Taking Care of Kids Means Looking Beyond the Numbers

Ever-changing research now points to the idea that childhood fevers may actually be good for the body. National Health Services recently posted an article on its website that included an opinion piece written by expert pediatricians who no longer advise the use of medication to reduce a childhood fever. 

The article also included the following from the Daily Telegraph: “Parents should not give children with a mild fever regular spoonfuls of paracetamol and ibuprofen, doctors advise today, as they warn that doing so could extend their illness or put their health at risk.”

We know what fevers are and have heard the mixed reviews on research, but how do we combine the definition and research to make a logical decision on what to do when your child has a fever? First, you need to define average.

We all probably have been told since we were born that everyone is different and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others.Yet, when it comes to research we are expected to rely on the averages. For example, the average height for males may be 5-foot-6, but I’m six feet tall. Does that mean that I am abnormal and I should shave off a few inches to fit the average height? Of course not. Averages may be great for math problems, but don't always work so well for people. 

I believe that the reason the research on fevers and children is headed in a new direction is because you cannot put a living child with many unmeasurable characteristics into a calculation that only figures into it the measurable traits. The body’s inborn wisdom—running and healing itself—is immeasurable. If you don’t account for this, then research will not apply to everyone. 

While symptoms are not something I address at ChiroWay, it is a very common topic of discussion. The reason I find this topic a value in chiropractic is because it deals with the body’s inborn ability to heal itself and perform at its normal state.  The organizing intelligence to heal and run the body operates through the brain and nerve system. When infants and children have the opportunity to get their nerve system checked by a chiropractor, their inborn healing and regulatory system that operates through the nerve system functions better. 

Should you bring your child to a chiropractor if they have a fever? No, but children should visit a chiropractor so that they are able to live life at a higher potential regardless of whether they have a symptom (fever) or not. This will allow them to live a life closer to their normal potential, not average potential.