IS FEAR OF FEVER HURTING OUR CHILDREN?

[Guest guest]

I will share some articles now that have to do with fevers - just because

this info is so important - even if you are not vaccinating you will come

across fevers during illness and so I thought I'd include this information

at this point

SHARE THIS WITH everyone you know!

Sheri

http://64.41.99.118/vran/news_art/articles/fear_of_fever.htm

IS FEAR OF FEVER HURTING OUR CHILDREN?

By Edda West - VRAN Newsletter January-March, 2003

2003 Vaccination Risk Awareness Network Inc. CANADA

As paradigms go in the world of disease management, there is none more

deeply ingrained than the fear driven belief that without vaccinations we

are doomed to attack from legions of killer diseases. It's shadow partner,

" fear of fever " compels us to suppress fever whenever it arises and insures

our captivity to monopoly, sickness oriented medicine. The

medical/pharmaceutical empire flogs us with these tactics, imprinting fear

in the collective psyche, the favourite tool with which they dominate the

masses and usher us down the slippery slope of health breakdown and drug

dependency.

Vaccinations and fever suppressants, along with the overuse of antibiotics

and exposure to multiple chemical contaminants in the environment, are at

the root of the decline in children's health and vitality, manifesting at

large in the disablement of immune function, neurological function, and

upsurge of chronic diseases in large segments of society today. Children in

particular have been hit hard as they are the most vulnerable members of

society. New evidence is now emerging that fever suppressant drugs may be

another contributing factor to the explosive epidemic of neurodevelopmental

disorders like autism.

As loving and caring parents, we naturally want to help our children feel

better when the inevitable fevers, flus, colds and various illnesses arise

in childhood. Many will reach for popular over-the-counter remedies to

suppress fever and alleviate symptoms in the belief that these products are

reliable, effective, and safe. But how safe are they really? And what are

the risks when fever is suppressed and symptoms masked? Does fever have a

critical function in fighting sickness that we have lost sight of?

There is plenty of scientific evidence validating the benefits of fever in

fighting viral/bacterial inflammations and it's important role in the

healing process. Fever increases survival rate during infectious diseases -

basic information that has yet to reach the majority of people who remain

misinformed and misled by pharmaceutical and medical propaganda which still

shamelessly advocates the use of antipyretic drugs at the first sign of

fever. The myth that untreated fevers will lead to seizures and brain

damage is perpetuated ad nauseam. Fever is maligned, misunderstood and seen

as an enemy to be feared rather than an ally that signals the immune system

gearing up for action.

Aspirin was once commonly used to suppress fever until it was linked to

Reye's syndrome when given to children with viral infections like influenza

and chickenpox. Reye's syndrome is an often fatal disease affecting the

brain and liver, a primary reason doctors switched to acetaminophen, which

we now know to be the major cause of liver failure. One disaster after

another!

Acetaminophen is such a common ingredient used in both over-the-counter and

prescription medications, people may be unaware of its presence in the many

popular brands of fever, pain, colds and flu medications. Health Canada

recently issued an alert cautioning that the overuse of these

over-the-counter remedies can lead to serious liver toxicity and death.

" Parents should be especially cautious when giving children any products

containing acetaminophen. For example, the parent of a child with a

flu-like illness may use one product to treat the child's fever and another

to treat a runny nose, without realizing that both products contain the

same ingredients. A recently published article identified acetaminophen

overdose as the number one cause of acute liver failure in the US, and most

of these overdoses were unintentional. Often, several preparations of the

same brand (e.g. Tylenol Pain and Tylenol Sinus) or several medications for

the same symptoms (e.g. Tylenol Cold, Neo-Citran and Sinutab) are found in

the same household and, when used together, can result in an overdose. " (1)

It is important to understand that fever is not a disease, but rather a

symptom of an illness. Controversies surrounding the management of fever

cause enormous anxiety in parents, often resulting in a knee-jerk, fear

based reaction to kill the fever with drugs. As long as we remain captive

to the medical myth that nature made a mistake in causing fever to arise

during illness, our children will be put at risk. There is an urgency for

us to re-examine our basic assumptions about the nature of fever and its

evolutionary role in the survival of the species.

High fevers in some diseases like measles and roseola are needed in order

to discharge the virus. In a clinical study of 56 children during a measles

epidemic in Ghana, Africa in 1967, it was standard practice to treat every

case of measles with sedatives, antipyretics like aspirin and tylenol,

cough suppressants, and also as needed with antibiotics. In the first half

of the epidemic, 35% of the children died. But the treating doctors also

observed that the children who survived were usually the ones who had

higher fevers and more severe rashes than the ones who died. Although the

ones who died seemed less sick than the survivors at the beginning of the

illness, they then later got pneumonia and died.

At a vaccine risk conference in 2000, Dr. Philip Incao cited this study as

an example of the vital role of fever. " The doctors began to think that the

higher fevers and rash helped clear the measles virus from the body and

enhanced survival. And so half way through this measles epidemic, the

doctors revised their treatment and gave no sedatives, no aspirin or

tylenol, nor cough suppressants, but still gave antibiotics, antimalarials

and blood transfusions if needed. In this group, also of 56 children, only

7% died compared to 35% in the first group. This is a dramatic

demonstration, and there are many others, of the vitally important basic

principle that it is dangerous to suppress an inflammatory discharge. "

" Hippocrates recognized this over two thousand years ago. In any

inflammatory infectious disease, what is discharged out of the body can be

frightening to look at, but that's not what kills us. What can kill us

comes from the toxic effects of what's left inside the body and what's not

being discharged. "

" What I read in this study twenty years ago confirmed what I experienced in

my own practice, that the children who produced higher fevers and strong

rashes, and good discharges of mucous and pus, were healthier and more

robust and had stronger immune systems than the children who produced a low

intensity of these symptoms. These robust children in my practice, who

vigorously externalized and healed their infections spontaneously, often

without antibiotics, had had little or no antibiotics, or antipyretics, or

vaccinations in their lives. And the other children who had had all their

vaccinations, and lots of antipyretics, and antibiotics - who had had a lot

of suppressive, internalizing medical treatments, these children never got

high fevers. And these children were the ones who were more likely to have

allergies and autoimmune problems. " (2)

(top)

The pervasive belief that fever is dangerous and must be suppressed

disregards the scientific evidence demonstrating its beneficial role in

inflammatory diseases. The immune system depends on the essential role of

fever to accomplish myriad tasks when gearing up to fight infections. New

Zealand researcher has assembled an impressive list of

citations from medical literature to prove this point. We are grateful for

her work, and include these excerpts as an addendum to this article.

" Doctors do a great disservice to you and your child when they prescribe

drugs to reduce fever " says Dr. Mendelsohn, pediatrician and author

of How To Raise A Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. " Fever phobia is a

disease of pediatricians, not parents, and to the extent that parents are

victimized by it, doctors are at fault. " Parents are left to fear that

their child's temperature will keep rising unless measures are taken to

control it . " They don't tell you that reducing his temperature will do

nothing to make the patient well or that our bodies have a built-in

mechanism, not fully explained, that will prevent an infection-induced

temperature from reaching 106 degrees F (41 degrees C) (3)

Mendelsohn emphasizes that, " Only in the case of heatstroke, poisoning, or

other externally caused fevers is this bodily mechanism overwhelmed and

inoperative. " This would also include drug reactions and overdose.

Fever: Your Body's Defense Against Disease is the title of chapter 7 in Dr.

Mendeloshn's book, and undoubtedly one of the best guidelines ever written

for parents seeking a balanced and accurate perspective of the beneficial

and defensive role of fevers in childhood. He condemns the useless and

dangerous practice of fever suppression through drugs. " If your child

contracts an infection, the fever that accompanies it is a blessing, not a

curse. The spontaneous release of pyrogens cause the body temperature to

rise, a natural defense mechanism needed to fight disease. The presence of

fever tells you that the repair mechanisms of the body have gone into high

gear. It is something to rejoice over, not to fear. " (3)

He counters the myth that high fever causes seizures. " Many parents are

fearful of fevers because they have witnessed a convulsive seizure and

believe that their child may experience one if his temperature is allowed

to rise too high. High fevers do not cause convulsions. They result when

the temperature rises at an extremely rapid rate and are relatively

uncommon. It is estimated that only 4 percent of children with high fever

experience fever related convulsions. There is no evidence that those who

do have them suffer any serious aftereffects as a result. " (3)

" Fevers produced by viral or bacterial infections will not cause brain

damage or permanent physical harm. Fevers are a common symptom in children

and are not an indication of serious illness unless associated with major

changes in appearance and behavior or other additional symptoms such as

respiratory difficulty, extreme listlessness or loss of consciousness. The

height of a fever is not a measure of the severity of an illness. " (3)

Numerous studies have shown that fever enhances the immune response by

increasing mobility and activity of white cells called leucocytes which

disable bacteria and viruses and remove damaged tissue from the body. A

complex sequence of immune activities is activated by fever. Antiviral and

antibacterial properties of interferon are also increased with fever. With

a rise in temperature, iron is removed from the blood and stored in the

liver, further disabling the rate at which bacteria can multiply. Studies

of artificially induced fevers in laboratory animals infected with disease

have shown that elevated temperatures enhance survival, while lowered

temperatures increase the death rate. (4)

There is an exception however. When fever arises in a newborn baby in the

first few weeks of life, there is a heightened level of caution. " Newborn

babies may suffer from infections related to obstetrical interventions

during delivery, prenatal or hereditary conditions, aspiration pneumonia

from amniotic fluid forced into the lungs because of overmedication of the

mother during delivery…and exposure to the legion of germs that abound in

the hospital itself " , writes Dr. Mendelsohn who advises parents to seek

medical help if a baby runs a fever in the first two months of life.

Breastfeeding plays a critical role in preventing infections in infants.

Breastfed babies are superbly protected from a vast range of pathogens and

have a lesser risk of developing fevers in the newborn phase of life.

It is known that the blood-brain barrier is not intact until at least 6

weeks of life. This is why fever in very young infants, raises a big

caution flag because of the ease with which pathogens, viruses/bacteria can

gain access to the baby's brain/nervous system creating a higher risk for

meningitis. When medical help is sought for a feverish infant under 6 weeks

of age, it may lead to invasive procedures like spinal taps, antibiotics,

steroids and fever suppressants, which are also not without risk. If a

parent disagrees with the course of treatment, they are likely to encounter

hostility from the medical staff, as recently happened to a Boise area

mother who lost custody of her 5 week old baby when she took her to the

local ER for a check up.

The baby had been fussy and feverish all day, and the mother wanted to make

sure everything was alright. She consented to blood tests, urinalysis,

x-ray and I.V., but declined the spinal tap and wanted to wait for what the

test results might show. She calculated that there was about a 95% chance

her baby did not have meningitis and likely had the same cold the family

had just gotten over. Her decision to forgo the spinal tap and antibiotics

prompted the hospital to call Child Protective Services and the baby was

taken from her. The doctor felt the child's life was in danger because the

mother refused " life-saving treatment " , despite the fact that the baby had

improved significantly after some hours on I.V..

It would seem prudent to protect newborn infants during this early,

vulnerable time from exposure to any situation, or procedures that would

put them at risk of developing fevers. Yet, the majority of newborns and

young infants are vaccinated in the first 6-8 weeks of life. Doctors know

full well that the injection of vaccine cocktails containing a brew of

viral/bacterial particles, foreign proteins, adjuvants and chemical

preservatives will likely precipitate a feverish reaction in a large number

of babies. They even anticipate this, and often advise parents to dose the

child with " baby tylenol " prior to going in for the shot(s). And in the

aftermath of vaccination, the standard reassurance given to worried parents

calling the doctor's office with a fussy, feverish newly vaccinated baby,

is " It's perfectly normal - nothing to worry about. Just give the baby some

tylenol. "

In their determination to initiate vaccine agendas as soon as possible,

there is a curious and willful blindness amongst doctors in the vaccine

establishment. Why is there no concern about the impact of vaccine induced

fevers in infants during this critical early period of life? Why is it that

if a spontaneous fever arises in the newborn, it is viewed as a potential

medical emergency, but if the fever is vaccine induced, it is brushed off

as " normal " and parents are advised to suppress it with antipyretics?

The medical mindset that imposes vaccine schedules in early infancy

violates a fundamental precautionary principle which disregards the

fragility of the baby and the vulnerability of the immature brain/nervous

system/immune system. Just look at the double standard operative here. On

the one hand parents are cautioned to seek immediate medical help if fever

develops in the newborn, yet are heavily pressured to submit their babies

to multiple vaccines without regard for the fact that these injections are

the primary cause of fever in young infants. Fever is knowingly induced

during these early weeks of life, when all common sense and instinct should

prevail to protect the infant from this outcome.

It is not only the vaccine induced fevers which raise a caution. While the

fever signals the infant's immune response to the artificially implanted

viral/bacterial and chemical agents he/she is forced to cope with, the

bigger question is - what deeper affect do these toxic substances have, now

that they have access to the blood stream, vital organs and the immature

brain/nervous system? And what additional insult to injury occurs when the

resulting fever is then manipulated with antipyretic drugs preventing the

normal mobilization of the immune system?

A new theory regarding a potential cause of autism is currently being

explored by Dr. R. , M.D., Senior Scientist and Director of

the BioMedical Lab at Utah State University. His hypothesis questions

whether fever suppression is involved in the etiology of autism and

neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. is investigating evidence suggesting that the etiology of autism

involves infections of the pregnant mother or of a young child. " Most

infections result in fever that is routinely controlled with antipyretics

such as acetaminophen. The blocking of fever inhibits processes that

evolved over millions of years to protect against microbial attack. Immune

mechanisms in the central nervous system are part of this protective

process. " (4)

(top)

" Pathological infections, including vaccinations, commonly result in fever.

For example, 50-60% of young children develop fever after receiving MMR

vaccine " , and are routinely treated with fever suppressants. Many parents

report their children slipped into autism following MMR shots. Dr.

has also found that " 43% of mothers with an autistic child experienced

upper respiratory tract, influenza-like, urinary or vaginal infections

during pregnancy compared to only 26% of control mothers " , suggesting that

in some cases autism may be linked to the " sequella of pathogenic

infections, especially those of viral origin. " (4)

Suppressing fever during pregnancy and labour may effect the fetus as

research has shown that acetaminophen " significantly decreased maternal and

fetal serum IL-6 " , an immune factor the infant is incapable of producing at

birth and depends on from the mother.(4) A press release (Oct./02) from the

British Thoracic Society cautions that a recent study links paracetamol, an

acetaminophen based drug similar to tylenol to childhood asthma when used

by the mother in late pregnancy.(5)

The central nervous system and scores of factors in the immune system work

synergistically to achieve optimum immune function. What affects one

affects the other. Dr. points to evidence that acetaminophen is an

immunosuppresive agent. In highly technical language, he describes the

complex activities launched by the immune system and the many signals

relayed to control centres in the brain when the body is fighting

pathogenic organisms. The activation of pyrogens stimulates the rise of

fever and " production of various cytokines (immune cells) from organs in

the viscera (gut) " - the gut being the primary and largest immune organ of

the body. Key signals carried along the vagus nerve which connects the

gut/brain immune pathways, and which are normally mediated by

prostaglandins, can be blocked by antipyretics like acetaminophen, thereby

derailing the complex sequences of immune signals that flow between the gut

and the brain. (4)

Dr. postulates that the blockage of fever with antipyretics, whether

induced by infections or vaccinations, interferes with normal immunological

development in the brain, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders in

certain genetically and immunologically disposed individuals. The effects

may occur in utero or at a very young age when the immune system is rapidly

developing. (4)

, President of CHILDSCREEN www.childscreen.org herself a mother

of autistic children, predicts that these findings will not be popular with

mainstream medicine and are " potentially a public relations time bomb " .

Searching for advice on fevers and vaccine reactions on the internet,

Blanco found that the majority advise, 'If your child has a fever during a

reaction to a vaccine, give them acetaminophen'.

" This all too common advice may actually cause autism. However, if Dr.

' groundbreaking theory proves true, it could be the means of saving

thousands of children from becoming autistic. "

Currently, a tremendous amount of fear is being whipped up over the

outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in this country.

Health officials are in an uproar, even hinting that this may be the " Big

One " - the pandemic they've been anticipating for years, even though it's

not influenza. Draconian quarantine measures are being implemented, and

some sources are speculating whether this is a training exercise to test

the population's willingness to submit to quarantine in preparation for

biowarfare attack. To date there has been no definitive identification of

the pathogen, although there is speculation that it is a form of corona

virus, the family of viruses found in the common cold. At one point it was

thought it might be related to the paramyxo virus which is related to

measles and canine distemper -there's even speculation that chlamydia could

be involved. The measles virus has been mutating and its footprint

identified in some nasty cases of encephalitis and respiratory infections

in Asia in recent years. Already plans are rolling to start vaccine

development which is surprising since the virus or viral combination is yet

to be identified.

Early reports described SARS as beginning with a dry cough that keeps

getting worse, and that some people get headache, body ache, a

" skyrocketing fever or blotchy rash on their bodies " , and as illnesses go,

this one seems fairly " vicious " . Treatment? People are given a " battery of

drugs - cocktails of antibiotics and antiviral medications " .(6) They're

probably getting strong doses of fever suppressants as well……which has left

me wondering whether antipyretics diminished the immune capabilities of

those who have died from SARS. Is this one of those diseases that needs a

high fever to rally the immune system to optimal output? Are the aggressive

medical treatments actually creating a higher risk of death?

Homeopathic and Naturopathic healing modalities have a long and trusted

history in the prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases. One of the

greatest antivirals known is vitamin C, which has been used with stupendous

success in both the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Highly

effective treatment protocols have been developed by administering

ascorbates of vitamin C intravenously in critical situations and are

documented in medical literature and accessible through Dr.

Cathcart's website with links to Dr. Klenner, and Linus ing. (7)

Intravenous vitamin C should be available for every patient facing acute

and critical illnesses, but the current medical monopoly blocks access to

this simple and highly effective treatment.

Writes health activist Croft Woodruff, " In the spring of 2000 I referred a

young relative, who was suffering from an acute case of mononucleosis, to a

medical doctor who administered four separate intravenous injections of

vitamin C as sodium ascorbate over as many days. The results were quite

dramatic. The patient recovered completely, albeit with a newly acquired

respect for the power of vitamin C as a healing agent. "

Our mistrust of natural processes, and reliance on drug oriented medicine

has obscured our understanding of the importance of childhood illnesses and

the necessity of fever as a vital aspect of the maturation of the immune

system enabling a strong & resilient foundation of health to evolve. When

we discard the old fears and lift the veil of ignorance, we are then

empowered to see with our innate intelligence, the real picture unfolding

in front of us - and recognize that the artificial manipulation of

children's immune systems, via mass vaccination programs, indiscriminate

use of antipyretics and antibiotics, rather than protecting, is threatening

their health - their future.

The encouraging and wise words of Dr. Incao may help us shed old fears and

embrace a new relationship to Nature - " Every childhood inflammation, every

cold, sore throat, earache, fever and rash is a healing crisis and a

cleansing process, a strong effort by the human spirit to remodel the body,

to make it a more suitable dwelling. Anthroposophic and homeopathic

remedies aid and promote this cleansing process and help the illness to

work its way out of the body so that healing can occur. " (8) In a personal

conversation recently, Dr. Incao reminded me that - " It takes a while to

free our mind from the imprisonment, and our need to adhere to political

correctness for fear of being judged radical. Illness is part of life. It

is not alien or abnormal and has to be accepted as a part of life. Every

breakdown is a spiritual growth opportunity. We need to learn how to deal

with and work through it - this is part of the new paradigm. "

References

Health Canada Advisory, Feb. 13/2003: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/iyh/

Philip Incao, M.D. - excerpt from a talk given at NVIC conference 2000

Mendelsohn, M.D. How To Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your

Docotor.

R. , M.D.-Is Fever Suppression Involved In The Etiology Of

Autism And Neurodevelopmental Disorders? " http://autism.rollingdigital.com

5. Press Release, British Thoracic Society (BTS), 28/10/2002

http://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/admin/action.lasso?-database=btsnews & -layout

=cgi & - response=news_detail.html & -op=eq & id=209 & -search

The Globe & Mail, Mar.17/03 -Cause of Deadly Pneumonia Still Eludes

Scientists

7 Dr. Cathcart MD: at: http://www.orthomed.com/

8 Philip Incao, M.D. Chapter on How To Treat Childhood Illnesses, pge. 61;

The Vaccination Dilemma, and personal communication, April, 2003

Sources of Complimentary and Alternative Healing Modalities:

-Fever in children: A Blessing in Disguise, by B White, M.D. and

Sunny Mavor, Mothering Magazine, Issue 95, July/August, 1999, available on

line at:www.mothering.com

-Sheri Nakken website - great links to homeopathic sources of information

http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm.

-Alternatives & Antidotes to Infectious Diseases - Year end VRAN

Newsletter, 2001, lists many alternative healing modalities - available

electronically at: info@...

(top)

EXTRACTS FROM MEDICAL LITERATURE: TYLENOL, PARACETAMOL, IBUPROFEN etc.

Compiled by

Could the increase in all forms of meningitis and other infectious disease

complications and deaths be because for the last 40+ years, the first thing

parents do at the slightest sign of temperature is push paracetamol? I

believe so, because what you weren't told was this:

" Not all fevers need to be treated but many physicians do so to relieve

parental concern. " (Eur J Ped 1994 Jun; 153 (6): 394-402)

" An elevation in temperature following bacterial infection results in a

significant increase in host survival " (Science 1975 Apr 11; 188 (4184):

166-8)

" Many components of the nonspecific host defence response to infection such

as leukocyte mobility, lymphocyte transformation, and the effects of

interferon, appear to be enhanced by elevations in temperature that

simulate moderate fevers. In addition, some evidence indicates that a fever

in conjunction with the changes in plasma iron levels known to occur during

infections is a synergistic host defence response. " (Pediatrics 1980, No:

66 (5) : 720 - 723)

" Parental fever phobia and its correlates...surprising, higher

socioeconomic status was not associated with a lesser degree of fever

phobia...undue fear and overly aggressive treatment of fever are epidemic

among parents of infants and young children, even among the highly educated

and well-to-do. considerable effort will be required on the part of

pediatricians and other child health workers to reeducate parents about the

definition, consequences and appropriate treatment of fever. " (Pediatrics

1985 June;75 (6) 1110-1113)

" There is no convincing evidence that naturally occuring fevers are

harmful. In contrast, animal studies have shown that fever helps animals to

survive and infection whereas antipyretic increases mortality. Moreover

there is considerable in vitro evidence that a variety of human

immunological defences function better at febrile temperatures than at

normal one. " (The Lancet, Volume 337, March 9, 1991)

" Many cytokines are endogenous mediators of fever including interleukin

(IL) -, 1 beta, IL-6 and others. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha may be both an

endogenous pyrogen and an endogenous antipyretic or cryogen. "

(Neuroimmunomodulation 1995 Jul-Aug; 2 (4):216-223)

" There is overwhelming evidence in favor of fever being an adaptive host

response to infection... as such, it is probable that the use of

antipyretic/anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs, when they lead to

suppression of the fever, result in increased morbidity and mortality

during most infections; this morbidity and mortality may not be apparent to

most health care workers... " Infect Dis Clin North Am 1996 Mar;10 (1) : 1-20.)

Acetaminophen can induce pneumonia...'These finding suggest that allergic

mechanism was involved in the pathogenesis of the pneumonitis. Underlying

immunological disorders may have enhanced the occurrence. " Nihon Kyobu

Shikkan Gakkai Sasshi 1997 Sep; 35 (9) 974-9) There are other reports of

this as well...

" the results suggest that lung disease (rheumatoid lung) associated with

collagen vascular diseases may be exacerbated by drug-induced

(acetaminophen) pneumonitis. " Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Sasshi 1997 Oct;

35 (10) 1113-1118)

" Despite our lack of knowledge about its therapeutic mechanism, it has been

claimed to be a safe drug, especially for children... paracetamol syrup

(presumably for children) is extensively prescribed in large

volumes...There is mounting evidence that paracetamol is not the benign

drug that it was formally thought to be... We would question the whole

rationale of prescribing the drug in near epidemic proportions. If it is to

be used as a placebo, then it is a very dangerous placebo... The whole

place of paracetamol prescribing for children has been questioned. While

there is little concern about its use in the short term as an analgesic,

there is considerable controversy over its use as an antipyretic....there

is little evidence to support the use of paracetamol to treat fever in

patients without heart or lung disease. Paracetamol may decrease antibody

response to infection and increase morbidity and mortality in severe

infections...too many parents and health workers think that fever is bad

and needs to be suppressed by paracetamol when, indeed, moderate fever may

improve the immune response...the use of paracetamol in children with acute

infection did not result in an improvement in mood, comfort, appetite or

fluid intake. " (Family Practice, Volume 13, No 2, 1996 pgs 179 - 181)

" Fever is rarely harmful. Only extremely high fevers of 42.2C or 108 F or

higher have been known to cause brain damage. Only fevers of 40.5C or 105F

and higher need immediate attention, mainly because they are a clue that a

serious infection could be present " (such as meningitis) (Sunday Star

Times, May 3, 1998, C3) doctor's column.

" Paracetamol has no antipyretic benefits over mechanical antipyreses alone

in ..malaria. Moreover, paracetamol prolongs parasite clearance time,

possible by decreased production of TNF and oxygen radicals. " (Lancet

1997;350:704-709)

" The data suggest that frequent administration of antipyretics to children

with infectious disease may lead to a worsening of their illness. " (Acta

Paed. Jpn 1994 Aug;36 (4) 375-378)

" Fever is an important indicator of disease and should not be routinely

suppressed by antipyretics...fever may actually benefit the host defense

mechanism...fever is short-lived and causes only minor discomfort...routine

antipyretic therapy should be avoided byt may be necessary in individual

patients with cardiovascular or neurologic disorders. " (Infect Dis Clin

North Am 1996 Mar;10 (1) 211-216)

" Studies of bacterial and viral-infected animals have shown that moderate

fevers decrease morbidity and increase survival rate " (Yale J Biol Med 1986

Mar-April; 59 (2) : 89-95)

" Antipyretic drugs are effective in diminishing fever, but have significant

side effects and may suppress signs of ongoing infections " (Arch Intern Med

1990, Aug; 150 (8): 1589-1597)

Meningococcal Disease: " use of analgesics were associated with

disease...analgesic use was defined as analgesics taken in the past 2

weeks, excluding, for cases, those taken for identified early symptoms of

meningococcal disease. These analgesics were predominantly acetaminophen

products......because analgesics showed a stronger relationship with

meningococcal disease, the use of analgesics may be a better measure of

more severe illness than reported individual symptoms....we cannot exclude

the possibility that acetaminophen use itself is a risk factor for

meningococcal disease " (Ped Infec Dis, Oct 2000, Vol 19, No 10, 983-990)

" Antipyretics prolong illness in patients with Influenza A.... The duration

of illness was significantly prolonged from 5 days(without) to 8 1/2 days

(with). Pharmacotherapy 2000, 20: 417-422) Take two aspirin, prolong the

flu - 2 January 2001 Anne Burke, HealthScout Reporter (also reported by

Reuters medical news...) " Taking aspirin or Tylenol for the flu actually

prolongs the illness by up to 3 1/2 days, say researchers at the University

of land. That is because fever may be the body's natural way of

fighting an infection and taking aspirin or acetaminophen - the generic

name for products such as Tylenol - may interefere with the process. " You

are messing with Mother Nature, " Says Dr Leland Rickman, an associate

clinical professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego.

" An elevated temperature may actually help the body fight the infection

quicker or better than if you don't have a fever. " " Whatever you do, don't

give aspirin or Tylenol to children who have the flu or any other viral

illness " , Rickman said:

" These results suggest that the systematic suppression of fever may not be

useful in patients without severe cranial trauma or significant hypoxemia.

Letting fever take its natural course does not seem to harm patients with

systemic inflammatory response syndrome, or influence the discomfort level

AND MAY SAVE COSTS. " (wow!!!) (Arch Intern Med 2001, Jan 8; 161 (1) 121-123)

Chickenpox treated with Tylenol/Ibuprofen provokes bacterial skin

infections into fulminant necrotising fasciitis (Pediatr I(Pediatrics Vol

103, No 4, April 1999, 783-784 and 785-790) (Infect Med 1999 16 (5):307)

Just two of many references for antipyretic induced complications of

chickenpox. (In MMWR - May 15, 1998, Vol 47 No 18. All cases of Varicella

related deaths were treated with antipyretics. No causal association was

investigated or ascribed. The " solution " to the problem was considered to

be mandatory vaccination.)

- " What you do as a parent, is your choice. Make sure that it

is an " informed " choice. Get the articles referenced, do a med-line search

- retrieve any others. READ the whole articles. Give them to your doctor to

read, and discuss them with him/her. Most importantly, if you feel your

child has an immunodeficiency, get your child tested so that you know what

you are dealing with. How a child handles any infectious disease is

dependant upon the immune system inherited, nutritional status, life-style,

environment and resultant stresses and how the child reacts to them. The

choice is yours. "

With appreciation to and The Immunization Awareness Society,

New Zealand for their permission to reprint this review, published in WAVES

- Vol. 14, No. 4, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

earthmysteriestours@... voicemail US 530-740-0561

(go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail

Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Reality of the Diseases & Treatment -

http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm