Thursday, January 13, 2011

Bye Fever!!



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Thursday evening.  As of this writing, my little man's condition went from better to best.  That's good news, for that means he can go to Boracay tomorrow, enjoy the ati-atihan in Kalibo, and attend the grand reunion of the Kimpos.  Nice!

I am not a big fan of meds, and as much as possible I refrain from giving meds immediately.  Good thing  my pedias are the same.  It's always observe first before anything else.  But since we have to bring down his temperature fast due to the upcoming trip, I allowed myself to turn back from my belief and succumed to meds, as what I have mentioned in my earlier post.  And I am just glad that he is very well now.

Having a fever is not always a bad thing.  Usually caused by bacterial or viral infection, fever is considered a symptom not an illness.  It is the body's way of fighting the infection.  However, being a parent, we just do not sit down and do nothing about it.  Here are the different ways of dealing with fever as advised by pediatricians:

-Give the patient plenty of fluids.  Fluids here include water, juices (not so sweet, without sugar), milk, chicken broth and other soups.  Never give coffee, tea, or soda because these drinks are diuretic and can easily cause dehydration.

-Solid foods might not be so inviting for now, but do not be alarmed.  As long as he is drinking plenty of fluids, he is fine.  His appetite for solids will eventually go back as soon as he feels well.

-Constantly check his body temperature.  An interval of 45minutes to an hour is ideal.  His temperature may reach 38 to 40 and may be low in the morning and gets high in the afternoon to night time.

-Give your baby a lukewarm bath.  We used to hear from our lolas that taking a bath when one has a fever is not the thing to do for the patient's condition may worsen after the bath, but it's proven that this old school belief is not true.  On the contrary, taking a long lukewarm bath is adviced for it helps let the heat out from the body.  Just make sure that the water is lukewarm, not cold.  Cold water will make the baby shiver and can again raise his body temperature.

-Dress less.  Again, there's this belief that wrapping the body with heavy clothes, plus covered with blanket from head to toe, will bring down the fever.  On the contrary, this causes the temperature to rise even more.  It is important for the heat to escape out from the body, and the best way to do that is not to cover-up but to dress lightly.

-Wet wash cloth to be placed in the forehead also works.  The damp cloth absorbs the heat of the body.  This is very ideal if the baby is just lying down, but if the baby is active and playful despite the fever just like my little man, Kool Fever may be used.  It works like that of the damp wash cloth, but this one has an adhesive that helps it secure on its place.  

-If the baby is not his usual self and there are changes in his actions and movements, or changes in the color of the skin, eyes and lips, or just for peace of mind, it's still best to go to your trusted pediatrician.  Medicines may be given to normalize the baby's temperature, or other tests may be conducted to find out the real cause of the fever.




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