How can you bring your baby's fever down if you don't want to use medication.?

Question

My baby has 102.5 fever, is crying and refusing food. She is 10 months. I am not big on meds so i want to try natural things to bring her fever down. Cool bath? Any other suggestions? My ped sed i don't have to worry untill 103 or 104 but i wan to do something to help!

just to make sure for all you out there who think madication as all that counts. It is the easy way out, but even a pediatrician does not recomend it if there are other things you can do.
But I should have put down, that she has alergic reactions to tylenol and motrin, and that is worse than trying to figure out what else there is to do.
And- if God should decide in who should be parent, than he should also not make children sick and belivers should not judge other people.

Answer 1

Giving a cool bath, put a cold washcloth on her head. Make sure she gets plenty of liquid. Dress her lightly. Dr Jay Gordon has a website that is really good. A fever is a natural way the body fights infection. If you decide to use pain relief you can use Tylenol it is proven safe unlike Motrin.

This is a statement from Dr. Gordon's website:
Infections cause a variety of responses from the body and elevated temperature is one of the most noticeable. Children's temperatures seem to rise faster and higher than a n adult's does.
Fevers help to fight infections because white blood cells move faster and kill viruses and bacteria better at 102 degrees than they do at 98.6. Additionally, many germs have a limited range of viability and do not grow as well when the temperature is higher.

The problem is that most children do not eat, drink or sleep very well when they have high fevers. They are also not easy to assess medically at 102 either. To a parent or a doctor, a child with a high temp looks pretty bad even when the illness causing the fever is "just a cold."

There are two reasons to bring down the temperature:

To make a child more comfortable so they have an easier time staying hydrated and getting a little more rest.

To be able to observe a child with a lower temperature and realize that it was a large fever and a small underlying illness making them look a lot worse than they really are.
In adults, the height of the fever often correlates well with the severity of the illness. In children, this is not always the case: a two-year-old can develop a 105 fever with a viral cold or could be sick with pneumonia but only have a 100.8 temp. Bringing the temp down on that first child will give you a fairly normal child for an hour or so but bringing the temp down for the kid with pneumonia or some other more significant illness won't do anywhere near as much to make them feel a lot better.

I recommend long lukewarm tub baths as the best way to lower temperatures when you need to. Also, make sure to "unwrap" your baby or child to allow heat to radiate out from the body rather than being trapped underneath heavy clothing or blankets. This is much more important than many parents realize.

Most doctors also recommend Tylenol type drugs or Advil/Motrin type anti-inflammatory medicine. Some families also rely on a homeopathic medicine like belladonna. More natural approaches favor not bringing down the fever at all but just working for good hydration and comfort while allowing the immune system's natural mechanisms (including fever) to work on the infection. This is not a bad course of action but a lot of parents I know are not very comfortable watching their child's temp go up and stay up. If this is the way you feel, try lowering the temperature at least once to reassure yourself and your doctor that under this big fever is a small illness.

Aspirin must never be used in childhood or teenage years because of the statistical association with Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal liver disorder.

Answer 2

I would actually take her to the doctor anyways. It could be more then just a fever. Don't give her any milk it will only upset her tummy. A cool bath would help a little bit. Try keeping a warm cloth on her head, don't let the cloth get cold. Go buy her some pedialite maybe it will help too. Other then that I would give her just a little bit of baby tylenol to ease her. Not a lot though, I'm not big on medicine either, but my daughter never had a temp that high. Good Luck!!

Answer 3

Your pediatrician doesn't sound too bright. A fever of 102.5 can be very dangerous to an infant. You should take your baby in for examination immediately. She could have an infection. Ear infections are very common in infants. Left untreated they can lead to hearing damage & loss. You may prefer not to medicate your child, but it may be necessary.... for your child's well-being. A small amount of anti-biotic is less harmful than becoming def.
If your doctor confirms that there is no infection, and say the fever is just the effect of teething... then by all means, go natural. Give her rub downs with cool water or aloe & frozen bagels to chew on. However, a fever that high is most likely an infection.
Also, be sure she drinks plenty of fluids. Dehydration is a serious threat to infants.

Answer 4

DO NOT use rubbing alcohol on your baby's skin to bring down the fever. It is an old remedy, and it works very well to bring the temperature down. BUT it can bring the fever down so quickly, it can cause a seizure.

Febrile seizures are not caused by high fevers...they are caused by a sudden increase or decrease in the body temperature. Be very careful about methods that promise to "quickly" reduce a fever.

If you're really against medicating, put a cool - not cold - cloth on his head and keep her hydrated by breast- or formula-feeding her, or giving her plain water.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How can you bring your baby's fever down if you don't want to use medication.?
My baby has 102.5 fever, is crying and refusing food. She is 10 months. I am not big on meds so i want to try natural things to bring her fever down. Cool bath? Any other suggestions? My ped sed i don't have to worry untill 103 or 104 but i wan to do something to help!

Answer 6

there is a reason the baby is running a fever. If you dont like meds that's one thing -- the baby on the other hand needs your care. a low grade fever is not something to play around with. if luke warm baths and wet clothes and loosening clothing(taking off socks and such) do not lower the temp then go onto Tylenol/Advil for babies. if this doesn't work get more medical attention. also make sure you keep up with vaccinations

Answer 7

Like you said a cool bath, will she drink water? Try that as well. Other than making sure she is cool and hydrated, I can't think of anything else to tell you that doesn't involve medicine. I hope your baby gets better, but please if this fever lasts more than another day, take her to the doctor and get her on medicine. You have to understand babies immune systems aren't as developed as adults!

Answer 8

A tepid bath is okay, not a cool one. AND NOT RUBBING ALCOHOL. These things can make the baby too cold which will cause shivering and a rise in temperature....plus alcohol can give off dangerous fumes to a little one. Lots of fluids, pedialyte is a good thing to give a baby with a fever, even if there is no diarrhea. Good luck.

Answer 9

Try a temped bath. It will usually bring it down but it won't last for long. If this temp continues, you will have to use meds or take the baby to the doctor. If the temp goes much higher, use the meds!! Do you know why this is happening? Flu, cold? If it is illness, you need to us Tylenol or some herbal substitute. Try looking on the web for a natural sub. I think chamomile is one, in cold water maybe. Good luck!!

Answer 10

Try wetting a towel with cold water and press it on your baby's forehead and keep it there until it gets warm. Keep the towel cool. Cool bath helps but try not to use ice cold water. Room temperature will do just fine. And give your baby that cool bath as frequent as possible. Or just use cool towel to wet your baby's body
Good luck and i hope your baby's temperature goes down soon or you'll have to give her medication weather you like it or not.