Home treatment for fever

Sister Lilian offers a guide to the different types of fevers and how to treat them.

• Undress your baby and keep only a vest and nappy on him.
• Cool the room by opening all the windows and using an electric fan – don’t place your little one in a draught, though.
• Wrap cool wet cloths around his arms and legs, renewing every few minutes.
• Wrap some ice blocks in a face cloth and place it on the nape of your baby’s neck or forehead.
• Bath your baby in tepid water – not totally cold, as this would be a shock to the system.
• Step up his cool liquid intake.
• Give him homeopathic fever remedies – these usually contain Aconite, Belladonna and China, which help keep a lid on fever while speeding up the healing processes of the body.
• Give the tissue salt remedy Ferrum phos during the day – this will not break a fever, but it will help the body deal with the underlying inflammation or infection more rapidly, and will often prevent the need for other medicine.
• It’s wise at night and if fever peaks higher than 38.5°C to give fever medication from the pharmacy – try giving him only half the suggested dose, as this will help control the fever without breaking it completely – the advantage being that the body can continue fighting the problem. Giving him medication at night is also good, as he’ll sleep better, and that will help healing, too.
• Avoid aspirin in babies and small children – paracetamol-based medication is safer.

Fever convulsions

fever, teething, measles, convulsions, sister lilian