough that produces yellow, green, tan or bloody mucous.
- When accompanied by a severe headache, neck stiffness, drowsiness and vomiting. This is a medical emergency – go to the Emergency Room immediately.
- When fevers come and go, you have night sweats and swollen lymph nodes.
- When a mild fever comes and goes along with sore throat and tiredness.
- When accompanied by a sore throat and headache for more than 48 hours.
- When accompanied by severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.
- When accompanied by an earache.
- When your child may have been exposed to high temperatures outside and you cannot get their temperature down after attempting cool down measures. - This is an emergency and you should seek medical attention immediately (source)
Keep your cool when your kid gets warm…
Nobody like to see their child uncomfortable, but sometimes the best action is to simply provide extra love, lots of hugs, rest, and proper nutrition so your child’s body can do its thing. The human body is amazing, and far too often we get in the way of the natural healing process. So while you shouldn’t ignore your child’s fever, you mostly likely do not need to medicate it.
What do you think?
This post is part of Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, The Mommy Club, Wow Me Wednesday, What I learned Wednesday, Creative Juice Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Real Foods Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Small Footprint Friday, Anything Goes Friday, and Healthy 2Day.
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When my little boy had tonsillitis recently he had a temp of 39c – very high. While were waiting for an appointment with our doctor my mother suggested wiping him down with a vinegar and luke warm water wash. It worked a treat! Lowered his temp to 37.9c so he was a lot more comfortable.
Sometimes the old remedies are the best!
Love this, Teresa! Sometimes it makes me so sad how many of those wise traditions are now forgotten.
This is an awesome tip! I will have to try that
Thanks for posting. @Teresa, thanks for putting this on your blog, I love that you care for other people enough to share!
Yes, Thanks Teresa!
My baby is very rarely ill but a couple of time she’s had a mild fever and we’ve kept an eye on it, kept her hydrated and she’s back to normal in the morning. So I’m very glad we’ve been able to avoid giving her medication.
Thank you for this post. I am all for avoiding medication whenever possible. It is so sad that the ‘answer is in a bottle’ for some many people. I do have one question, though. I have been arguing with myself for a long time about this: What about when a child gets hurt? Like an ear infection, broken arm, finger slammed in the door, etc. Are there other pain management options? These are just random examples, but things that I’d want to give my child immediate relief for. Thanks!
That’s a great question. I think there are a lot of natural remedies for pain relief… and there are times when the answer may be to use medication. That’s really a personal decision that each parent has to make based on their child and the situation. My little girl is super active… which means she has lots of bumps and bruises from climbing and falling. Most of the time a good snuggle with calm her down. In more extreme circumstances it’s probably good to use something to help them. I’m learning more about homeopathic remedies, but still quite new to it all. Thankfully we haven’t had anything too major so we’ve been able to avoid medication so far (but she’s only 1 1/2).
Being a parent is rough. Do what feels best to you and don’t let guilt get in the way when you need to use our modern medicine. It’s a great tool when used appropriately.
I have now learned to dose with some extra Elderberry Syrup (homemade) and I give extra fermented cod liver oil. This usually works like a charm and helps their immune system fight the bug off more efficiently!
Awesome. Love the homemade elderberry syrup!
Elderberry, cod liver oil and raw milk are the best to keep the child super strong my kids rare get sick, I am super glad.
Sounds about right. Love it.
I have 4 children under 11yo and one of the best essential oils to use is eucalyptus (for us anyway). I dilute it in a carrier (I like cp grapeseed) at 1% (8d per ounce for kids over 2yo) and rub it on their chest and it works like a charm to help them rest and boost their own natural immunities, plus it is a great anti-septic and anti-viral oil. They are up and over it usually within about 36 hours. For the lady above for pain…lavender is priceless in our house, the ultimate boo-boo eo.
Proper use of essential oils is really great. I’m still learning so much, but already love what I’ve learned over the past year or so.