Fw: Natural Health Newsletter: R Neustaedter OMD; Winter Fevers

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Natural Health Newsletter

Randall Neustaedter OMD

Fevers in Children

(Excerpt from Child Health Guide: Holistic Pediatrics for Parents, 2005)

Fevers, or elevated temperatures, are good. Fever is the body's mechanism of

fighting infections, speeding up metabolism to increase heart rate and

increasing the blood supply where it is needed, producing more white blood

cells to devour pathogens, and increasing antibody responses to infection.

Fevers should not be suppressed with fever-reducing medication

(antipyretics). Acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin), and aspirin

have no place in the home treatment of fevers below 105°F (40.5°C). These

drugs damage the liver, may stimulate an autoimmune reaction, or other toxic

reactions .. A child with a fever over 105° should be under medical

supervision because a serious infection such as meningitis may be the cause,

but only fevers over 108°F (42.2°C) have been known to cause brain damage.

If your baby under three months of age has a fever or seems sick and

lethargic, see your medical provider.

Studies have shown that depriving the body of its ability to develop a fever

with antipyretics may prolong the illness, decrease antibody response, and

increase the likelihood of disease complications such as pneumonia and

meningitis. Medical authorities generally agree that reducing fevers

interferes with immune mechanisms and worsens illness. Treating animals with

antipyretics during fevers increases their fatality rates.

Many illnesses begin with fevers. Most viral and bacterial infections can

stimulate fevers. Sometimes the cause is obvious, at other times the cause

is hidden. For example, urinary tract infections in babies may be

characterized by fever without other symptoms. Of course, babies and

toddlers cannot tell you their symptoms and it may require a physical exam

or even lab tests to determine the cause of an illness. Roseola, a very

common childhood viral illness, typically causes a high fever for a few days

without other symptoms, and then a rash follows as children recover. For

some illnesses in children, fever is the only symptom. Children with a

strong immune system may develop a fever to combat an infection and never

develop any other typical symptoms of the illness. Some children develop

fevers more readily than others, and their temperature may go up with just

mild stresses such as exhaustion from an exciting day or mosquito bites.

Seizures can occur with fevers. Some children are more prone to these

febrile seizures, and their parents dread the onset of illness. About 50

percent of children who experience one febrile seizure will have another one

in the future. Typically, a child will either begin twitching prior to the

onset of a seizure, or the seizure will begin suddenly and unexpectedly. If

your child begins quivering or trembling, take her into the shower with you

immediately. Cooling her down may avert the onset of convulsions. Febrile

seizures are frightening to parents even though they only last ten to

fifteen seconds, but they do not result in any type of damage to the child.

They do not proceed to later epilepsy. If a seizure occurs, keep your child

upright if possible and make sure she is breathing well. Reassure her. If

she vomits, turn her on her side. Call your medical provider immediately

once the seizure is over. Unless your child is choking or having difficulty

breathing it is usually not necessary to summon emergency services. If your

child experiences a febrile seizure, then consult with a practitioner of

holistic medicine to develop a program to prevent future seizures.

Danger signs with fever– See a medical provider

Any fever in a child under three months of age

Fever of 105°F (40.5°C)

Appearance: lethargic, pale skin, unresponsive, weak crying

Symptoms: repeated vomiting, severe headache, or stiff neck

Treatment of Fevers

The goals of treating fevers are to encourage the most effective healing

reaction in the body and to make the child comfortable. Start treating

fevers in children with the homeopathic medicine Belladonna. If your child

is especially droopy, aching, lethargic, and chilly then give Gelsemium.

Wiping children with a cool, wet washcloth will cause the water to evaporate

from the skin and have a cooling effect .. It may not bring down the

temperature, but it does provide some relief of symptoms.

If other symptoms accompany the fever, consult those sections in Child

Health Guide or other homeopathic home prescribing books for additional

treatment suggestions. The main problem with fevers is the accompanying

headaches that children suffer.

Fevers from a viral illness will benefit from vitamin C, vitamin A,

Echinacea or black elderberry extract, or a Chinese herbal formula such as

Windbreaker (Kan Herb) or Yin Chao Junior (Health Concerns).

Keep your child home from school and resting until 24 hours after a fever

has subsided. Often children will have a fever in the evening, burn it off

in the night, and feel much better in the morning. Then the fever may return

later in the afternoon and the child feels droopy again. Better to rest

until recovery is complete than to rush back to normal activities and

prolong the illness.

Randall Neustaedter OMD

Classical Medicine Center

1779 Woodside Rd, 201C

Redwood City, CA 94061

+1 650 299-9170

If you have questions or feedback contact me at: randalln@...

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