| Q: My child often has a low grade temperature but doesn't seem to be in any distress. Should I be worried about this?
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| A: It is not uncommon for children to have a low grade temperature in the 99°F to 102°F range. This simply is because they are building their immune systems and need the temperature to complete the work. Giving them something to bring down the temperature is counter productive and if done often enough, actually weakens their ability to fight infections. |
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| Q: What
temperature range should I be worried about? |
| A: A parent should
begin to worry when the child has a prolonged temperature of 105°F
or greater, does not drink adequate fluids, and
does not respond to external stimuli such as shaking or being spoken
to. If a child complains of their neck or head hurting, you
should contact your physician immediately. However, children
may have a fever of 105°F or even greater for a
brief period of time as the body mounts its defenses. If this
occurs, monitor closely and make sure they take in plenty of fluids.
A cool compress can also be placed on the back of their neck and
head to help alleviate discomfort. |
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Q: What should I give to help
them through the fever? |
| A: It is important
to support a fever by giving fluids and electrolytes such as
Emer'gen C or other electrolyte formulas. Monitor the
temperature frequently while looking for any behavioral changes or
signs of dehydration such as loss of skin turgor or dryness of the
tongue. For temperatures in the 99°F-102°F
range, a does of Ferrum phos 30C is warranted and in the 102 °F or greater range, a does of Belladonna 30C will help the
body to complete the healing action. Lastly, chicken or
another soup from "Dr. MOM" goes a long way to complete the healing
process. |
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| Q: My child
recently had a fever that lasted a week and kept going up and down,
especially at night. Why does this happen? |
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A: Undulating fevers of this sort
can occur for a variety of reasons. It may be due to the
body's inability to complete the normal course of a fever in which
case the temperature moves up and down in trying to do so.
This also occurs when Tylenol or aspirin are given to "combat" the
fever. When this happens, the body's temperature regulating
mechanism in the brain becomes interrupted and constantly has to
attempt to reset itself. If this occurs often enough, the body
forgets how to mount a fever, a situation we see all too often in
adults. |
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Q: What is an ideal fever? |
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A: An ideal fever is one that is
announced by chills and adaptive withdrawal behavior such as
bundling up to try and get warm. Next comes an increase in
thirst and a need to lie down and sleep. At some point, the
fever peaks in the 102°F to 105°F range and the
patient begins to perspire in order to cool them down. The
fever has "broken" and the recovery period has been entered. |
