© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Table of Contents

Mistake #1: Going to the Doctor Too Soon

Mistake #2: Having Fever Phobia

Mistake #3: They’re Not Acting Themselves!

Mistake #4: Feed a Fever, Starve a Cold?

Mistake #5: Not Having Natural Medicines Toolkit

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Mistake #1: Going to the Doctor Too Soon

Wait a minute. I’m a doctor. And I’m telling you NOT to take your child to see the

doctor? Sounds like business sabotage. But no – I just don’t want you to take your

child to the doctor TOO SOON. As a busy mama of 2 myself, I don't want you to

waste your precious time on an unnecessary trip to the doctor’s office.

KNOW: when you should take your child in to see the doctor’s,

or when it's fine to stay put.

When your child is sick with a viral illness, it’s not unusual for the fever to last up to

4-5 days. Yup – that’s right. 4-5 days! If you rush to the doctor’s office too soon, your

doctor will likely tell you that your child has a virus, and to come back if he’s had a

fever for more than 5 days.

Not only that, when your child is sick, there aren’t a lot of things that conventional

pediatricians can offer to help your child feel better and to resolve their illness

faster, especially if they’re really young. And, Tylenol and Advil, as we’ll see below,

may not be helping your child as much as you hope.

So in general, when your child has a fever, you want to stay put and use your natural

medicines toolkit, UNLESS they have any of the following warning signs.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

• Is 3 months or younger. • Has had a seizure. • Is vomiting and can’t keep fluids down. • Refuses to drink. • Doesn’t have any urine output in over 6-8 hours. • Is very sleepy and difficult to arouse. • Is unusually irritable or fussy & truly “inconsolable.” • Is acting confused or not answering questions appropriately, or is not making

good eye contact. • Has any trouble breathing. • Develops a rash (which can be normal.) • Has pain or stiffness in the back of the neck when touching chin to chest. • Has a fever that lasts more than 4-5 days. • Seems like she’s getting better but then suddenly worsens or develops a new

or higher fever (this can be a sign of possible bacterial “superinfection,” or a bacterial infection that takes the opportunity to invade after a viral infection. This is a classic scenario for bacterial ear infections or pneumonia.)

• You are very worried about your child and just want him checked out (trust your mama sense!)

You should call your doctor if your child has a fever, AND:

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Mistake #2: Having Fever Phobia

Before you run to grab the Tylenol and head to the Emergency Room,

and know the facts!

Fever is your body’s natural response to infection. Fever can slow down bacteria

and viruses while increasing the activity of our immune response against those

bugs. In fact, reducing fevers artificially with medicines like acetaminophen (Tylenol)

or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) has been shown to actually prolong the duration of

certain viral illnesses. Acetaminophen in particular puts stress on the liver and

reduces our body’s level of a very important antioxidant called glutathione, which

OMG! My kid has a fever!!!

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

alone makes it harder for our bodies to fight infection. Fever reducers do only that –

reduce fevers. They do nothing to strengthen our kids’ bodies and help them fight

the infection that is causing the fever. So it’s no wonder that fevers come right back

after the medicine wears off. That’s where having a Natural Medicines Toolkit comes

in – not only can natural medicines help our kids feel better, they can actually

strengthen their immune systems and help their bodies fight the infection so they

recover faster!

Bottom line: Fever can actually help your child get over their

illness faster.

Fever CANNOT rise high enough to cause brain damage in a neurologically normal

child. A “normal brain” has “thermoregulatory” mechanisms in place to keep fevers in

check and prevent them from going TOO HIGH.

Bottom Line: Unless your child has a neurologic disorder,

DO NOT PANIC! Her fever can’t go too high.

The height of the fever does NOT indicate how serious the infection is. Children run

hotter than adults. It’s not unusual for children to run a fever of 104º -105º F, and still

be running around as though nothing were wrong. I tell parents that I don’t care how

high the fever is. I care how your child is acting. If she has a fever of 104.5º F, but is

making good eye contact and answering your questions appropriately, I worry much

less than if your child has a 100.1º F fever, and is confused about where she is, or

who you are.

Bottom Line: Look at how your child is acting, NOT how high the

fever is.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

In general, my recommendation is to let the fever run. It will help your child’s body

do what it’s trying to do, and fight her infection faster. But, there may be times when

you want to consider treating your child’s fever with a fever-reducing medicine like

Motrin, Advil, or Tylenol. (Of course, I would definitely first try using your natural

medicines toolkit that I describe below).

When to treat a fever:

• If your child is so uncomfortable that they can’t sleep. A good night’s rest

trumps everything!

• If your child is so uncomfortable that they don’t want to drink anything.

Staying hydrated is very important when your child is sick. Dehydration is not

only dangerous, but can also worsen a fever just by itself.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Mistake #3: They’re Not Acting Themselves!

Parents often worry when their kids are not acting themselves. We worry when our

kids are “lethargic,” and we feel relieved when our kids’ fevers go down after Tylenol

and they go from being a total couch potato to bouncing around and acting

“normal.”

I DON’T want kids to be “acting themselves” when they’re sick. When we’re sick, all

of our extra reserves of energy are going straight to our immune system to fight that

bug. And then once we’ve got that bug beat, our energy is going toward helping our

body and our mind recover so we can get back to “acting ourselves” - when it’s

ready!

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

What’s one of the best ways to get our body to recover faster when we’re sick –

REST! Sleep as much as possible. This is the one time when your kids get a free

pass to watch all the TV they want – of course, while sipping on that delicious bone

broth (see Mistake #4 below).

When should you worry that your kid is “too lethargic”?

You should call your doctor if your child:

• Is very sleepy and difficult to arouse. • Is unusually irritable or fussy & truly “inconsolable.” • Is acting confused or not answering questions appropriately, and not sure

where they are, who you are, or what’s going on around them. • Is not making good eye contact.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Mistake #4: Feed a Fever, Starve a Cold?

Feed a fever, starve a cold. Or, is it the other way around?

It actually doesn’t matter. What matters most is that your child stays HYDRATED.

When kids have a fever, they’re losing more water from their bodies than usual from

sweating more and breathing faster, so they actually need to drink more than when

they don’t have a fever. So if your child doesn’t want to eat much – that’s OK! If he

loses weight while he’s sick – don’t worry! He’ll pick it back up when he’s better.

Focus on the fluids!

What are the best drinks to give your child when she’s sick? Since she’s losing

minerals while she’s sweating from her fever, a drink with electrolytes is ideal to

replenish those minerals, keep her hydrated, and feel a bit more energized. And a

little (read: little) bit of sugar to keep up those energy reserves is a good idea as well.

That’s why Pedialyte™ has sugar and electrolytes to keep kids hydrated when

they’re sick. BUT, are there ways to keep your kid hydrated without the Red 40, Blue

1, Artificial Flavor, Acesulfame Potassium, and other not-so-great artificial

ingredients in it?

YES!

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Coconut water is one of my favorite drinks – chock full of amazing

electrolytes to keep our cells super-hydrated with just the right amount of

sugar. I love the taste of coconut water all by itself in its unadulterated glory,

but you can add a bit of unsweetened juice to suit your child’s palate if

needed. You can make natural jello, fruit juice popsicles, and smoothies with

coconut water to keep your kids hydrated – be as creative as you can!

Herbal teas are also another amazing way to keep your kids hydrated while

also providing other healing benefits. Chamomile tea is calming, soothes

upset tummies, and fights inflammation caused by fevers and colds.

Peppermint tea cools the body, relaxes the mind, reduces nausea and helps

with pain. You can add honey (if your child is over 1 years old), which has its

own immune-boosting benefits, or make popsicles, jello or smoothies with

them just like with coconut water above.

Bone broth! No discussion about hydration would be complete without also

discussing the amazing healing and hydrating benefits of bone broth. It’s so

easy to make – much easier than you think! And most health food stores are

now selling delicious made-for-you bone broths. Drink it like tea. Use it as a

base for your child’s favorite soup. Use it instead of plain water to cook your

child’s rice or pasta. The variety of ways you can use bone broth is endless –

only limited by your imagination!

Check out all the amazing

benefits of bone broth with

step-by-step instructions on

how to make it on the

Healthy Kids Happy Kids

post Amazing Bone Broth

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Mistake #5: Not Having a Natural Medicines Toolkit

So, besides Tylenol and Motrin, what do we have in our Natural Medicines Toolkit to

help our children’s body fight their infection and heal their fever naturally?

What I love about natural medicines is that they don’t just “stop” the fever. They

work with your child’s body to help his immune system fight the infection, bring

down the fever naturally, and get stronger in the process. So here are some options

to try. Once you learn how to use natural medicines and see how effective they are

in helping your child when she’s sick, you’ll want to learn more and more! Be sure to

keep following me on Healthy Kids Happy Kids to do just that!

There are many tools that you can use in your natural medicines toolkit. I will show

you how to use the tools that I find the easiest and most effective to use for our kids

when they’re sick:

Homeopathy

Herbal Medicine

Acupressure

Essential oils

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is one of the safest and gentlest, yet most effective and proven forms

of medicine to use when your child is sick. There are virtually no side effects, and no

interactions with any other medicines. This is why homeopathic medicines are often

my preferred choice of medicine for infants, and pregnant and nursing moms. Not

only that, virtually all kids LOVE these “sugar” pellets that are coated in the specific

homeopathic medicine. If you haven’t ever used homeopathic medicines, it’s

definitely time to try! To learn more about what homeopathic medicines are and

how to use them, just take a look at my blogposts What Is Homeopathy - Part 1

and What Is Homeopathy - Part 2.

Homeopathic medicines are individualized to your child’s specific symptoms. What

matters most is how he is experiencing his illness. For instance, your child may have

a cold with lots of sneezing, and watery runny nose; while her best friend with the

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

same cold has thick yellow nasal discharge and earache. A different homeopathic

medicine is chosen because each child has different symptoms, even though they

have the same cold virus. Rather than the one-size-fits-all approach of conventional

pediatrics, homeopathy allows the opportunity for a truly individualized approach.

The typical dosage for homeopathic medicines, regardless of age, is 3 pellets every

3-4 hours until your child is feeling better, but you can dose more frequently if

needed. There’s a vast array of homeopathic medicines that can be chosen to treat

your child when she’s sick. How do you choose? You’ve taken the first step by

following me on Healthy Kids Happy Kids. I promise – you’ll have the opportunity to

learn all about how to use homeopathic medicines effectively for your child.

In the meantime, when your child has a fever, these are 3 of the most common

homeopathic medicines that are used. Remember, try to match your child’s specific

symptoms to the description of the medicine:

Belladonna

• Use Belladonna when your child has a sudden high fever, their face is bright red and sweaty, and their pupils are dilated. They may even be delirious.

Aconitum napellus

• Use Aconitum napellus when your child has a sudden high fever, especially after exposure to cold windy weather, their face is red and dry, and they are very anxious and agitated.

Ferrum phosphoricum

• Use Ferrum phosphoricum when your child has a low-grade fever that comes on gradually. This is a great medicine to choose in the early stages of any illness without any other specific symptoms.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Herbal Medicine

There are many different herbs that are safe and effective for use in children. Herbal

medicines are essentially medicines made out of various parts of plants – seeds,

berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers. However, even though herbal medicines are

“natural”, they can have side effects and interactions with medications just like

drugs. So be sure to check with your doctor to make sure that what you’re giving

your child is safe for them.

My recommendations for herbal medicines for fevers and colds vary, but one of the

most effective and safest herbal medicines I recommend to kids with fevers is

Elderberry syrup. Not only is it effective against the flu and other viruses, it has very

few side effects (like diarrhea if you take too much), there are no known

contraindications, and it tastes delicious, too! The typical dosage for kids is 1-2

teaspoons 4x/day depending on their size, and for adults it’s 1 tablespoon 4x/day.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Acupressure

Acupressure uses gentle but firm touch on specific acupuncture points to help

provide relief for many of your child’s symptoms. Use the flat pads of your fingers or

thumb to apply firm pressure to the appropriate acupuncture point(s) for 1-5

minutes. You can apply continuous pressure, or massage the point in a circular

motion.

The best acupressure point to massage when your child has a fever is “Large

Intestine 4”:

Intestine Large 4

On the back of the hand, in the web

space between your thumb and index

finger. You can massage this point by

putting your thumb on the back of

your child’s hand just on top of the

web space, and your index finger on

the palm-side just opposite of your

thumb, and massaging vigorously.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Essential oils

Essential oils not only smell great, they also have amazing therapeutic power! They

are a fantastic way to alleviate many of your child’s symptoms. Each essential oil has

specific properties that determine what action it will have on our bodies and minds.

It’s important to use natural and pure essential oils from reputable manufacturers to

make sure that they have the therapeutic effect that you want.

Essential oils can be used in many different ways. Here are just a few:

• Diffused – Essential oils can be diffused into the air through a diffuser using

cool mist. Put 5 drops into the bowl of water and let the aroma fill the air!

• In the bath – you can put 5-10 drops into your child’s bath.

• Massaged – you can add 5 drops to a “carrier oil” like organic jojoba oil, and

massage onto feet or anywhere on the body. You can also massage oils

directly into the appropriate acupressure points to have an even more potent

effect on your child’s symptoms!

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

Essential oils that can help when your child has a fever:

Lavender

• You can use lavender anytime for its anti-inflammatory and stress-relieving

properties (for both mom and babe!). Lavender is calming and can help with

much-needed sleep when your child is sick.

Peppermint

• Use peppermint when your child is sweaty and hot with his fever, wants the

covers off, and wants cold drinks. Peppermint also helps to clear the mind

and relieve nausea and pain that can be associated with viral illnesses.

Cinnamon

• Use cinnamon when your child is shivering and cold with her fever, and wants

to be bundled up and drink warm drinks or soup.

© 2016 Elisa Song, MD

I hope you found this ebook helpful!

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more tools to feel ready to take charge of your family’s health… naturally!

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In health and happiness,

Elisa Song, MD