All About HFMD

[Blobbi]

BlurBee:

Ya hor, didn't think of making the yakult/vitagen ice cubes. Make some ice cubes using the milk formula but he doesn't want.
So far for today he only took 160ml of FM when he woke up.

Hang in there, BlurBee. Hopefully the fever's not too bad. Don't know if it really works, but I have two water pillows from Guardian for my son to sleep on if he has a fever. We keep interchanging when one heats up.

[BlurBee]

Blobbi:

Hang in there, BlurBee. Hopefully the fever's not too bad. Don't know if it really works, but I have two water pillows from Guardian for my son to sleep on if he has a fever. We keep interchanging when one heats up.

Thank you Blobbi.
Luckily his fever is not too bad. We have some cool packs but he doesn't like it.

[atrecord]

BlurBee:

Thank you Blobbi.

Luckily his fever is not too bad. We have some cool packs but he doesn't like it.

Think most kids will not take well to the cool packs. Mine screamed like they were whacked whenever we had to do that to them.

Then again, I once attended a talk by a pediatrician from KK that cool packs do not really work, and neither will the age-old method of covering the kids with thick clothes and blankets hoping that they will sweat (the latter might even make it really bad...).

A better way to help them lose some body heat when fever really goes beyond 39C is to sponge them using slightly wet cloth (warm water). Be very sure that the room is not cold or windy though, as while sponging helps the hot body to lose heat, if the body is wet and there is wind blowing, the body sensor will detect it to be that it is very cold outside and the body should generate more heat to counter this (exactly the same principle as when even healthy adult will shiver in the cold - to generate heat by movement of muscles) effect. If that happens, the body temp may go up even more...

[BlurBee]

atrecord:

A better way to help them lose some body heat when fever really goes beyond 39C is to sponge them using slightly wet cloth (warm water). Be very sure that the room is not cold or windy though, as while sponging helps the hot body to lose heat, if the body is wet and there is wind blowing, the body sensor will detect it to be that it is very cold outside and the body should generate more heat to counter this (exactly the same principle as when even healthy adult will shiver in the cold - to generate heat by movement of muscles) effect. If that happens, the body temp may go up even more...

Thank you for the info. Always use ice water to sponge them thinking this will bring down the fever. Will use warm water next time.

[auntieM]

My DS had a few encounters of over 40 kind high fever when he was younger. I was told to give shower and leave hair wet to cool the head, then he would be dressed in just briefs/diapers.

It really works in making son more comfy.

[atrecord]

BlurBee:

Thank you for the info. Always use ice water to sponge them thinking this will bring down the fever. Will use warm water next time.

wah... cannot arrh... the reason why sponging helps is because it leaves a thin film of water (should not be above body temp) on the skin, which when evaporates, will bring heat (from the body) with it, thus reducing the temp not too drastically.

if use ice water, yes, the temp difference is larger, but it might trigger the body as explained eariler, to produce heat to counter this sudden coldness.

[atrecord]

auntieM:

My DS had a few encounters of over 40 kind high fever when he was younger. I was told to give shower and leave hair wet to cool the head, then he would be dressed in just briefs/diapers.

It really works in making son more comfy.

This is the extreme measure taken when it's really close to emergency.

Have you ever heard of the treatment for someone who has heat stroke? Remove the clothes and put inside a water tank to bring body heat down as much and as quickly as possible.

In any case, do not let him catch a cold so ensure got no wind when he finishes...

[auntieM]

Yup atrecord,

At 40-41 degrees that's why no choice. DS didn't have to go through all that for a long while now

[atrecord]

auntieM:

Yup atrecord,

At 40-41 degrees that's why no choice. DS didn't have to go through all that for a long while now

DD had touched 40.3C before and it was indeed worrying. We have by now become quite seasoned. At 38.5C we'll give bifen (betw 37 and 38.5 we just give paracetamol). If however, we missed the 38.5C part and only detected the spike when it exceeded 39C (which normally happened when kids are asleep), we'll give suppository immediately as it is much faster in bringing down the temp.

If temp is slow in coming down after giving either bifen or suppository, then we'll supplement by sponging.

[ChiefKiasu]

insider:

HFMD is getting into full gear now. I have about 25% of my centres (in terms of number of centres) have it. MCYS is busy with all the advisories letters to parents and officers are busy handling parents' calls..,

Thanks insider, for the reminder. I didn't realize it was back in season. Definitely not something to play play about. If only all parents commit to not sending their sick kids to school, then we will have no epidemic.