12/02/2022
It has been such a busy sick season and we aren’t halfway through it yet.
Wanted to put together a video, but as I hold a sick baby, this is the best chance I might get for a while.
As a mom pediatrician, I want you to know:
1. You don’t have to go to the doc every time your kid gets sick (as long as they are up to date with their vaccines)
2. We don’t have to test your kid every time they run a fever. It is okay not to know the name of the virus causing a fever
3. You can give them Tylenol (if >2mo) or Motrin (if >6mo) when they have a fever, but you don’t have to. The fever is the normal immune response, it’s ok not to treat a fever or bring it down
4. It’s ok to try to wait it out and see how your kid evolves over the course of the illness
5. It’s ok to trust your mom gut. If you have a sense that your kid is ok, trust yourself. If you have a sense that he/she is not, take them in.
6. It is ok (and quite frankly better) not to treat the flu with Tamiflu. That medicine is total junk and should be avoided at all cost
7. Rarely does a child need steroids. Rarely!
8. No temperature scares me in the vaccinated child over a year. 105, cool. 120, great. 350, bake a cake. Seriously, we aren’t in the 90s anymore. You don’t need to rush to the hospital for a vaccinated big kid with a 105* temp. (As long as they are still hydrated and interactive, albeit cranky)
Exceptions:
1. Remember any baby under 2 months with fever should get checked out
2. Any unvaccinated child with high fever should be checked out
3. Fever for more than 5 days- go to doc
4. If it isn’t getting better - go to a doc
Do you have a friend who could benefit from hearing practical advice in this terrible sick season? Tag a friend, share the love.
We will all make it through this sick season…
I hope 🙏🤞
