In light of Riley having another fever, I thought I should post a few to-do items for when any kid gets a fever... its super important to know what to do... (even though I still call my grandma every time...lol) 1. Advil (ibuprofen) works faster then Tylenol (acetaminophen) ... you can go every other every 3 hours as needed. Start with Advil. Give it right away. 2. Take a temperature. I am of the opinion that the thermometers that go on the head and read in 2 seconds dont work great... I have taken my kids temperature with this type, get a reading of 100.2 and then take a traditional thermometer and its 103.5 ... this is not an oops you want to make as there is a significant difference. If you take the temperature in the armpit, you should add a degree. Orally is second most accurate and rectal is the most accurate. *Dont pause to all doctor if its really high, cool the kid down. They will probably just tell you to cool the kid down. 5. Make or have someone make ice water or ice juice. Cool them from the inside out. Liquid is better then popsicles because they need to swallow a greater amount of cold liquid to cool their stomach. If they are refusing to drink large amounts, give them a sip every 10 seconds, keep forcing fluids. 4. Remove clothing layers and either put them in a tepid bath (not cold, but just under warm) and let them play. I have found my kids when they have a high fever dont want to play, so its easier to hold them, get a warm wash cloth and get their bodies wet. Water evaporates with heat from their head and torso most. If you have a kid in diapers, remove the diaper, or at least pull the flaps down as this is another area of heat. You can fan the child off or blow on them to evaporate more heat. 5. One thing my grandma always tells me to check with high fevers is whether their neck is stiff. You can lay them flat and bend their neck up, if they curl their legs in, take them into the ER immediately, it could be meningitis. Otherwise, repeat these steps, trying to cool them over 5-10 minutes... not too fast. Febrile seizures can happen, although are not super common. You should read up on what to do... mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/febrile-seizure/basics/definition/con-20021016 I just wanted to share because these kids are getting such high fevers and it is hard to know what to do in the moment...
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 16:36:23 +0000
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