Fevers in children are not to be feared, but respected as part of the body’s natural immune fighting properties.  A fever is the body’s way of slowing the replication of a virus or bacteria by mobilizing the body’s immune fighting properties to take action in fighting the illness.

While a fever can make your child feel poorly, it is important to remember that the body is doing what it is designed to do to fight the illness. When is it appropriate to use fever reducing medications? When your child is so ill that he is unable to stay hydrated, is so uncomfortable they are unable to sleep at night, or they are feeling so poorly they are not eating. In addition, fever reducing medications may be needful if your child has a high fever, has other medical conditions, or has been instructed to take fever reducing medications by your health care provider. Administering fever reducing medications will help bring down the fever, but will not help the body fight the illness and may actually hinder the body's efficiency in fighting the illness.

While most febrile viral illnesses can be managed at home, there are times it is important to contact your child’s health care provider. Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicate your heath care provider should be contacted if your infant is less than three months old and has a fever, is 3-6 mos. old and has a fever of 102.5F or higher, if your child is less than two years old and has a fever of 100.4F for more than 24 hours, if your child has a high fever of 104F, or has a prolonged fever greater than three days.

A fever in a young infant, a high fever, or a prolonged fever greater than three days duration may indicate a bacterial infection or more severe illness that may need additional treatment. In addition, other concerning accompanying symptoms such as a stiff neck, dehydration, rash, severe headache, severe sore throat, severe ear pain, severe or prolonged cough, breathing difficulties, or repeated ongoing vomiting/diarrhea, would also require additional medical evaluation. 

Finally, as the parent, if you are uncomfortable with your child’s condition or have questions about your child’s illness, please contact your child’s health care provider or seek appropriate medical care. If you are administering medications to your child while they are ill, please use as directed by your health care provider or as directed on the product.

Hydration - It is important to keep your child well hydrated during a febrile illness as they are more likely to become dehydrated. It is recommended to avoid sugary drinks and sugar added sports drinks as added refined sugar may decrease the body’s immune fighting properties. Filtered water, ice chips, bone broth, coconut water, and fresh fruit purées, slushes, or smoothies are all good sources of hydration.

Rest - Children’s bodies need rest to recover and fight the illness.

Nutrition - Encourage vegetables and fruits that are easily digested which are good sources of vitamin C and vitamin A. Good sources of vitamin C include: citrus fruits, berries, cauliflower, and peppers. Good sources of vitamin A include: green leafy vegetables, carrots, and squash. Zinc is also helpful in slowing viral replication and may be found in beef bone broth. Sugary foods and fried foods may hamper the immune system and increase inflammation so they are best avoided.

​What are natural options for a viral febrile illness?

Reminder: Supplements are not approved by the FDA so choosing a reputable product obtained from a reputable supplier is important for your child’s safety and efficacy of the product.  Analysis of Select Dietary Supplement Products Marketed to Support or Boost the Immune System https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35947382

Are you interested in building your child's health, wellness, and immune resilience  through holistic pediatric care? Contact Wellness 4 KIDS for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery Call.

Does it seem like your kids are always getting sick? Are you tired of missed school and work days interrupting your schedule and plans? While younger children can have 6-9 illnesses per year and teens can have 4-6 illnesses a year, the goal is for your child to have a resilient immune system. Aiming to decrease the number of illnesses, duration of illnesses, and severity of illnesses is what we desire.

Did you know the microbiome is responsible for 70-80% of the immune system? What is the microbiome? It is the trillions of microorganisms that make up a symbiotic relationship with their host. The majority of these living microorganisms reside in the gastrointestinal tract and help to digest food, aid in manufacturing certain vitamins, and very importantly help moderate and support the immune system. 

The microbiome should consist primarily of healthy bacteria and microorganisms. However, many times due to diet, medications, and stress, the microbiome can become dysbiotic. Which means there is an imbalance of bad bacteria, fungi, and yeasts and not enough good healthy bacteria. This can lead to a poorly functioning immune system. The study of the microbiome's implications on health and its impact on the immune system, digestive health, autoimmune diseases, cancer, ADHD, and mental health is currently one of the fastest growing areas of medical research. 

What does this mean for your child? The microbiome needs healthy foods including a variety of fruits and vegetables that provide the prefiber that feed the healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. A diet low in vegetables and fruits and high in ultra processed foods and refined sugar, starve the healthy bacteria and instead feed the harmful bacteria, yeast, and fungi leading to a dysbiotic gut microbiome.
In addition, medications (while sometimes very necessary) can destroy or harm a healthy microbiome. Common medications that harm a microbiome include antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories drugs, antacids, and steroids.

How can you promote a healthy microbiome for your child? By encouraging adequate sleep, minimizing stress, and very importantly providing a healthy diet of whole foods:

• Diverse variety of fruits and vegetables from the rainbow of colors
• Fermented foods
• Limiting refined sugars and ultra processed foods

​In addition, it can be helpful to supplement with a viable researched children’s probiotic supplement. 

Two of my favorite general children’s wellness probiotic supplements are NutriDyn’s Kids Chewable Probiotic for children of safe chewing age and Kids Liquid Probiotic for younger children or those who prefer a liquid.  These probiotics are scientifically formulated and designed to support the digestive and immune systems. These specific probiotic supplements contain clinically validated viable probiotics. The chewable probiotic also contains a highly absorbable prebiotic. They should be kept in the refrigerator to maintain viability. They can be purchased directly from NutriDyn in the Children’s Health Section at this link. NutriDyn​

Are you interested in less sick days, missed school days, and missed work days for your family? Wellness 4 KIDS specializes in working with children to address and support the needs of a healthy microbiome and addressing pediatric health challenges. For children with special health challenges, Wellness 4 KIDS individualizes probiotic strain recommendations to meet the specific needs of the individual child.

​If you would like more information on helping your child develop a healthy microbiome and supporting a healthy immune system, please Contact Wellness 4 KIDS for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery Call.