Fever with babies and children

With small babies and children, the fever can go quite high. Sometimes the fever runs as high as 41°C and may require a trip to the nearest clinic.

If your baby is younger than 3 months of age and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or slightly higher, this is considered a fever. If your little one doesn't seem fussy or uncomfortable, you can monitor the fever to see if it goes away on its own.

In principle, fever is a normal and necessary reaction of the body as it begins its battle against germs such as viruses and bacteria. During a fever, our white blood cells (leukocytes, immune cells) work a lot more effectively. An additional advantage is that higher temperature slows virus multiplication and impedes bacterial growth by making the body's environment far more hostile to the invaders.

Some childhood diseases induce fever, but that can also happen after a vaccine as certain ones carrying a live attenuated virus may stimulate a mild immune reaction before the child develops antibodies. Small children and babies can get a fever with a cold for instance, so do not worry too much.

Fever because of the flu? Of course, make sure to strengthen your immunological resistance. For children 12 and up, immunity can be bolstered with Echinaforce tablets or drops. For younger children, try Echinaforce Junior.

Echinaforce Tablets
The best tip to bolster the immune system against the flu or a cold responsible for this troublesome fever? Echinaforce tablets.
There's been a few clinical trials conducted on the product that have demonstrated their use results in a 62.7% reduction in symptom severity and reduces the duration of symptoms by a day and a half! Those taking the placebo also experienced a 59% increased risk of recurrent infections compared to those taking Echinaforce. More info

A.Vogel Echinaforce® Junior
Sugar-free and tooth-friendly chewable tablets
A.Vogel Echinaforce® Junior Tablets can be taken daily to prevent infections. In a clinical trial, children taking Echinaforce as opposed to vitamin C experienced 67.3% fewer days with fever, 65% reduced risk of secondary superinfections, and a 76.3% reduced need for antibiotics over the course of the study!

Prevention is especially important for those who are more vulnerable to infections and it helps to:

• maintain an immune system that remains on high alert, promptly dealing with the first signs of infection
• reduce the need for antibiotics or other medication
• maintain a better quality of life with fewer sick days away from school or the office. More Info

A rise in the core body temperature paralyzes the activity of various germs and suppressing the fever actually works against this effective natural reaction.

However, it is customary in the medical world to suppress the fever as quickly as possible with, for instance, acetaminophen. In his time, Alfred Vogel was advocating the thought of seeing"fever more as a helper than as an enemy". Thankfully, this is now a commonly accepted and validated opinion.

• Ensure your child stays hydrated with water over pop or juice.
• If your baby is breastfeeding, be extra mindful that your child drinks enough. If needed you can give them some extra water.
• Because a feverish child usually has minimal appetite, monitor them over the course of the fever and consider other ways to provide nutrients such as healthy smoothies.
• Be careful that your child is not dressed too warmly.
• If the child is cold, a hot shower or bath is very nice.
• Of course, you should foster good resistance

Febrile convulsion is a kind of 'fever seizure', which may occur in young children aged 6 months to approximately five years. The symptoms of febrile convulsion with a child are:

• Shaking and pulling movements with arms and legs;
• The child seems disconnected with the world for a short while;
• Convulsions typically last less than a minute;
• After that, the child may be befuddled or drowsy for an hour or so.

What to do in case of febrile convulsion?

• Put your child on his side or his stomach with the head down;
• Call your general practitioner immediately.
• It's important to note that these febrile seizures almost never cause long-term damage, so while frightening for a parent to witness, connecting with your primary care provider is the best step to assuring the little one's long-term health.

Contact your general practitioner or Telehealth if a child with a fever:

• is younger than three months;
• is older than three months and the fever lasts longer than three days;

Also, take note of the following signs. The child:

• is drowsy and not easy to wake up;
• moans or cries and cannot be consoled;
• gets a rash during the fever;
• is anxious or starts breathing differently, for instance, breathes more quickly or does not breathe for short periods;
• manifests a different complexion (pale, bluish or greyish);
• illness progresses rapidly;
• starts vomiting or has diarrhea;
• drinks much less than usual (less than half of normal);
• gets febrile convulsion;
• is known to be immunocompromised or has a disease that increases the risks associated with an infection;
• gets a high fever again, after a couple of fever-free days.