Put down that Tylenol. Did you know that using it only once a month raises your child’s risk of asthma astronomically?
Hang up the phone to the pediatrician’s office.
Don’t touch the analgesics.
You can do this on your own! Fever is not a bad word. It is your friend!
In fact, it’s the mechanism that the body has intuitively designed to cook off illnesses such as the flu, colds, ear infections and the like. And it serves an important purpose because it is the body’s way of curing the illness.
Did you hear me? Fever is the body’s way to rid us of illness.
Then why eradicate the cure by administering a synthetic drug, such as Tylenol, aspirin and the like?
Certainly, we don’t want our child to suffer needlessly, but by employing meds to suppress a fever, we’re chemically forcing the body to stop treating itself with its natural promise of resolution.
What Some (Good) Doctors Say about Fevers
In the words of my all-time favorite pediatric hero, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, in his book, How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor,
There is a common misconception that the height of body temperature is an indication of the severity of illness. Research has shown that more than half of all parents consider a fever high at levels between 100-102 degrees F. And almost all believe it is high if it reaches 103 degrees.
These parents are also convinced that the height of fever indicates how sick their child is. This emphatically is not the case. Knowing the level of your child’s fever will tell you nothing of how sick he is or if the fever is produced by a viral or bacterial infection.
There’s nothing to be gained by measuring its climb and by doing so will only magnify your fears and upset the child. Even a temperate of 105 need not be a cause of concern.
Even Dr. Sears is quoted on his site regarding normal childhood illnesses as saying,
Fevers are not serious. Many parents have a misconception that fevers are a bad thing and a sign that there is some serious underlying illness. This simply is not true.
Fever is a normal and healthy response of the body to an illness. The body’s immune system releases chemicals that raise the body temperature. This is part of the normal infection-fighting process.
Dr. Thomas Cowan MD, presenter at the Weston A. Price conference two years ago, made it clear that fever may be instrumental in warding off the potential of cancer in the future.
He elaborated that every case in which the child is allowed to present a nice high fever, it potentially inadvertently protects from cancer later in life.
I know, I know. It can be difficult to resist the temptation to give children “a little something for that fever”.
After all, we certainly don’t want them to suffer the pain of an ear infection or a sore throat. But, if we understand that the medications of commerce will often cause further affliction in the future, the choice is easier.
How to Use Homeopathy for Fevers
When a fever appears to be debilitating, what’s a parent to do? I reach for one of my lovely homeopathic cell salts…Ferr phos 6x.
It’s the remedy that aids during any inflammation and may help the child get over the illness in a shorter time and step into full bloom again with fewer accompanying symptoms.
Four pills is a dose, regardless of the age of the child, and it can be offered directly into the mouth every 4 hours for as long as the little one is sick.
Once the worst is over, then Ferr phos 6x offered in combination with Calc phos 6x is a great way to ensure convalescence.
This combo is what I call the “finishing touch” to a good productive fever.
The way I have used it for my feverish children is as follows: 1 PM is time for Ferr phos, 3 PMÂ Calc phos, 5 PM back to Ferr phos, and so on.
When used correctly, homeopathic cell salts are not only inexpensive but nontoxic. That means no side effects.
Can you think of any conventional meds like this?
Yeah, me neither.
12 Homeopathic Cell Salts for Fevers
But these little cell salts don’t just stop at fevers.
Ferr phos 6x is also a premier remedy for anemia and frequent nose bleeds.
I’ve used Calc phos 6x for my children’s dental issues such as teeth that were growing in crooked and premature cavities, growing pains, nervousness, insomnia and even fusing of broken bones. (Actually, that was for my father.) My time-tested tips and tricks as a homeopath have allowed me complete freedom from conventional pediatric dependency.
Take Away
In a world that encourages moms to depend on big pharma and its advocates and to feed our families on the fly, homeopathy, instead, celebrate the home, the cuddle of children and just the right dose of information.
But don’t stop here. There are 12 Homeopathic Cell Salts that you can learn to employ to empower your healing ability — low potency, very easy to learn, inexpensive to own, efficacious and safe. Click here to find out more!
Ferr phos 6x and Calc phos 6x offer rational medicine that empowers mothers and has done so for more than 150 years.
Long-established traditions. Informed parenting. Two little homeopathic cell salts. How easy.
More Information
Click here to learn more about Cell Salts.
Fever Bath to Hasten Healing
I have been using Bioplasma by Hyland’s for the past 6 months. It is a combination of 12 mineral cell salts. The ingredients lists Calc Phos 3x HPUS and Ferrum phos 3x HPUS. I bought the Bioplasma because it is what a homeopathic pediatrician in the area recommends.
My son is 8 months old and still nursing. I take 4 pellets 3x a day when he is sick (or I am sick) and hope it gets to him through my milk. I have occasionally given him 1 pellet once or twice a day hoping it will help him but hesitate because I don’t know how safe it is for him.
Are you familiar with Hyland’s Bioplasma??
Is there a reason you recommend “#1 and #4” instead?
Thank you!
Bioplasma is good, but CP and FP are better targeted to fever and especially for kids.
I don’t like to give anything for a fever at all and have only treated a couple of times — and that was for other symptoms, not fever. Last May my then almost 3 YO had a fever with severe jaw pain and swelling (we suspected mumps but doctor didn’t test for it). We gave belladonna so he could sleep, after consulting with a homeopath. It helped. Had he not been completely miserable we would not have treated at all.
To me it doesn’t matter how it’s lowered, it needs to be left alone to fight. And NEVER put a child in a cold bath or use cool/cold to try to lower the fever. The body will begin to shiver to maintain the temperature, it could spike higher or more quickly, and this could lead to a febrile seizure. Fevers in and of themselves usually don’t cause them, quickly spiking fevers do.
My kids have never had a fever last more than 24 hours and often not even that. We usually treat symptoms with herbs if we need to treat at all, usually for comfort or to boost immune function.
Achieving a high fever is a sign of a healthy immune system. My child who had the highest fever with chicken pox was also the one who recovered most quickly.
This is dangerous misinformation! My father’s high fevers left untreated led to childhood seizures which then led to epilepsy for his entire life. He died of suicide due to the high does of medications he needed to control his epilepsy. At the very least, children should be put in a lukewarm bath and given fluids, but even fever reducer is ok in moderation.
I agree Liz: there certainly is a time and a place for reducing a fever (SO sorry about your Dad!). And for seeking professional help, I might add. For the rest of the time, though, we moms could once in awhile imagine that good things are going on in these little slightly feverish bodies, without panic and hurrying to the ER. It’s a great time to be alive: to research something like this from several angles and seeking what feels right to you, the empowered parent with no (or at least minimized) fear, vs the modern tradition of expecting the worst to happen.
I’m so sorry about your loss. I can’t imagine your pain.
However, the blame is likely being misdirected. Its not the fever we ought to fear, its the Tylenol. Its not the sore throat, its the antibiotics. Its not the depression, its the psychotropic drugs.
Childhood fevers do not cause epilepsy. They indeed may precipitate a pre-existing condition, but they are not the underlying cause. Unfortunately, its more convenient and legally safer for a doctor to blame your grandmother for allowing this or that when indeed, its often the iotrogenic treatment administered by the doctor.
Epilepsy treated by drugs can indeed cause such deepening problems, but that ought to make us more wary of drugs, not an opportunity to point out how more of them would have been beneficial.
I hope your grandmother was not aware of the blame being placed on her while she was still alive.
I agree.
Dry fevers can kill. Every Mom would do well to have a few things on hand in case handling a dry fever at home ever becomes necessary. This can save lives.
My then-2-year-old daughter developed a high fever in a very short period of time after a not-so-scary low-grade fever and throwing up for part of a day. The fever rose so quickly that transporting her from our remote location would have been stressful for her and dangerously long. She was delirious and began having spasms. My husband insisted we administer an enema of warm water and garlic, a remedy his grandmother always used. I hated the idea–my baby was suffering already and that sounded awful!
He emptied a regular child’s Fleet enema (I still have no idea why we even had it in the house) and refilled it with warm water and garlic powder (crushed fresh garlic also works) and inserted it with her lying down as if we were changing her diaper. Her body soaked it all up immediately and the spasms completely stopped. He gave another dose and her fever dropped three degrees in two minutes. She calmed down completely and went to sleep. In the morning she was running around.
After several less-scary experiences approaching a fever in this way I became comfortable with the idea, and in the 9 years since then, it’s part of my first line of defense.
If there is a suspected blockage and you’re hoping to clean out the bowel before having it soak up anything, a cold water enema administered while the child is sitting on the toilet can take care of that; then warm water, garlic in water, or herbal teas may be administered while the child is lying on their back or on their right side.
When an IV is not an option, and digestion isn’t either, this can SAVE LIVES. Before IV’s this was the FIRST thing nurses would do when a patient came to the ER. They gladly gave it up when poking looked less gross. Enema bottles cost next-to-nothing (the junk they sell IN them is worth little; dump that out), can be sterilized for re-use, take up little space, and give you options you shouldn’t find yourself without.
Off my soapbox already!! I love the article, by the way. Good info there.
I hope this has been addressed by other comments, but if going the homeopathic route, it’s kind of critical that you follow the instructions (which are not on all homeopathic labels!) in storing and taking them. Hear me out here: a homeopathic is a FREQUENCY. It is possible to lessen the effect of the frequency by touching them, storing them near essential oils, or maybe in other ways. People who have no results from homeopathics usually do not know this. You need to pour them into the lid of the container (or onto a clean spoon), then carefully into your mouth without touching the inside of the lid. Then hold them under your tongue to dissolve as completely as possible. Otherwise, they may do little or nothing.
Thanks for sharing these important details for the handling and storage of homeopathic remedies.
I’m so glad you posted this. Thank you. I just started putting my cell salts in with my daily vitamin container… I won’t be doing that anymore! My midwives gave me homeopathics in the lid and I just figured it was a sanitation thing.
Wendy…do you have any suggestions for travelling by airplane? I have some remedies I need to be taking and I don’t want them altered. Thanks!
When traveling, I carry my remedy kit with me on the plane and make the officials know that they are homeopathic medicines that must not be put through x-rays, etc. In India and Dubai, they instantly recognized them as homeopathic and looked at me with an approving nod! Elsewhere, I’ve never had a problem , regardless of what part of the world i travel.
Having said this, clients and students report to me that x-rays have not hindered the efficacy.
thanks for the transcript. I have been interested in simple homeopathic remedies and looking for something to get me started. this might do the trick!
let me know of your successes!
I don’t have children myself, but I remember growing up in the 90s and hearing people saying from time to time that if a child’s fever gets too high or persists for too long that it can lead to brain damage. Is there any truth to such claims?
Starting about two years ago I learned to question everything I heard about health and medicine, so if anyone could shed some light on this, I would be grateful.
I remember hearing that too, and I was worried about it with my kids at first. Now I have learned differently, and honestly the article says it all. Fevers are not the threat, just a symptom of what’s going on. I just monitor fevers and give liquids to drink and cater to the kids a little when they feel crappy with a fever and it goes away. What I am interested in is the mention of letting fever run its course can prevent future cancer. I guess we’ll have to google it.
As per Dr. Mendelsohn and the APA, fevers from an infection from a childhood illness will generally not go over 105-106. However, if there is another issue at hand, such as a head injury, then a higher fever may ensue and this would call for more drastic measures than simply allowing a fever to do its good work. There seems to be a general consensus among many astute pediatricians, homeopathic as well as allopathic that fever is not dangerous until it gets to 107 and that this is not what occurs in normal childhood illnesses.
107, are you kidding me? I was sick for a week with a fever that high when I was younger, and when my parents finally brought me in, I was in a fever coma for a another week. Spent another couple of weeks after that in the hospital. That was with a 106 fever. Anyone that says a fever must be 107 degrees to be dangerous shouldn’t be practicing medicine. I don’t know where you got your info from, but I doubt many “astute” pediatricians say that.
I’m including a few MD’s below, but before I do so, I urge readers who comment to read the article in totality . I gave my sources in the article.
The best pediatrician of them all, as far as I’m concerned is Dr. Robert Mendelsohn. I mentioned and linked to his book in the above article and encourage every parent to own his books. All of them.
I knew this question would arise, which is why I directed readers to his writings. if you’re truly interested, that is the source I recommend.
He states that that there is no set standard and that the AAP makes changes frequently.
This is evidenced by the “new and improved” statement frm the American Academy of Pediatrics:
“Contrary to what most parents think, there’s no evidence that fever itself can increase the risk of adverse outcomes like brain damage, wrote Janice E. Sullivan, MD, of the University of Louisville, and Henry C. Farrar, MD, of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and colleagues.”
“Appropriate counseling on the management of fever begins by helping parents understand that fever, in and of itself, is not known to endanger a generally healthy child,” they wrote.
“According to the guidance, which was published in “Pediatrics”, physicians should help parents understand that fever is not a primary illness; rather, it is a physiologic mechanism that has beneficial effects in fighting infection. It retards the growth and reproduction of bacteria and viruses, enhances neutrophil production and T-lymphocyte proliferation, and aids the body’s acute-phase reaction.
However, it appears to be a common belief among parents that they must attempt to normalize their child’s temperature to prevent danger. Parents should also be instructed that antipyretic use does not prevent febrile seizures.
Thus, physicians should communicate that the primary goal in treating fever should solely be to improve the child’s overall comfort level, the researchers said.
Dr Barton Schmitt, MD says it’s not until fever reaches 108 that brain damage can result.
Dr Richard Besser of the AAP says there are new guidelines, a new document (It sure took them long enough!) in which new standards are indicated. He calls the problem “fever phobia”.
Dr. Carly Wendler says there’s generally no damage to the brain until a fever rises to 107.6 and the general consensus is that it will not reach that frm normal childhood illnesses, only from heat stroke or head injuries.
There you have it. An old time pediatrician, the American Academy of Pediatrics and a sprinkling of others.
How could anyone ever really know what the cause of this illness or that is truly from? Its speculative and these speculations arise from the theories of the day. And as you can see, they change regularly with still no true consistency.
Now, perhaps we can put it to rest that coma, brain damage, seizures, or life long epilepsy can be blamed on something other than a fever from normal childhood illness.
I guess it really IS important that we do our homework.
My name is perry. I’m Joette’s 25 year old son, a pilot and flight instructor and I also do the tech work for my mom. I’m writing because I saw a comment here that was derogatory towards homeopathy. I just can’t let such a remark go unchallenged.
Blogs are not the place to offer dissertations, but I could write one because homeopathy is integral to my and my family’s health. I should also mention that also I drink raw milk with raw eggs daily and lots of bone stocks and I enjoy cooking from scratch, but my friends are astonished when I tell them that I’ve not ever taken any drugs. Until they get to know me, they think I’m lying.
My brother and I live together and we keep our homeopathy kit in our apartment. It has helped us and our friends out of many fixes.
Here’s why I don’t own Tylenol, aspirin or antibiotics:
I’ve witnessed my grandmother having a migraine and she fully recovered within minutes. I used to see my uncle hobble with arthritis in his knee until my mom gave him Rhus tox to take over a period of weeks. I saw our cat that was nearly dead come to life within 24 hours after Sulphur and our flock of chickens fully recuperate from fowl cholera with Cuprum. My Paternal grandmother used to have arthritis, my dog used to have cysts and a friend of mine used to get cold sores.
For those who wonder if this is possible, they might also ask our European, South American and Indian counterparts. They too, count on homeopathy for their medical method.
In the slightly corny words of my younger brother after a ski accident….”Homeopathy rocks!”
Thank you Perry for putting it out there! I really appreciated your view as a child that grew up in this way of all natural healing and the affect it has had on you as an adult now. Grateful for your comment. 🙂
What about essental oils. I do allow my children to have fevers but use the oils as well. When my daughter had a fever for a few days with the flu I finally gave her some peppermint oil and it brought it down, so she could rest. What your your feelings on the oils?
essential oils are grand.