Is It Harmful for Your Baby To Always be Prescribed Antibiotics?

Many of the conditions children suffer from are viral, and you do not treat viral illnesses with antibiotics. A viral infection takes it course. Even if you give medication, it will just take its course. Antibiotics are anti-bacterial, and a virus is different from a bacteria.

That's why it's important for you to know whether your child's illness is viral or bacterial.

Also some antibiotics are known to be autotoxic when consumed in large amounts. In general, antibiotics should be used very carefully. The problem is that the body builds resistance to it when overused and abused.

Common Causes of Very High Fever in Kids

Fever, or body temperature greater than 37.2 degrees Celsius (oral) or greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius (rectal), is a telltale sign of an infection, but the height of the fever is a poor gauge of the seriousness of the illness. Simple infections may cause very high fever while potentially fatal infections may have low grade fever. The most common causes of very high fever in children are:

1. Tonsillitis
   
2. Ear infections
3. Typhoid fever
4. Urinary tract infection
5. Flu
6. Benign viral infections presenting with high fever and rashes, such as roseola and fifth disease

Call your doctor if:

• Your child is 5 weeks old or younger
• Oral temperature is 38.3 degrees Celsius or higher
• Your child is lethargic, irritable (crying for hours even with minimal stimulation, cannot be consoled), coughing, or has difficulty breathing, a stiff neck or a seizure.
  

How to tell if a child has an Ear Infection

Most Children affected by otitis media do not yet have sufficient speech and language skills to tell someone what is bothering them. That often makes the disorder hard to detect. Parent and caregivers should watch for these common signs.

• Unusual irritability

• Difficulty sleeping

• Tugging or pulling at one or both ears

• Fluid draining from the ear

• Loss of balance

• Unresponsiveness to quiet sounds or other signs of hearing difficulty such as sitting too close to the television or being inattentive

If you notice any of these in a child, consult the doctor. The doctor can diagnose an ear infection by examining ears with special light instrument. Prompt treatment can relieve pain, cure the infection and prevent permanent hearing loss.