As a mom of four children I know how fearful and frustrating it can be when you discover your child has a fever. I have learned many things since our first born arrived on the scene over 12 years ago. Fevers come and fevers go but here are 5 ways to comfort fever in children.
1. Don’t freak out! Seriously a fever is the bodies defense against fighting off an infection. It usually isn’t the worst thing in the world unless accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea or lethargy. There are four types of temperature levels which you should be aware of according to Dr. Sears.
- Normal temperature – 97 to 99 degrees (36 to 37.2 Celcius)
- Low-grade fever – 99 to 100.9 degrees (37.3 to 38.3 Celcius)
- Common fever – 101 to 103.5 degrees (38.4 to 39.7 Celcius)
- High fever – any fever over 103.6 degrees (39.8 Celcius)
2. Low-grade fever– You child may have a low-grade fever and you may not even realize it! We have had children just go on about their day like nothing is wrong. Sometimes they are slightly warm to the touch or have extra pink cheeks. During this stage we usually just keep them hydrated and monitor their activity and occasionally take their temperatures.
3. Distract them! Yes, you can usually pass the time if you find something fun or interesting to do while you wait for a fever to go away. You can sing songs, read stories, put together puzzles, or enjoy a movie cuddled on the couch.
4. Cool Them Down. This is harder the older they get but is still a very important action as the fever reaches Common or High Fever levels. We usually try a warm bath not too cold and not too hot while offering something soothing to drink.
5. Dose them! Yes, we try to do more holistic options from the bath, cool drinks, essential oils, herbal teas, and rest before grabbing a bottle from the medicine cabinet. We follow the dosing guidelines per Dr. Sears for both ibuprofen and acetaminophen with great success. We have also spared our doctor a few middle of the night calls for dosage recommendations.
We call right away if they attitudes and activity levels change dramatically. We also call the doctor for anyone under the age of 6 months with a fever just to play it safe.
When our little ones get sick and spike a fever, it can sometimes be difficult taking their temperature. Whether you’re trying to stick a thermometer under their armpit or tongue, most children (especially ones who are younger) do not want to sit for a minute (or longer) with a thermometer in their mouth or under their armpit. What about trying to remember exact temperatures and the times you took them? I know this can sometime be hard for me. Let’s face it, when your child, spouse or even you yourself get sick, you want quick and easy temperature reads and an easy way to remember the temps and times you took them. With Swaive’s ear thermometer you get just that– convenience and simplicity at it’s finest.
The Swaive Thermometer is an ear thermometer that reads your temperature quickly (a few seconds to be exact), it has a sleek and comfortable design and it is compatible with Swaive’s app where you can store all your family member’s profiles and keep a record of all temperature’s taken. It comes in a nice protective plastic case with felt in the inside, along with hygienic covers/ear shields, that you should use a new one with each new temperature reading.
If you need to take your child’s temperature in the middle of the night, you do not need to turn on a light which could wake them up. This is because of the night-LED reading on the thermometer, you’ll be able to see/read the temperature easily in the dark!
Now, more about the app! Currently the Swaive app is compatible with iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch (5th generation). The app is free of charge, so you only have to purchase the actual Swaive Thermometer.
The Swaive thermometer can be used on its own without the app, however there are additional features on the app that you are going to love. This includes making a profile for each family member including their gender, age and picture, the ability to track temperatures and the times they were taken (hourly, daily or even weekly), and the ability to share temperature results with doctors/spouses/parents by adding them to your “sharing list”.
Housewife on a Mission recently had the opportunity to review the Swaive Ear Thermometer. You can read her full review here.
Now for the giveaway!
One of our readers are going to win their own Swaive Ear Thermometer!
Open to US residents only and ends on 8/20/15 at 11:59PM EST
Enter using the simple Giveaway Tools form below.
Good luck!
Disclosure: Housewife on a Mission and the participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment or shipment to giveaway winner. Winner will be drawn at random then emailed and will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize. If no response is given, another winner will be chosen. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway.
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