High temperature: is it a natural response to infection or should you always medicate?

[fishpersontwo]

Although my GP says always to give a child Calpol to reduce a high temp, I've heard somewhere that when the body has a raised temp it's a good, healthy response to fighting infection - and so don't reduce it.

I know you have to be careful with how high it goes, and with babies, and with symptoms that are concerning or painful, but if a child just has a bit of a cold with a moderately high temp, is it actually beneficial to allow the temp to continue as an aid to recovery?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[andiem]

personally I think so am child health hcp I have a colleague who has done a lot of research into it and I don't treat unless it goes above 38.5

[ShowOfHands]

I treat the child and not the temperature iyswim. A high temperature with no visible discomfort, I let it do its job (it means the immune system is working) but if dd is in pain, distressed or uncomfortable I medicate accordingly.

[Brangelina]

I always let my DD run a temp, unless it gets to something like over 39.5. One of her paeds was very much against lowering temps artificially as it is a natural physiological response and exists for a reason (to kill bugs). I have also noticed that in the rare cases DD has flu it always clears up much sooner when I've let her temp run.

[ShowOfHands]

And the risk of febrile convulsion isn't necessarily from the temperature but how quickly it rises and the best way to prevent a rapid rise is to keep them loosely dressed and not wrapped up too much at night.

[Brangelina]

Agree with SOH. If no immediate distress I don't worry. DD could get to 39 and still be running around and laughing and other times be grumpy at 38.5.

[Brangelina]

Exactly. Too many people keep their DC indoors in an overheated environment and cover them up too much.

[fishpersontwo]

Brangelina: so the high temp is actually killing the bugs. Sounds good. Would be a shame to lower the temp and reduce the immune system's effectiveness then?

[Brangelina]

That's how it was explained to me.

[fishpersontwo]

Excellent - thanks for confirming that. I know some people swear by having a hot bath at the first sign of a cold - similar principle of raising body temp to kill bugs perhaps?

[Brangelina]

Here's a link that explain it briefly

[fishpersontwo]

Okay... I think I understood the gist - thanks!

[rhiane]

My DS's Paed said the same, a raised temp is the body's natural defence system and it's not good to suppress it, but he did say if the baby/child was in any discomfort(pain etc) then that would warrant meds, he strongly disagreed with alternating calpol/nurofen etc for raised temps, my 2 often get high temps but I usually wait for it to go over 39C before giving anything, I do alternate meds if it's close to or above 40C,
DH hates me waiting he'd give meds if it was barely 38C!

[rhiane]

Just to add that whenever I've called NHS direct they have always told me to alternate Calpol/Nurofen for raised temps!
I guess giving meds to lower the temp would treat the temp but not treat the reason/underlying cause of the temp.
Think I'll go with my instict and evaluate each raised temp situation as it occurs.
I agree with SOH, whenever mine have high temps I strip them off/remove duvet and replace with sheet etc, a couple of times recently both of my children (2 & 5) have woken me in the early hours restless & halucinating but both times temps were very high, 40.5C the other 41C! this did worry me and meds were definitely high on my list of priorities!

[nappyaddict]

Even if they do have a febrile convulsion they're usually not anything to worry about. NHS direct say you only need to call for an ambulance if the convulsion lasts more than 5 minutes which is very rare.

[alkar]

Just thought I'd add the experience we had yesterday. DS woke at 6.45 and was a bit hot (38.2) so I stripped him off bf him and took him to bed with me. 5 mins later he started fitting. First time it has happened and I was absolutely terrifed. It lasted over 30 mins and only stopped when the ambulance got us to hospital. I will definately be giving alternate calpol / ibuprofen for a temp over 38 in the future.