Many parents panic when their child has a fever. The first time my child spiked a temperature of 102.5 °F/ 39 °C, I was very upset too.
It is a scary thing to hold your child and they are hot, flushed and obviously very uncomfortable.
It is important to learn ways to manage your child’s fever and not lower it artificially with over the counter medications. The journal Pediatrics recommends as much suggesting that parents let fevers run their course in healthy children. (1)
It would be best if you just threw these drugs away and don’t even have them in your medicine cabinet because even infrequent use of an over-the-counter drug like Tylenol has been linked with serious, lifelong illness like asthma.
Instead of panicking, honor your child’s fever and learn to use it constructively to improve your child’s health and vitality over the long term, because, believe it or not, fevers are fabulous and accomplish important things in a child’s developing body.
I am one of seven children, so we had a lot of fevers going around our home during cold/flu season. Despite this, my Father who is a retired Family Physician never succumbed to treating a fever with meds.
Ever.
He taught us that bringing down a fever only prolonged the illness and weakened vitality for the next illness to come. I remember him saying, “No, I can’t bring down your fever because you’ll get sicker quicker and next time it will be worse.”
Repeated forced reduction of childhood fever has been linked to childhood cancer. And eliminating fever will usually cause a secondary infection.
When you bring down a fever you start a domino effect toward antibiotic use.
In other words, if you want to avoid antibiotics, don’t bring down the fever! Fever reduction suppresses the immune system. Your child is trying to get well himself with the fever and when you bring it down you are opening him up to a secondary bacterial infection that will further entrench the virus or bacteria. It cannot be stressed enough that fever has an important role to play in your child’s overall well being.
Why Do We Get Fevers?
Why do our bodies produce fever? One reason is that fevers greatly slow down pathogens. Fevers are a highly beneficial immune response that we suppress to our detriment.
The “germ” – bacteria or virus causing the child’s distress typically replicates every few minutes and the fever slows this process down. Fevers work to slow down the spread and severity of the illness and are your friend in avoiding a secondary infection (usually respiratory illness), a trip to the doctor and a script for antibiotics.
So treating a fever with meds to bring it down gives free license to the virus or bacteria to spread in an unrestrained manner. And don’t panic if your child’s temperature gets to 102-103 °F/ 38-39 °C – this is actually the ideal range for a fever.
I can’t tell you how many times my children have spiked a beautiful fever of about 102-103 °F for a few hours with no other symptoms whatsoever.
When the fever resolved, the illness was over. No cough, no rash, sinus congestion, no nothing. Just a fever and that’s it. I can almost guarantee that if I had forcibly brought the fever down with meds, they would have gotten a secondary illness on top of the fever. Probably a cough or sinus congestion would have quickly appeared morphing from an afternoon of chills and discomfort into a two week ordeal with a trip to the doctor and prescription meds.
Treating a Fever With No Meds
I find that holding your child is the best home remedy for fever. When they are feverish, they want to be with you. Put on a light robe and crash on the couch with your child and hold her for hours if you need to. If you let the fever go and just let the child’s body do what it is trying to do, the fever won’t last very long — just a few hours.
You can take their temperature if you want to, but it is not necessary. Put your lips on your child’s forehead, and if the child seems hot, you know she has a fever. I can tell within a half a degree what the temperature is using this method with no thermometer required. Many children find it distressing to use a thermometer when they are ill anyway. My dad taught me this trick–he never took our temperatures. He knew the temperature.
Sometimes a fever will go for three days. It will go up and down, with peaks and valleys, and it usually peaks about 4-6 in the afternoon. If your child has a fever in the afternoon followed by a good night’s sleep and no fever in the morning, that doesn’t mean he is over it. Don’t send him to school until you know what happens at 4-6 in the afternoon. The fever is likely to come back in a lot of cases. Until you’ve passed a late afternoon with no fever, your child is not yet on the road to recovery.
Should You Feed or Starve a Fever?
My father taught me that food will naturally drop a fever within about 20 minutes. This drop will last for an hour or two. My father always believed that it was fine to feed a child with a fever if the child was willing to eat. But don’t force food if he doesn’t want it. And you don’t have to give your child a lot of food. Just a few bites of scrambled egg or a few sips of homemade broth can bring that fever down a bit. It will not make the fever go away but will manage it hopefully within the ideal 102-103 degree range.
High Fevers
If a child’s fever is very high–over 103.5 degrees F – then you need to take steps to bring it down down. One method for treating a fever naturally to bring it down without any meds is a cool water enema. Enemas have such a bad rap! Nobody likes them but they are a very effective remedy for many things.
You can get an enema bag from any pharmacy for about ten dollars and they’re incredibly easy to administer. If the fever is getting really high, just get a thick beach towel and put it in the tub. Lay your child on his side without taking clothes off. Slide their pajamas down a little. Place 1/2 to 1 quart warm filtered water in the bag and insert the enema nozzle lubricated with a bit of coconut oil. Your child will start to feel pressure and will want to go to the bathroom–the water usually doesn’t run out. Then gently put him on the toilet and let him go. This will bring the fever down by a degree or two.
Are High Fevers Dangerous?
High fevers– those that range between 104 and 105 F – are not dangerous in themselves. But they make the metabolism run very fast and increase the risk of dehydration. Blood sugar often drops with the metabolism running at this high level, which can lead to convulsions. To prevent this, have your child sip fresh fruit juice diluted 50% with filtered water to keep tissues hydrated and blood sugar levels in the normal range. If your child is too lethargic or won’t take anything, you can administer about 4 ounces of diluted fruit juice rectally using a $2 bulb syringe. Again, this is so easy to do! The body will absorb it rectally very quickly. Don’t worry – it won’t run out and make a mess. This may save you a trip to the emergency room.
Fevers rapidly deplete vitamin A so be sure to give your child drops of high vitamin cod liver oil under the tongue while the fever is running its course.
Fever Baths or Infrared Saunas To Hasten Healing
Sometimes a child will run a low-grade fever day after day and not seem to get better. In that case, you can help her generate a higher fever to help resolve the illness more quickly with a fever bath. Put her in the tub. Fill it with water as hot as she can stand. You can get it hotter if you put them in the tub while you are filling it. You want it pretty hot, but still comfortable! No need to fill it all the way as this might be too hot. Just have her sit in the tub and fill it to the navel.
Leave her in the bath for 10-12 minutes, then get her out, dry her quickly and wrap her up snugly. Put her into bed, well covered up. This should help the fever rise to the point where it can be effective in resolving the illness. By morning, she may have a normal temperature.
I have used the fever bath method for treating a fever on myself with great results too! Be sure to be drinking plenty of fluids.
Another option is to use a near infrared sauna to gently raise body temperature by a few degrees to hasten healing by stimulating the immune system. I recently used this method to successfully stave off a serious virus that was going around our community. About 30 minutes in a near-infrared sauna powered by safe incandescent bulbs (I use this one) will successfully achieve this immune system enhancement.
Note that I do NOT recommend far infrared saunas due to the health implications from the EMFs and flicker stress from the LED lights.
References
(1) Fever and Antipyretic Use in Children
(2) The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Childcare, p. 220
(3) Advice on treating fevers from an old-fashioned medical doctor (My Dad!)
I love this post. LOVE IT! Sorry for the long comment in advance. As an ER nurse I do not usually medicate my children for fevers…even at 104. Unfortunately when parents present to the ER or their doctors office with a “fever” it creates liability for the doctor and a lot of them follow the crowd about managing it with a “work up” or medications. My pediatrician is better than most and does not immediately resort to meds or tests. But I think he knows where I stand and feels more comfortable being more natural with my children.
I do have some things to add…
If a child is “lethargic”…truly medically lethargic, this is a big deal. IF they are not acting mentally normal or are so sick that they can’t walk, can’t focus on you, communicate, etc…I would never give a sugar enema and not take to the ER. Lethargy is described as significant ABNORMAL drowsiness. This can indicate not only low glucose (sugar), but also electrolyte imbalance, or other very serious infections. However the use of the sugar enema is a great piece of knowledge to use if there is no ER around or in an emergency. This would actually be a great resource to keep in your emergency preparedness kit.
As a nurse, I also would be hesitant to give a cool bath. This creates shivering and angry children which increases metabolism. I think it would really depend on the situation for me. You want to avoid shivering. There are certain viruses like Roseola which create extremely high temps (105-ish) for 4-5 days. My children have had this and I did not treat for it. At the end of 4 days a rash developed and they get better. Even with treatments this fever doesn’t drop easily so I just chose to let it be and take advantage of the calm children. I did take my children to the doctor on day 3 of having high temps to make sure of ears and urine but (only with the little non communicator did I do a Urine test). I don’t normally give antibiotics either but wanted to make sure I shouldn’t be doing extra stuff like warm compress on the ear, etc.
The most important thing is not just fluids but sugar and electrolyte management. Make the kids drink something other than water. You can freeze fluids too. How about a broth pop cycle? or is that too weird? 😉
I HAVE taken a child to the emergency room for a high fever and they put my child in a tub of ice, thereafter, I administered cool baths (sans ice) at home on my own when fevers get unbearable.
P.S. the broth pops sound like a great idea!
what about coconut water for fluids and electrolytes? I think I heard that is good for electrolytes, such as drinking it after heavy physical activity. would that be good to administer when a fever occurs?
I keep a stash of coconut water on hand to use in case of illness for myself and my children, as an alternative to electrolyte solutions. It works great!
Where are your citations for all of this information? Aside from your old time country doctor dad? We all know fevers are a sign that the body is “fighting” something and can be beneficial when low grade, but high fevers can cause permanent brain issues in infants and children. Research statistics before spreading old school “remedies”.
While I mostly agree with you, I seriously doubt that the cause of fever-induced convulsions is a drop in blood sugar. In fact, I would assume a high fever would raise blood sugar. I googled it and could not find anything. Your articles would be more credible if you cited sources of information.
Thanks for sharing, your tips to help manage a fever are some that I have never heard of. Hopefully I won’t have to use them anytime soon but good to know. Wish more Doctors were as smart as your Dad.
I absolutely hate giving the over the counter meds, my 20 month old has strep throat and yes is on antibiotics which I also hate. His fever was 106 the other day. I will try the water enema but it’s such a struggle when they’re in so much pain, I know how strep feels, I’ve had it more than once (long before I ever had him) I know fever is the immune system response but it’s scary at 106.
propolis… it tastes like what comes after the enima but its my first defense against strep. I started using it while pregnant. Everyone at my college was sick with strep, there were some kids on their second or third round of antibiotics. I got better first and have never used anything but propolis for strep since.
Interesting. I have some honey with propolis and bee pollen added. Maybe that would also help boost his immune system after the antibiotics…
Homeopathic belladonna 6 or 12 c will resolve a fever naturally and is great for strep throat as well
Rachel yes 106F is scary! When gets that high bring it down at home or best to go to ER/doctor.
I also hate OTC stuff and antibiotics like you do.
Read what Sarah tells about when to go to the doctor.
Wish commenters would follow up later and let people on here learn what worked.
Rachel glad you know of the enema. It is a great home remedy to give. Very happy to read you may gave him a enema! It would have helped him!
As Sarah told about the enema, “they are a very effective remedy for many things.” OMG so correct!
The enema works! Reduces fevers. Cleanses. Removes harmful toxins that make them feel bad. The enema speeds up recovery. I have witnessed this so many
Most doctors today prefer to push ITC stuff, pills and laxatives. My naturopathic doctor believes in the enema as a hone remedy. Many times she has told me to give my three kids a enema. And even recommends a enema be given at least once a month or more often.
Always consult with your professional medical person before giving a enema.
NOT medical advice. Don’t take it as such.
I tell as many moms as I can about the benefits of the home enema!
I’ve found that medicating a fever makes my child feel better … and then he runs around and doesn’t rest and feels twice as awful in a few hours. But let the fever go, cuddle on the couch, give cool water and whatever he is craving and it quickly runs it’s course. And it makes him sleepy and he gets lots of healing rest.
I find that folks get so alarmed by any fever at all and tend to ignore me when I say that it’s a sign the body is working to kill the invaders. I wish there were more docs like your father around today.
I agree with everything you said here Sarah, but how can I proceed with a child who has had a febrile seizure when he was 2. He’s 8 now and hasn’t had an occurrence but perhaps that’s partly because I administer meds to him as soon as he gets a fever. I know, totally counter intuitive to what we believe but I feel like the risk is too great. His doctor said that if he gets another seizure the chances of him developing a seizure disorder doubles.
Have you sought a second opinion, particularly from a holistic physician who sees beyond conventional suppressionary treatment of a beneficial immune response like a fever?
What I learned in an EMT class that febrile seizures are due to fever reducing medicines. If your giving your kid fever medicine you need to keep up the dosage otherwise the drugs wear off and the fever spikes quickly going from a happy high 90s to the mid-hundreds in around an hour. From what I know that is the leading cause of Febrile seizures and the first job of an EMT on the scene is to ask if the child has been re-dosed following the seizure or just beforehand. Check the temp and administer fever-reducing drugs enroute to the hospital if none had yet been given.
Febrile seizures are alarming, but not damaging. Fevers can go higher that that even (a friends baby when to 106F and even the doc said ‘let it go’) the end result will be the same as she said…quick recovery and you won’t need antibiotics
Ha! My disabled daughter had a major febrile convulsion that left her in ICU and after an MRI was taken the DR’s were shocked at the damage it caused the right side of her brain. They didn’t expect her to recover very well, if at all, her development at age 4 was reduced to almost the skills of a young baby. Even today she still can no longer take fluids by mouth despite being trained regularly and struggles to use the left side of her body. Before her febrile convulsion she had a perfectly healthy brain other than missing the corpus callosum. So please inform me as to how febrile convulsions apparently do not cause damage? I rarely use fever reducing medicines at our house. But in my daughters case I’d rather give some to her than cope with another bad seizure and 5 1/2 weeks in hospital wondering if she will live or die. And the usual fever reducing methods did nothing, putting a child in a bath during such an event is dangerous, and mopping her down with a wet face washer wasn’t working at all, she was drenched in sweat. Even paramedics couldn’t stop it. I agree with most of this post, but extremely cautious in my daughters case.
How do you deal with herpes?
L-Lysine. I can’t remember the dosage, but taken at the first signs of an outbreak of herpes or shingles (which is related), it can nip it in the bud and prevent a full on outbreak. Google it and you should find lots of good info.
Iodine supplementation is also great for keeping the herpes virus at bay. Since I started supplementing with it a year and a half ago, I think I’ve only had one cold sore. I used to take L-Lysine at the first sign of a tingle, but it stopped working for me. I have a prescription for Valtrex that I used to always keep filled in the event of a cold sore. No need for that anymore! Google “iodine herpes” for lots of good information. Apparently you can actually inactivate the virus entirely!
I get shingles on my face and neck; I started taking L-lysing but so far have not noticed that helping.. I got two cases back to back b/c Its a stressful time for me at holidays… Im a photographer… lots of people want things NOW. So the bubbles showed up.. I happened to be at the chiropractors and he put this little electronic acupuncture tool on it.. Im not going to lie that hurt b/c the nose is so sensitive… but the bubbles dried up that night.. and in three days I looked like they never happened… and I’ll tell you those things usually last FOREVER. The pain was gone that afternoon too! I’ll be going back to him if I get another one!
Wow … antibiotics don’t harm good bacteria in the body? How clueless! It is alarming how many doctors spout things they have no idea about but their high intelligence and white coat makes them think they are infallible. Unfortunately, high IQ does not mean good critical thinking skills. Not by a long shot. Time for you to perhaps find another pediatrician that does have some critical thinking skills perhaps? 🙂
Another reason to find a new doctor is (not to be paranoid, but…) if you are not following the established protocol, they may report you to child services for neglect. This happens…
Your father very well could have been one of these physicians.
My pediatrician raised his eyebrows and said, “that’s an interesting way to do it” when I told him that I let my child fever through an ear infection and it was gone the next day. He had a 104 fever, but no symptoms of febrile issues. When I told him that I didn’t want to go the antibiotic route and have him get used to the antibiotics or deal with the harm of them, he said that you can’t get used to antibiotics and they do not harm the good bacteria in the body. He even drew me a little picture to show how they work in the body. Ok. Maybe so, maybe not. All I know is that sweating through a fever fights infections. I only brought my baby to see the pediatrician to confirm the ear infection was indeed gone.
Wow, you need a new doctor. This is why we are having so many antibiotic resistant super bugs. Just googling this subject will pull up lots of studies. Even my western medicine pediatrician agrees that waiting it out is best.
Definitely look into getting a different doctor. What you were told about the antibiotics is an outright lie. I myself have in the past taken rounds of antibiotics for sinus infections and the last time I had to switch to a “stronger” one because my body was not reacting to the one I had been given many times and this infection episode was a mild one. That was a good 5-6 years ago now as I have been sampling more holistic treatments and have found that because I know myself and my usual symptoms I can catch it early enough so the holistic treatments work most efficiently and effectively, quicker than the antibiotics did. Your body builds up tolerances to ALL medications which is why on chronic meds you have to take higher and higher doses as you get older. It is not necessarily the medication that is the problem but the body’s reaction to it. I compare it to having to eat your favorite food every day for a month or year, after that long you get sick of it and it no longer tastes as great as it once did and never will again so it loses its effectiveness to make you happy and satisfy you whereas if you eat your favorite only once a year or 2 years it will always make you happy and satisfy your tastebuds and probably always will.
You people are all crazy. First of all your body does not build up tolerance to antibiotics. The bacteria mutates and builds up resistance to them. The drugs that are body builds up tolerance to are things live narcotics, benzodiazapams and so forth.
On the subject of fevers, a fever is a symptom of something else. Most of the time it is a virus in a child which antibiotics are not or should not be used for. The researchers are finding more and more ear and sinus infections are viral. So there is no need for an antibiotic. As far as treating a fever, it does not hurt to leave it untreated unless of course your child develops a febrile seizure from it. Your child will be more miserable but will get over it. If they do not get over it in a couple days and seems to be getting worse you just may have something worse such as meningitis that can cause permanent damage or death.
A cool bath rather than an enema is far better. The rectum was not really created by God to have things inserted in it unless absolutely needed.
Why bother going to the doctor in the first place. Do you know your child’s eardrum can burst if infection not taken care of. Damages the hearing then.