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Fever - the natural fighter

mcm by mcm Young Parent(August 2006) (rank 5th)
What is a fever? It is an abnormally high temperature and is a good sign that the body is working. It is the body's own natural way of healing and attempting to fight  many differing ailments. Mild fevers only need a watchful eye. It is interesting to note that the
heat of the fever causes invaders not to thrive. Fever is a protective and helpful in response to inflammation or infection. It is dangerous only because of the rise in body temperature. Fever is an important symptom of an underlying illness. The most common cause in children is an infection. An oral temperature of about 38 degrees Celcius or higher is an indication of fever. If your child is under 6 months old consult your doctor.

How to bring down a fever? Remove bedding and clothes and sponge with cool water while keeping the room at 20 degrees Celcius. You can give children's panadol if the child is in pain or discomfort.
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ADVICE RATING
 (Worth a try) (Worth a try) (Worth a try) (Worth a try) (Worth a try) 4.05 (Worth a try) from 16 votes
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exquisite-flower
December 2006 | exquisite-flower
Simple guidelines
Well written advice and so simple to follow.  Fever is a worrying thing when you dont understand it.  Thank you for being so clear and simple.
Peace
EF.x 


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JadieLady
4.00 (Good) | August 2006 | JadieLady
fever

i am glad that liam hasnt had a fever. as good as they are, they caused my borther a lot of discomfort ( to the extent of beig hospitalised for the pain) and it isnt something i would wish on anyone :)

Good health is better!



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hrs2004
5.00 (Excellent) | August 2006 | hrs2004
Fevers
The other interesting thing is that a change in temperature by four degrees in a baby is far, far less dangerous than a similar change in adults. Babies temps will change quite quickly and can be reversed almost as fast. One thing to remember is to cool them gradually rather than, say, a sudden plunge in a cold bath. The body is an amazing thing, isn't it, and you are totally right that a fever is just our way of making it harder for the bad stuff to survive. Fascinating.


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Izzy
4.50 (Excellent) | August 2006 | Izzy
fevers
Good advice. It isn't always wise to keep reaching for the Tylenol at the first sign of fever.


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TheMentorMom
4.88 (Excellent) | August 2006 | TheMentorMom
Fevers
My son is one of those kids who runs VERY high fevers when he gets sick.  We have found cool, damp washclothes under his arm pits and near his groin help bring the fever down quickly as well.


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