(Bianca Miciano)
Since your infant’s body is still developing, they can be more sensitive to the harsh elements found in their surroundings. Your body may be able to take it, but your baby may have a more difficult time with it. Thus, he gets sick more often. The first symptom of an illness is fever, but this doesn’t have to be a cause for panic if the temperature doesn’t rise to dangerous levels. Don’t get stresses because science says that a fever is the body’s way of fighting a virus. The temperature rises so that these foreign substances won’t be able to thrive in the body. When you think about it, this is actually a good sign because it is nature’s way of coping.
There are a number of controversies surrounding the management of fever. Some parents immediately panic. For new mommies and daddies, this can be understandable because they may not always know what to do. Nonetheless, you should also know that your child will survive. You just have to be there to watch them. For babies, the severity of a fever is not a very reliable indicator of the illness itself. Look at how your child is because the thermometer may say something else. Just as a basic rule of thumb, the normal body temperature should be around 98.6 °F or 37 °C. Take into consideration the consumption of hot food, recent activity, clothing, weather, and room temperature. If these things are present, the temperature could fall above or below normal.
Normally, fevers hit their highest point in the late afternoon and are at their lowest early in the morning. Infections also cause fever. There are also other factors that come into play. For instance, your child could suffer from fever when he gets his injections. The body heats up to the foreign substances that enter the body. This, again, is a natural reaction because the medicine isn’t something your baby is used to. When he gets hot, his skin flushes and sweats. Your job now would be to tuck him in bed and let him sleep. He is most likely to feel tired and listless, and sleep is the body’s natural way of repairing itself.
A fever that is due to minor bacterial or viral infection is simply an expression of the immune system working well. As the body produces more white blood cells, the infected cells die and get replenished. Anytime the temperature rises, he loses salt and water. Sweat carries it out of his system and stores of energy and vitamins are burned up.
Some parents prefer to go down the more natural path. If you want to take this avenue as well, there are actually herbs that soothe fever. Before you resort to this, observe him first and ask the doctor for advice. Among the most useful herbs are boneset, Echinacea, and catnip. These herbs improve the immune system and its ability to kill bacteria and virus. Just remember that the younger your child is, the more careful you have to be. Wait for them to reach 3 to 6 months old before you can feel comfortable with these herbs. Otherwise, always seek the advice of an expert.
