14 April 2009

Help! My Baby has a Fever!

About 6 weeks ago, as we went to bed, I discovered that little Daniel (7 months at that stage) had a fever! We do not use a thermometer, but I know the difference between hot because of a high room temperature and a fever. He had just cut his first tooth the week before and I immediately thought this must be the reason for his fever – another tooth perhaps.

We own a health shop and use only natural medicine (herbal and homeopathic medicine). We never use anti-pyretic medicine (medicine that lowers fever) or any other normal chemical children’s medicine. We also do not vaccinate (another story for another day). Thus we do not follow the usual route when a child develops a fever.

What do I do when my baby has a fever?

For a start, I immediately give a Viburcol suppository (from Heel). This is a homeopathic product and you can insert one suppository every hour, with NO harmful effects. Viburcol will NOT take the fever away; it will only manage the fever within safe borders, but has the same efficacy as any paracetamol based product, without any of its side effects.

It took me some time to understand that you do not want to take the fever away. Fever is a symptom, like a red light on the dashboard of your car. Always find the reason for the symptom. When suppressing the body’s symptoms, you suppress the body’s way to heal itself the way God intended it to. God made our bodies fearfully and wonderfully, why do we treat it like it cannot heal itself?
The body reacts with a fever when there is an infection developing. A bacteria or virus cannot multiply at a temperature 2-3 degrees above the body’s normal temperature (37.5 deg Celsius). So by increasing the temperature – fever – the body inhibits the proliferation of the pathogens, while its own immune system is given the time to manufacture a unique anti-body to the invader. When we bring the temperature down with unnatural medicine, to ‘normal’ body temperature, the bacteria or virus thrives and the body’s own precise fighting mechanism is inhibited.

With Viburcol you only prevent the temperature from rising above forty one degrees, which could become dangerous.

We also gave Daniel Engystol tablets (from Heel). Engystol helps the body fight against a possible virus or bacteria by stimulating its immune system. This is also homeopathic medicine, with NO side effects. You can give baby 1 tablet every half an hour. I crushed the tablet between two teaspoons and put the powder little by little, with my finger, in his mouth.

Christo also mixed together some Traumeel S tablets, for body pains and inflammation, Chamomile powder, for its calming effect and Ferrum Phos ( a tissue salt) to help with the fever. He crushed these together in a pestle and mortar, into a fine powder, which I gave regularly.

After giving Daniel the Vibercol suppository and the powder mix, I laid down beside him for the rest of the night and let him be on the breast, as much as he wanted to. I believe in feeding on demand, so Christo and I are used to me breastfeeding sometimes through the whole night. My babies usually sleep in our room on a mattress on the floor, until I’m pregnant again (babies’ average between 8 – 12 months old). When I’m pregnant, I sleep very lightly and wake up with the slightest sound. We therefore move baby to his/her sibling’s room, so I can get some sleep.

The next morning Christo made sure I got in some herbs and vitamins and minerals that would reach Daniel through the breast milk. He gave me extra Vitamin C, Omega SLO, Olive Leaf extract, Berriola, Activ 8 and my Viridian multi vitamin, and made sure I remembered to drink ample water (around 4-6L of water with Coral Calcium sachets in) during the day.

Since we suspected it was teething that caused the fever, and we knew the gums could be painful and sore, we rubbed some Traumeel S ointment onto the gums. Traumeel S is a homeopathic product from Heel with no side effects for baby. Traumeel S is also excellent for any bruise; I always have Traumeel S in my handbag.

Daniel had this high fever for almost 48 hours. During this time I gave him a Viburcol suppository every 2-3 hours during the day and 2-3 during the night. I gave him the mixture Christo made, as often as I could. I made sure I drank more than my normal quota of supplements and double my usual volume of water to provide enough milk for his needs. We also managed to feed him a mixture of organic apples, pear and carrots three times a day (that we made freshly with our Oscar juicer).

Daniel’s brothers and sisters also prayed a lot for him. They could not bear it that their always friendly, smiling baby brother would try to smile and then start to cry…


By Thursday night Daniel’s fever dropped and he was back in his normal sleeping and feeding pattern. Praise the Lord for keeping His Hand on our baby.


Friday morning we discovered the actual reason for Daniel’s fever. He had Baby Measles. Baby Measles or Roseola is a very common viral infection. It usually begins with a sudden onset high fever. Some babies may also have a slightly sore throat or a runny nose and swollen glands in the neck.

Once the fever goes away a rash usually appears. The rash is usually composed of tiny flat pink patches or spots, although there may be some raised patches as well. The rash usually starts behind the ears, then spreads to the chest, back, and abdomen, and then spreads out to the arms and neck. It may or may not reach the legs and face. The rash, which is not itchy or uncomfortable, can last from a few hours to several days before fading.

I’m used to Baby Measles, some of our babies had it 3-4 times in their first two years, but there were also one or two of them that never got Baby Measles. I therefore didn’t panic at all. Daniel most probably will get it at least one more time, before his 2nd birthday.

In a next posting I would like to share with you my First Aid Kit for Babies. Maybe you would like to get some of these for your baby. Or you could include it in your next Baby shower gift.

9 comments:

Kel said...

Linnie - I went onto your blog via my sisters (Taryn) and am interested in your decision as a believer on Homeopathic medicine. I read a book "what are we swallowing" - and according to that book, there is nothing in Homeopathy that should heal - no real quantity of any substance. It is so watered down. You can email me an answer if you can. Thanks

Linnie said...

Thank you for visiting my blog.
We have been using homeopathic medicine for more than 14years now, and have heard most of the comments on the subject.
My husband (a biomedical engineer) currently runs a health shop, and has a more technically involved explanation, but I will give you the short version.
The notion that the homeopathic medicine contains no or in some cases very little of the original CHEMICAL substance (and can therefore not be effective against disease) originated in the PHARMACEUTICAL industry realm. The main reason for this is their own agenda of convincing the world that their (Patented $$) drugs is the ONLY $ceintific medicine that work$. Mainline $cience, are also the people that promote, amongst other things, evolution, vaccinations, chemo-therapy, birth control pills and anti-biotics.
So, it's very important, when you do research on a subject, you must be very aware of who wrote what you are reading. To illustrate the point, it would be like asking a childless couple's advice on how to raise your 6 children, or asking an evolutionist to teach you about creation!
As far as the working of homeopathic medicine is concerned. Some people would tell you the reason it works, is because you BELIEVE it does - this is called the PLACEBO response. In adults we know this to be a reality (even for chemical drugs), but I have no doubt that babies have no way of believing in the homeopathic remedies administered to them by their parents or even doctors. So there the belief factor does not play a role.
The reality is that there are many things outside of the mainline scientific realm that does exist, and that does work. The exact workings which evades their current (incomplete) model.
Having said all that, there are many industry standard studies (double blind placebo controlled) that supports the working and effectiveness of various homeopathic remedies. Unfortunately none of these will convert the unconvertible, no matter how many studies you produce.
So that's my short version.
Have a blessed weekend!

Sonja said...

I am also using only homeopathic medicine for my home and with great results and no harm! There is no better remedy that this!I have strong healthy children who will go into their adulthood unharmed and with healthy organs!Why is it so difficult for us to trust in natural harmless medicine but we willingly give our children stuff that might scarr them for life!

Amy said...

I just discovered your blog on the GMQV FB pg -- my son has roseola now -- I think because the fever went down and the rash is here. No drugs (or vax!) for him thus far.... thanks for a great post :)

Linnie said...

Hi Amy,
Welcome on my blog!
Blessings

Darlene said...

I love your blog! We too are attempting a return to ancient ways, and I'm sure I will learn a lot from you. Thank you for sharing,

Darlene

Linnie said...

Hi Darlene
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to say hello on my blog!
Blessings

Anonymous said...

Liewe Linnie,

Jy hoef nie my kommentaar te pos as jy nie wil nie. As duitser het ek grootgeword met homoepatie, en in 'n gelowige ouerhuis. Deur baie openbaringe deur die Heilige Gees het ons agtergekom dat dit nie van die lig is nie. Ek het baie leeswerk gedoen (in duits, oor die duitser Samuel Hahneman, die stigter) en kan net vir jou vra om met 'n oop gees en met 'n gebed vir wysheid te lees oor Hahnemann se lewe, sy filosofiee en in moderne homeo joernale.

Soos jy te reg se, there are many things outside mainline science (ie the invisible realm) that exist, and that work. En die vader van leuns kan lyk soos 'n engel van die lig. (maw hy kan ook "geneesings" laat geskied}.

Ek kritiseer nie. As 'n christen suster en ma wil ek net baie vriendelik waarsku en versoek dat julle baie mooi ondersoek instel.

Shalom

Linnie said...

Liewe Anoniem
Ek is so bly oor die kommentaar wat jy gelewer het op hierdie blog inskrywing, want ek glo daar is baie wat bevry kan word deur my antwoord.

Daar is verskillende maniere waarop mense meet wat is van die Lig en wat van die duisternis is. Ek en Christo, wat ‘Bible believing Christians’ is en gehoorsaamheid aan God as ons hoogste roeping beskou, meet alles aan die vrugte wat geproduseer word, want dit is hoe God meet.

As jy ‘n gereelde leser van my blog is sal jy al opgetel het dat CJ ons oudste seun baie ernstig siek was en ons deur hom gelei is om homeopatiese medisyne te gebruik - Dus vir ‘n begin, my seun se lewe is gered deur onder andere die gebruik van homeopatiese medisyne - die vrug was LEWE aan my ernstig siek seun op daardie stadium
Na CJ het ek twee miskrame gehad. Nadat ek homeopaties behandel is en in die proses baie geleer het van hoe God my liggaam geprogrameer het om homself te genees, het ek die vreugde gehad om nog 7 kindertjies in die wêreld te bring - die vrug LEWE.
Ons tweede kind, Heidi-Mari was baie erg allergies, op ses maande het ons weer homeopatiese medisyne gebruik om haar baie siek babalyfie te help om te genees - nog ‘n vrug van lewe.

Alternatiewelik is die gebruik van onnatuurlike medisyne, wat sweer by die Hipokratiese Eed, en die dood wat ons elke dag sien met die gebruik van medisyne op medisyne nie vir my ‘n vrug van lewe en lig nie. (En ek is gekwalifiseer in die medisyne wêreld, ek weet waarvan ek praat)
So kan ek aan en aan gaan met getuienis van lewe, gebruik van Homeopatiese medisyne en die groot maak van 8 kinders tot God se eer, teenoor getuienisse van hoe Satan steel deur die gebruik van moderne medisyne! Net om ‘n voorbeeld te noem, daar bestaan nie in natuurlike/homeopatiese medisyne enige vorm van voorbehoedmiddels nie, teenoor die verskeidenheid van onnatuurlike medisyne produkte vir voorbehoeding - besluit self wat is die Lig en die duisternis.
Die Woord sê uitdruklik in Mark 3:20-27 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Die Duisternis bring nie Lewe nie.


Ons het al menigmaal kommentaar ontvang soos joune. Ons doen hierdie al 16 jaar en ken al die argumente en al die getuienisse daarteen. Ons is al meer as wat ek kan tel gekruisig oor ons homeopatiese medisyne gebruik. ‘n Christen skool het ons Seun toegang geweier, ons kerk het ons verwerp en ons familie het van ons vervreem. Maar elke keer het God ons terug geroep en selfs vir ons ‘n profesie gegee twee jaar voor ons, ons gesondheidspraktyk se deure oopgemaak het, dat ons juis dit sal doen en dit ‘n roeping is van Hom. 
Om hierdie rede het Christo ‘n artikel op sy blog geskryf en dit is sy mees geleesde inskrywing. http://naturalmedicinetalk.blogspot.com/2010/06/homeopathy-and-christian.html


Baie dankie vir jou omgee en sagte waarskuwing, maar ons glo en ervaar die seën en leiding van die Here so sterk in ons lewe, dat ek nie kan glo dat my Vader my nie lankal sou wys op my verkeerde dade as dit die geval was nie. In Februarie 2000 toe ons hewiglik veroordeel is het God vir my Ps 32:8 gegee: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”


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