When your child has fever

More than a decade ago, we brought our son to a nearby community hospital because he was saw suffering from fever that ranged 39 to 40 degrees. I was in a state of panic because, aside from being a new mom, I experienced seeing a younger brother having convulsions every time he had high-grade fevers. The scene that followed was unforgettable. The male nurse who took my baby gave him a sponge bath of ice cold water. My son was wailing and I knew he felt chilly but we were told that it was "first aid." Well, guess what? I learned two days ago that it is NOT. (I learned about this during The Discerning Mommy bloggers' tour of Unilab's Amherst Plant which I will be writing about in a few days.)

WHAT IS FEVER

A fever is a medical sign characterized by a body temperature that is higher than the normal core temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius. The core temperature is the temperature of the blood that surrounds the hypothalamus in the brain and it is different from the surrounding body or skin temperature. The average human body temperature is 36.4 to 37.2 degrees Celsius. The body becomes feverish when it responds from a pyrogen brought about by a viral or bacterial infection.

MEASURING BODY TEMPERATURE

There are four sites in the body where you can take a more accurate temperature reading in case of fever and they are: the rectum, the mouth, the ear, and the armpit. If there's fever, a reading of more than 38.8 degrees C will register if taken through the rectum, more than 37.8 degrees C in the mouth, more than 37.2 degrees C in the armpit, and more than 38 degrees C if taken through an ear thermometer. Doctors recommend using an ear thermometer especially for small children to prevent accidental breakage of a mercury thermometer.

WHY DO WE HAVE TO TREAT FEVER IN CHILDREN?

Normally, most people recover from fever without specific medical attention. Taking in lots of liquids and fruits rich in vitamin C helps in recuperating. Sponge baths using tap water are also advised. However, it is best to give medicine to children with fever especially to those with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, metabolic disorders, neurological diseases, and those at risk for febrile seizures.

Febrile seizures or Benign Febrile Convulsions (BFC) are considered as a condition that is not so serious for children between 6 months to 6 years of age. This condition is hereditary and the patient's condition usually returns to normal after the seizure. However, children having convulsions should be brought to the doctor for proper diagnosis. I remember that my brother was around 3 to 4 years old when he had seizures and this always happens when his fever reaches 39 to 40 degrees C. When he was confined, his doctor took some liquid from his spinal column to rule out the possibility of meningitis. Thankfully, it was just benign febrile convulsion.

PARACETAMOL VS IBUPROFEN

Common medications given to children in treating fever are Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Paracetamol is given every 4-6 hours while Ibuprofen is given every 6-8 hours which shows that the latter has a more lasting effect. However, Ibuprofen should not be taken by people allergic to the said substance and they should be given Paracetamol instead. If the patient is allergic to Paracetamol, Ibuprofen is the best alternative.

(IBUPROFEN) DOLAN FP

I take Ibuprofen for my migraine and, at least for me, it works better than Paracetamol. But aside from being a pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory (anti-pamamaga) drug, it is also effective in treating fever. The orange flavored syrup of Dolan FP will definitely be appealing to kids. I should know because I tasted it during the event, haha!

WIN THIS!

2010-09-13 unilab amherst tour


I'm raffling out these Dolan FP goodies to one lucky "discerning mommy." You can get a Dolan FP water tumbler, a Dolan FP cap, some Dolan FP samplers, and a digital thermometer. Here's how you can win:

  • EARN 2 RAFFLE POINTS: Be a fan by liking The 24 Hour Mommy Page. Then click the Facebook Share button at the beginning of this post and share a tip about caring for a child with fever by posting this in your Facebook wall:

      @The 24 Hour Mommy, when my child has fever I _________________________________ to make him/her feel better.

    Please be reminded that your post's privacy setting should be set to EVERYONE for it to appear in the fan page wall. If in case you are having problems in making your posts appear in the fan page wall, don't hesitate to place a comment to this post so I can help you.
  • EARN 1 RAFFLE POINT: Share your tip about caring for a child with fever by placing a comment in this post.

SPECIAL PRIZE!

2010-09-13 unilab amherst tour (9)


I'll be picking the best tip among the lot and award 1 Myra Vita Moisture Lip Balm! This means that you can win the Dolan FP goodies in the raffle and win this lip balm, too. :)

This contest is open to all Philippine residents as I'll be shipping the prizes to the winners. Deadline of submitting entries is on September 30, 2010 11:59 p.m. I'll be announcing the winners on October 2, 2010.

Special thanks goes to Unilab for starting The Discerning Mommy program and for sharing these wonderful treats. You can follow the Unilab Facebook page or follow them over Twitter to be updated on their latest products and promos.

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12 comments :

  1. Just joined this fabulous contest!!

    Here is my first entry:
    http://www.facebook.com/pinaymommybiz?v=wall&story_fbid=150807198284108

    ReplyDelete
  2. The 24 Hour Mommy, when my children has fever I let them take Ibuprofen to make them feel better!

    ReplyDelete
  3. When my child has fever I give him Dolan FP Forte every 6 hours and I put Kool Fever on his forehead to make him feel better.

    ReplyDelete
  4. when my child has fever, i never leave him.. im always at his side checking if his okey or not.. and be sure to give him ibuprofen Dolan FP on time.. walang papantay sa pag aalaga ng isang ina.. mabuhay ang mga nanay!

    i also posted on fb:
    http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1354744245

    ReplyDelete
  5. when my son has fever I always gave him IBUPROFEN DOLAN FP (orange flavor,it is his favorite) and put wet towel on his forehead to make him feel better.

    and here is my first entry..

    http://www.facebook.com/cristina.sunga?v=wall&story_fbid=150714118295019

    Thank's and Goodluck to all! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi there,

    Here's my tip for about caring for children with fever...

    This is an experience that I don't want to ever happen again to my son. I remember he was admitted to be confined to the hospital because of dehydration during his fever (my son was just 1 year and 6 months that time).
    From then on, I followed the pedia's advice to try and give them lots of fluid to drink. You can give them milk, soup or juices, because you won't know if they're hungry or not whenever they have a fever.

    Btw, I also joined the FB contest.
    Here's my post:
    http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1167892582

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi there Mommy Kim here, When my child has fever, I give him plenty of fluids like water, juices and soups to prevent dehydration and help the body cool itself, make sure he gets plenty of rest, I dressed him in a light cotton shirt and pj's so the heat can't be trap on the body that might cause temperature to rise.

    Most of all I give him (IBUPROFEN) DOLAN FP for faster fever relief and to make him feel better :)

    Here's my entry on FB :)

    http://www.facebook.com/The24HourMommy?v=wall#!/kimberly.calub?v=wall&story_fbid=119182328135606&ref=mf

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm joining! :)

    When my child has fever, I try to make my child more comfortable simply by removing excess clothing, making sure she gets plenty of cool fluids to prevent
    dehydration, giving her a lukewarm bath to cool
    her skin and giving her a warm, big hug and (IBUPROFEN) DOLAN FP
    to help lower the fever or for faster fever relief and to make her feel better. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. When my child has fever, I try to make my child more comfortable simply by removing excess clothing, making sure she gets plenty of cool fluids to prevent
    dehydration, giving her a lukewarm bath to cool
    her skin and giving her a warm big hug and (IBUPROFEN) DOLAN FP
    to help lower the fever or for faster fever relief and to make her feel better. :)

    here's my FB post
    http://www.facebook.com/The24HourMommy?ref=ts#!/profile.php?id=100001476654730&v=wall

    ReplyDelete
  10. Make them feel loved all the time, most specially during the times they are sick, this will make them feel better...

    ReplyDelete
  11. When my child has fever, I make sure he gets water/juices/ fluids a lot to prevent
    dehydration, plenty of rest,giving a sponge bath make him feel fresh and clean, a tsp. of IBUPROFEN DOLAN FP every 6hrs is a must to relieve fever faster and lastly nothing beats a warm hug and a kiss from me! It will surely make him feel better ^_^

    here's my fb post:
    http://www.facebook.com/simply.rbc

    ReplyDelete
  12. when my child has fever I always give water or fruit juice,and fresh fruits. I always check and wipe his back to prevent pulmonia,and of course giving him Ibuprofen dolan for faster relief.

    ReplyDelete

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