Do you take a child to the dr the first day they have fever?

gold21

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 4:33 pm

sweetpotato wrote:

No, I don't. There is actually a very high threshold with fevers before you need to worry, both in temperature and duration. If there are no other concerning signs (extreme crankiness/pain, severe cough, not taking fluids, prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, etc.), I don't call the doctor at all, and just wait and see, giving Advil and fluids, etc. Both viruses and bacterial infections will typically resolve without treatment. Because of the known risks of overprescribing antibiotics, doctors are now much more circumspect about giving them, which I totally respect.

Edited to add: This is my practice, because my kids don't have other underlying concerns, like asthma. I totally understand that some kids need more active monitoring if they have a virus or bacterial infection.

I couldn't disagree more.

gold21

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 4:43 pm

gp2.0 wrote:

Some people are just like that...they are either hypochondriacs or they think only doctors have the answers and they don't trust their own intelligence and experience. So even if they know that the past 10 times they called the doctor for a 100 degree fever the doctor told them they didn't need to come in, they'll keep calling every time...

You call it hypochondriac, I call it responsible.

I definitely do not think my doctor is the All Knowing, and I challenge and question him if I disagree with him. I consider myself an independent thinker, but yea I definitely do value my doctors input- he completed medical school, I did not. So, I would say that we have a good working relationship. BH.

gold21

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 4:55 pm

If your child has a fever and NO other symptoms, that's when you SHOULD worry. If your child had fever along with symptoms that are clearly viral, you can go with your intuition- if you believe it to be viral, there's no need to rush to the doctor.

Cellulitis, as one extreme, but very plausible, example, shows up with high fever and not much else- and is extremely dangerous. Urinary tract infections show up with high fevers and not much else.... and if allowed to spiral out of control, can be very dangerous. Always better to be cautious than assume you know it all.

amother

Chartreuse

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 5:15 pm

gold21 wrote:

More often than not, bacterial infections will NOT resolve without treatment. Don't get sucked in to the hype, people. Urinary tract infections, strep... etc... require swift treatment. Always always better safe than sorry.

Just to stick in my British 2 cents if I may. UTI's are very easily cured naturally if caught early enough. As for Strep throat, this is laughable over here. Even my own doctor agrees Americans are just making money off people for it. It's a hype. If you have a throat infection and look after yourself properly, antibiotics certainly shouldn't be needed.

My doctor explained when I asked him why us British people don't seem to get this terrible American disease called strep throat as follows: "You know that feeling where you feel feverish and it hurts to swallow and sometime white pus spots appear on the tonsils which lead to tonsillitis? That's what they call strep throat in the USA. Over here we suggest early signs of it should be treated with lemon, honey, ginger and hot water and taking strepsils if necessary. We call it a sore throat here and Antibiotics are a last resort if you haven't taken care of it early and it develops into full blown tonsillitis."

Anyway, in all my years on this earth and in all my years as a mother I've not had to treat tonsillitis with antibiotics so running to the doctor with a fever wouldn't be necessary. In answer to the fever question, fevers are the bodies way of detoxing toxins. We usually let fevers run its course and ensure the child is hydrated and wearing breathable clothes to sweat naturally and keep the child home and not over stimulate them for another 2 days following the fever. We don't attempt to supress fevers at all and only ever go to the doctor if the child is in pain or doesn't seem to be keeping down fluids, or if it is a young baby (which bh hasn't occured). In fact my 2 year old currently has an ear infection which has lasted over a week and still has pus oozing from it. But she never had a fever accompanying it or any pain so we waited a full week to check it out. We saw a locum doctor who advised us to let it run its course as long as she's comfortable and that's what we are doing! You may disagree with my methods but after a fever or illness which lasts from a day to 3 or 4, my kids normally pass a developmental milestone and are healthy again for another 6 months to a year.

But that's just my humble opinion on fevers (whom my wonderful doctor agrees with for those of you who may take to bashing my stance). Take it or leave it.

gold21

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 5:20 pm

amother wrote:

Strep is hype... Yeah... I'll bet. Lol.

UTIs cured naturally? Perhaps in the very very early stages. Not once there is a fever. No way. Not budging on that.

amother

Chartreuse

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 5:32 pm

gold21 wrote:

So you had fever?

Not that it's much of your concern. But the first time I had slight fever which may indicate my kidneys were starting to become infected... I also had painful and frequent urination with back pain and felt rather awful, dizzy and sick. Antibiotics were offered but I decided to try my way first which worked. The second time I managed to avoid all that as I recognised the signs earlier. Still felt awful and had pain but no fever and was gone within 2 days.

gp2.0

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 5:41 pm

gold21 wrote:

What are you even talking about...

UTIs are accompanied by a lot of pain and discomfort especially while urinating, and feeling the need to urinate often - very clear symptoms.

Cellulitis is accompanied by a very obvious painful blotchy area that increases in size.

I have NEVER heard of anyone recommending that a parent freak out if their child has a fever and no other symptoms. I thought it's general knowledge that if there's no pain and if the child is getting enough fluids it's totally fine to wait a few days for it to resolve itself.

gold21

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 5:43 pm

amother wrote:

Well it's relevant to the conversation. No?

gold21

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 6:04 pm

gp2.0 wrote:

Have you ever had a young baby with a UTI?

Has your child ever had cellulitis?

Last edited by gold21 on Wed, Nov 23 2016, 6:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

Laiya

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 6:09 pm

amother wrote:

maybe a dumb question, but what is so terrible about strep? I don't understand and I would like to.

It can lead to rheumatic fever, which can damage the heart as well as cause lasting damage of its own. I have a friend who lives with complications from rheumatic fever caused by untreated (or not treated quickly enough) strep, including chronic joint pain.

For instance, she can only wear sneakers, (even to weddings) because of chronic pain in her ankles.

I also knew a young child who r"l passed away from a virulent strain of strep that entered his bloodstream and caused septic shock.

from
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-gu.....cs#1:

- wrote:

A rare but potentially life-threatening disease, rheumatic fever is a complication of untreated strep throat caused by bacteria called group A streptococcus. The main symptoms -- fever, muscle aches, swollen and painful joints, and in some cases, a red, lattice-like rash -- typically begin two to four weeks after a bout of strep. In some cases, though, the infection may have been too mild to have been recognized.

The knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists are the joints most likely to become swollen from rheumatic fever. The pain often migrates from one joint to another. However, the greatest danger from the disease is the damage it can do to the heart. In more than half of all cases, rheumatic fever scars the valves of the heart, forcing this vital organ to work harder to pump blood. Over a period of months or even years -- particularly if the disease strikes again -- this damage to the heart can lead to a serious condition known as rheumatic heart disease, which can eventually cause the heart to fail.

There is also a theory that it causes PANDAS, an auto-immune response in children that mimics neurological diseases.

amother

Indigo

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 6:12 pm

amother wrote:

Your doctor's views probably have more to do with socialized medicine than anything else.

And tonsillitis is not the same thing as strep, which is a bacterial infection.

mommy3b2c

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 6:29 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks for the wonderfully patronising hug you gave me because I disagreed with your opinion.

And in answer to your question I have indeed. Twice in fact, both confirmed cases actually, and whilst I agree it is very painful, I still managed to not take antibiotics to cure it.

Good for you for being a martyr. When I feel a uti coming on, I take medication the second I feel it. I keep the antibiotics in my house. What is the point of putting yourself through unecxessary pain? When I have a uti I cannot function at all.