H1N1 and Fever Phobia

One mistake I think most parents and even many doctors make is to rush to suppress a fever, perhaps because it gives the false sense that you are getting your child better. You are not, what you are doing is interfering with the immune system’s effort to fight the virus and in effect making your child worse. I think particularly with H1N1 that using fever reducing medication is a mistake. The fever helps the immune system fight the virus, if you suppress the fever you help the virus. Fevers are rarely ever dangerous to the person, even high ones provided they are for short periods of time (less than a day) so long as you keep the person hydrated. If the person is prone to febrile seizures that's the one exception. A high fever can be a sign of meningitis so should be taken seriously and certainly shouldn't be ignored, but the fever itself is not the problem and lowering the immune system's defence mechanism is not improving your child’s health and is counterproductive.

My best advice: avoid fever reducing medication, don't ignore the fever though, see your doctor any time you are concerned and keep yourself and your children healthy – eat well, avoid sugar and processed foods, sleep well, reduce stress and exercise outdoors daily in moderation.

This blog information is not intended to take the place of medical advice. If you are concerned, see your doctor.