Why is calpol the right answer for a temperature?

[Biscuitsandtea]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help me come up with an answer to get my FIL off my back!

Whenever DS has a temperature and I give him Calpol (you know, as advised by the entire medical community!), my FIL rolls his eyes and gives me this speech about when he was young...

His argument is that the raised temperature is the body's way of fighting off bacteria etc so I'm stopping this if I lower his temperature. Then he tells me how of he had a temperature he piles on the blankets and layers and sweats it out.

Now I'm pretty sure the entire medical profession haven't skipped over the knowledge that he seems to possess but I don't know how to say that calpol is the right answer. Or how to refute his argument.

Can anyone help me out?

Thank you

Tell your FIL that you need to reduce your LO temp, because of it gets over 39 it can cause convulsions in small children x

Because overheating is dangerous, and can cause febrile convulsions.

Paracetamol brings the temperature down to a safe temperature whilst the body fights off whatever illness is raging, and reduces the risk of seizures.

Or you could tell him to stick a cork in it until he can produce proof of his medical qualifications

Well, he is right to an extent. I don't medicate for low grade fevers unless its bedtime for the very reasons he suggests.

However, high temps if not controlled can cause fitting and also they make you feel rubbish and a 4 year old say is less able to deal with it than a 50 year old say.

Also, I find by giving calpol I get quite a good indication of how they really are iyswim? Ie if temp comes down and they brighten I'm not as worried.

I'm sure someone will be along with a more appropriate answer soon.

Thank you both.

I like all those answers, and am v tempted by the putting a cork in it one .

Does the same answer apply to adults? I assume convulsions are more likely in children than adults, but could it apply to adults. You know, just in case he ever catches me with a paracetemol....

My post isn't very clear - fevers in themselves don't cause fitting its the speed at which they rise that does.

Your FIL is correct. Paediatric paracetamol actually isn't recommended for general use for a temperature only (different of course if you are following specific advice for eg convulsions).

I'll look out a link about the medical advice you've missed.

Actually I think He might be right (maybe not about the blankets bot though).

My DH asked a doctor the same thing after he had read an article saying something similar. Can't remember how the doc explained but said that you give calpol to make them comfortable or something.

I'm not sure if adults have febrile convulsions. I had them a lot as a toddler but not since despite glandular fever etc.

Cross post Mistletoe - thanks for your answer too .

I generally only give calpol if it goes above 38, unless, as you say it's bedtime and he seems otherwise in some sort of discomfort.

Perhaps I should say I won't bother giving him calpol next time and FIL can sit and watch him sweat it out - see how he likes that? This for the man who doesn't seem to remember the word 'no' when DS is there....

Oooh loads of cross posts again, but thank you all for posting

I've been advised often to give DS calpol for his temp though by GPs, even when no other infection or anything present.

You know, If he has an ear infection or whatever then often they advise antibiotics for the infection and calpol to keep his temp down, but even if we've been and no obvious infection they still have told us to take calpol if there's a raised temp?

Link to American Association of Pediatrics in February 2011 on this.

Edith - if you do happen to come across that link that would be great

Bit disappointed that I might have to save the 'put a cork in it' response for some other occasion

What leftmymistletoe said.

I don't own a thermometer so never know what my DC's temperature is anyway.

I will give them calpol for pain relief, and once when DD was younger she had a temperature that worried me (no idea what it actually was, but she felt boiling to touch and was very red) so I gave her some calpol then. But generally I find other ways to make a feverish child comfortable.

I think we x-posted. Link is in my previous post.

Thanks Edith

So is that saying that really if there is just a temp, it isn't likely to do any harm in itself, but you could give calpol to make them more comfortable? I must confess I find medical stuff hard to read. does 'febrile child' mean child with a temperature or something else?

He's definitely wrong about sweating it out - it is important to keep them cool, without causing shivering (which raises the temperature). The guidelines now say you shouldn't medicate just because they have a temperature, only if they're obviously feeling poorly. But IME, most children with a temperature feel pretty miserable and feel better if you can get the temperature down. Febrile convulsions are common in kids because the 'insulator-like' substance in the brain is still developing, so a sudden spike in temperature almost causes the brain to short-circuit and they have a convulsion. That was how it was explained to us when my DD1 had one at 15 months. It was awful to see and since then we did everything possible to cool her down if she gets a temperature and have managed to avoid another one. She's now 4.

Another link for you
National Institue of Clinical Excellence on Feverish illness in Children
Page 14 recommends not to routinely give antipyretic drugs to a child with fever with the sole aim of reducing body temperature, and not to use antipyretic agents with the sole aim of preventing febrile convulsions. Antipyretic drugs include Calpol/paracetamol, neurofen/ibuprofen and other similar formulations
It is of course open to intepretation as it also says it should be given if child is distressed or appears unwell - a fever would indicate they weren't well basically I think it reccommends not medicating straight away basically the same as Ediths link
The AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics urges parents to recognise fever as a sign that the body is working to fight infection and not something to be feared. This relates to parents reaching for fever reducing agents, antipyretics, to help keep the child?s temperature ?normal"

So if they're shivering, should you put an extra layer on to try and stop the shivering?

Unfortunately your FIL is right. We had trouble with DD and a fever over 40 recently and were told by paediatrician that new thinking was not to give Calpol for temp as the temp was doing a good thing (creating inhospitable environment for bugs in the body).

We were told if we were worried or she was distressed we could give it though. So it is a bit .

And it makes a lot of sense that he is wrong about the sweating it out thing.

I can understand how the raised temperature is your body's way of dealing with whatever the problem is, but it doesn't seem that artificially raising the temperature any more is going to help things along. If he's saying the body is doing it's own thing to sort it by raising the temperature then surely you;d be better letting the body decide how high to raise the temperature - not go all out for maximum sweating!

I should also add that I am not calpol crazy - DS hardly ever has it - it's just this happened again recently which got me thinking about it. It's more of the academic point that I wanted to understand - because I could half see his argument (the bit about raised temp fighting a problem) but not the sweating it out bit, but never knew what to say!

DP swears by sweating it out when he is ill too.

I don't have a thermometer so wouldn't give calpol just for a temperature, but if ds is uncomfortable or in pain with it then I would.

It depends on the age of the child. Adults have a very well established temperature control system, so the body can create just the right environment to kill bugs without doing you any harm.

Babies, on the other hand have a slightly erratic temperature control system as it's not fully developed. This is what can cause febrile convulsions when their temperature goes up too quickly. Paediatric first aid still teaches that you should aim to bring their temperature down sensibly (ie removing clothing but not cold compresses and the like).

So he has a point, but personally I'd have the calpol on standby.

The most important treatment for a fever however is fluid. So I hope he takes lots of water to his bed with him.

I think 6 months to 5/6 years is the approx age range for febrile convulsions just in case anyone is interested

Ah thanks - I had wondered how old it applied to

The childrens nurse at our practice was telling us that the offical line nowadays was not to give calpol (or paediatric paracetamol as he put it to not favour a brand) for fever. Every other HCP I've asked since then has given me this face