I can no longer count how many times my child had fever. From the moment he was born and now that he is 5 years old, getting fever is something mothers like me and you will eventually get used to.
At first and when my son was still months old and he will be hot to the touch, my stomach turns upside down and jolts of panic will run through my body. According to a survey, a child’s fever is a leading cause of anxiety for 84% of parents. If you are a new mom, don’t be like me – keep calm and know these tips on how to manage fever at home.
First of all, fever is the body’s response to protect itself from infection. If a fever lasts for 2-3 days, you have to seek a doctor’s advice.
1. Get a thermometer and record your child’s temperature – your doctor will thank you for recording this if in case the fever does not go away in 48 hours. It will help your doctor to diagnose your child. You should also record any other symptoms such as vomitting, diarhhea, or the appearance of rash.
2. Hydrate – in my 5 years experience of being a mom, this is always the doctor’s top advice. Hydration helps the body cleanse itself as well as avoid the serious side effects of dehydration. Note that fever can make your child perspire which means you have to replace the lost fluids or, if your child is vomitting or has diarrhea together with the fever.
3. Reduce fever with safe medication – 96% of healthcare experts recommend Paracetamol. When used as directed, it has the lowest rate of side effects among children’s over-the-counter fever medicines.
I use this dosage calculator/wheel to identify the correct dosage for my son (I got it free with Calpol which is the current fever medication we are using at home, ask your pharmacy about it). Based on my own readings, we may be giving more medicines than is necessary to our kids. Note that kids come in different shapes & sizes, so it’s nice to put an extra effort in giving them the right paracetamol dosage.
4. Do not pile on blankets to “heat up” your child or to make him sweat – a regular blanket will do unless your child exhibits chills which is a sign of high grade fever.
Only pile on blankets when your child develops chills to manage “feeling cold”
I will usually bring my son to the ER if the fever reaches 39-40C as I am not trained to manage a convulsion which may happen when these levels of temperatures are reached.
5. Comfort – regardless of age, comfort contributes to the recovery of any patient. For my child, I make sure that he is wearing comfortable clothing and that this is changed when he perspires due to fever. Make an effort to remain calm when attending to your child to reduce his own stress and anxiety. If the fever is due to coughs or colds, I like massaging a eucalyptus balm on my child’s chest and back to help with breathing. Sometimes, I also use aromatherapy oils like lavander (to aid in sleep), eucalyptus (to relieve aches & pains), lemon grass (for calming effect).
6. Reduce fever with damp towel – to help maintain the fever below 39C, using a damp towel is also effective. I apply this on my child’s arm pits, behind the knees, neck, and forehead where heat tends to accumulate. There are also stick-on gel packs available which is helpful especially in the wee hours of the night.
7. Fun – I know it’s hard to think of “fun” and activities while your child is recuperating but I also believe that the less we think about the illness, the lesser it becomes. Injecting fun but subtle activities like reading stories, coloring books, take your child’s mind away from his fever and help in improving his overall wellbeing. This is also the time I like to re-assure my son that he should not worry because Mommy is here to take care of him.
When our children have fever, we can also take this opportunity for us Mommies to also slow down and focus on them 100%. This is something that is normally hard to do nowadays when we also work for a living while taking care of everyone else.
Follow these tips so we can all focus on our children’s recovery and in showering them with our love, comfort, and affection 🙂
Stay healthy Mommy & Baby!
