Is Fear of Fever Hurting Our Children?

[Guest guest]

http://64.41. 99.118/vran/ news_art/ articles/ fear_of_fever. htmIS FEAR OF FEVER HURTING OUR CHILDREN?By Edda West - VRAN Newsletter January-March, 20032003 Vaccination Risk Awareness Network Inc. CANADAAs paradigms go in the world of disease management, there is none moredeeply ingrained than the fear driven belief that without vaccinations weare doomed to attack from legions of killer diseases. It's shadow partner,"fear of fever" compels us to suppress fever whenever it arises and insuresour captivity to monopoly, sickness oriented medicine. Themedical/pharmaceuti cal empire flogs us with these tactics, imprinting fearin the collective psyche, the favourite tool with which they dominate themasses and usher us down the slippery slope of health breakdown

and drugdependency. Vaccinations and fever suppressants, along with the overuse of antibioticsand exposure to multiple chemical contaminants in the environment, are atthe root of the decline in children's health and vitality, manifesting atlarge in the disablement of immune function, neurological function, andupsurge of chronic diseases in large segments of society today. Children inparticular have been hit hard as they are the most vulnerable members ofsociety. New evidence is now emerging that fever suppressant drugs may beanother contributing factor to the explosive epidemic of neurodevelopmentaldisorders like autism. As loving and caring parents, we naturally want to help our children feelbetter when the inevitable fevers, flus, colds and various illnesses arisein childhood. Many will reach for popular over-the-counter remedies tosuppress fever and alleviate symptoms in the belief that these products

arereliable, effective, and safe. But how safe are they really? And what arethe risks when fever is suppressed and symptoms masked? Does fever have acritical function in fighting sickness that we have lost sight of?There is plenty of scientific evidence validating the benefits of fever infighting viral/bacterial inflammations and it's important role in thehealing process. Fever increases survival rate during infectious diseases -basic information that has yet to reach the majority of people who remainmisinformed and misled by pharmaceutical and medical propaganda which stillshamelessly advocates the use of antipyretic drugs at the first sign offever. The myth that untreated fevers will lead to seizures and braindamage is perpetuated ad nauseam. Fever is maligned, misunderstood and seenas an enemy to be feared rather than an ally that signals the immune systemgearing up for action. Aspirin was once commonly

used to suppress fever until it was linked toReye's syndrome when given to children with viral infections like influenzaand chickenpox. Reye's syndrome is an often fatal disease affecting thebrain and liver, a primary reason doctors switched to acetaminophen, whichwe now know to be the major cause of liver failure. One disaster afteranother! Acetaminophen is such a common ingredient used in both over-the-counter andprescription medications, people may be unaware of its presence in the manypopular brands of fever, pain, colds and flu medications. Health Canadarecently issued an alert cautioning that the overuse of theseover-the-counter remedies can lead to serious liver toxicity and death. "Parents should be especially cautious when giving children any productscontaining acetaminophen. For example, the parent of a child with aflu-like illness may use one product to treat the child's fever and anotherto treat a

runny nose, without realizing that both products contain thesame ingredients. A recently published article identified acetaminophenoverdose as the number one cause of acute liver failure in the US, and mostof these overdoses were unintentional. Often, several preparations of thesame brand (e.g. Tylenol Pain and Tylenol Sinus) or several medications forthe same symptoms (e.g. Tylenol Cold, Neo-Citran and Sinutab) are found inthe same household and, when used together, can result in an overdose." (1)It is important to understand that fever is not a disease, but rather asymptom of an illness. Controversies surrounding the management of fevercause enormous anxiety in parents, often resulting in a knee-jerk, fearbased reaction to kill the fever with drugs. As long as we remain captiveto the medical myth that nature made a mistake in causing fever to ariseduring illness, our children will be put at risk. There is an urgency

forus to re-examine our basic assumptions about the nature of fever and itsevolutionary role in the survival of the species. High fevers in some diseases like measles and roseola are needed in orderto discharge the virus. In a clinical study of 56 children during a measlesepidemic in Ghana, Africa in 1967, it was standard practice to treat everycase of measles with sedatives, antipyretics like aspirin and tylenol,cough suppressants, and also as needed with antibiotics. In the first halfof the epidemic, 35% of the children died. But the treating doctors alsoobserved that the children who survived were usually the ones who hadhigher fevers and more severe rashes than the ones who died. Although theones who died seemed less sick than the survivors at the beginning of theillness, they then later got pneumonia and died. At a vaccine risk conference in 2000, Dr. Philip Incao cited this study asan example of the

vital role of fever. "The doctors began to think that thehigher fevers and rash helped clear the measles virus from the body andenhanced survival. And so half way through this measles epidemic, thedoctors revised their treatment and gave no sedatives, no aspirin ortylenol, nor cough suppressants, but still gave antibiotics, antimalarialsand blood transfusions if needed. In this group, also of 56 children, only7% died compared to 35% in the first group. This is a dramaticdemonstration, and there are many others, of the vitally important basicprinciple that it is dangerous to suppress an inflammatory discharge.""Hippocrates recognized this over two thousand years ago. In anyinflammatory infectious disease, what is discharged out of the body can befrightening to look at, but that's not what kills us. What can kill uscomes from the toxic effects of what's left inside the body and what's notbeing discharged.What

I read in this study twenty years ago confirmed what I experienced inmy own practice, that the children who produced higher fevers and strongrashes, and good discharges of mucous and pus, were healthier and morerobust and had stronger immune systems than the children who produced a lowintensity of these symptoms. These robust children in my practice, whovigorously externalized and healed their infections spontaneously, oftenwithout antibiotics, had had little or no antibiotics, or antipyretics, orvaccinations in their lives. And the other children who had had all theirvaccinations, and lots of antipyretics, and antibiotics - who had had a lotof suppressive, internalizing medical treatments, these children never gothigh fevers. And these children were the ones who were more likely to haveallergies and autoimmune problems." (2)(top) The pervasive belief that fever is dangerous and must be suppresseddisregards the

scientific evidence demonstrating its beneficial role ininflammatory diseases. The immune system depends on the essential role offever to accomplish myriad tasks when gearing up to fight infections. NewZealand researcher Hilary Butler has assembled an impressive list ofcitations from medical literature to prove this point. We are grateful forher work, and include these excerpts as an addendum to this article."Doctors do a great disservice to you and your child when they prescribedrugs to reduce fever" says Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, pediatrician and authorof How To Raise A Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. "Fever phobia is adisease of pediatricians, not parents, and to the extent that parents arevictimized by it, doctors are at fault." Parents are left to fear thattheir child's temperature will keep rising unless measures are taken tocontrol it . "They don't tell you that reducing his temperature will donothing to

make the patient well or that our bodies have a built-inmechanism, not fully explained, that will prevent an infection-inducedtemperature from reaching 106 degrees F (41 degrees C) (3)Mendelsohn emphasizes that, "Only in the case of heatstroke, poisoning, orother externally caused fevers is this bodily mechanism overwhelmed andinoperative. " This would also include drug reactions and overdose.Fever: Your Body's Defense Against Disease is the title of chapter 7 in Dr.Mendeloshn's book, and undoubtedly one of the best guidelines ever writtenfor parents seeking a balanced and accurate perspective of the beneficialand defensive role of fevers in childhood. He condemns the useless anddangerous practice of fever suppression through drugs. "If your childcontracts an infection, the fever that accompanies it is a blessing, not acurse. The spontaneous release of pyrogens cause the body temperature torise, a natural defense

mechanism needed to fight disease. The presence offever tells you that the repair mechanisms of the body have gone into highgear. It is something to rejoice over, not to fear."(3)He counters the myth that high fever causes seizures. "Many parents arefearful of fevers because they have witnessed a convulsive seizure andbelieve that their child may experience one if his temperature is allowedto rise too high. High fevers do not cause convulsions. They result whenthe temperature rises at an extremely rapid rate and are relativelyuncommon. It is estimated that only 4 percent of children with high feverexperience fever related convulsions. There is no evidence that those whodo have them suffer any serious aftereffects as a result." (3)"Fevers produced by viral or bacterial infections will not cause braindamage or permanent physical harm. Fevers are a common symptom in childrenand are not an indication of serious

illness unless associated with majorchanges in appearance and behavior or other additional symptoms such asrespiratory difficulty, extreme listlessness or loss of consciousness. Theheight of a fever is not a measure of the severity of an illness." (3)Numerous studies have shown that fever enhances the immune response byincreasing mobility and activity of white cells called leucocytes whichdisable bacteria and viruses and remove damaged tissue from the body. Acomplex sequence of immune activities is activated by fever. Antiviral andantibacterial properties of interferon are also increased with fever. Witha rise in temperature, iron is removed from the blood and stored in theliver, further disabling the rate at which bacteria can multiply. Studiesof artificially induced fevers in laboratory animals infected with diseasehave shown that elevated temperatures enhance survival, while loweredtemperatures increase the death

rate. (4)There is an exception however. When fever arises in a newborn baby in thefirst few weeks of life, there is a heightened level of caution. "Newbornbabies may suffer from infections related to obstetrical interventionsduring delivery, prenatal or hereditary conditions, aspiration pneumoniafrom amniotic fluid forced into the lungs because of overmedication of themother during delivery…and exposure to the legion of germs that abound inthe hospital itself", writes Dr. Mendelsohn who advises parents to seekmedical help if a baby runs a fever in the first two months of life.Breastfeeding plays a critical role in preventing infections in infants.Breastfed babies are superbly protected from a vast range of pathogens andhave a lesser risk of developing fevers in the newborn phase of life.It is known that the blood-brain barrier is not intact until at least 6weeks of life. This is why fever in very young infants,

raises a bigcaution flag because of the ease with which pathogens, viruses/bacteria cangain access to the baby's brain/nervous system creating a higher risk formeningitis. When medical help is sought for a feverish infant under 6 weeksof age, it may lead to invasive procedures like spinal taps, antibiotics,steroids and fever suppressants, which are also not without risk. If aparent disagrees with the course of treatment, they are likely to encounterhostility from the medical staff, as recently happened to a Boise areamother who lost custody of her 5 week old baby when she took her to thelocal ER for a check up. The baby had been fussy and feverish all day, and the mother wanted to makesure everything was alright. She consented to blood tests, urinalysis,x-ray and I.V., but declined the spinal tap and wanted to wait for what thetest results might show. She calculated that there was about a 95% chanceher baby did

not have meningitis and likely had the same cold the familyhad just gotten over. Her decision to forgo the spinal tap and antibioticsprompted the hospital to call Child Protective Services and the baby wastaken from her. The doctor felt the child's life was in danger because themother refused "life-saving treatment", despite the fact that the baby hadimproved significantly after some hours on I.V.. It would seem prudent to protect newborn infants during this early,vulnerable time from exposure to any situation, or procedures that wouldput them at risk of developing fevers. Yet, the majority of newborns andyoung infants are vaccinated in the first 6-8 weeks of life. Doctors knowfull well that the injection of vaccine cocktails containing a brew ofviral/bacterial particles, foreign proteins, adjuvants and chemicalpreservatives will likely precipitate a feverish reaction in a large numberof babies. They even anticipate

this, and often advise parents to dose thechild with "baby tylenol" prior to going in for the shot(s). And in theaftermath of vaccination, the standard reassurance given to worried parentscalling the doctor's office with a fussy, feverish newly vaccinated baby,is "It's perfectly normal - nothing to worry about. Just give the baby sometylenol."In their determination to initiate vaccine agendas as soon as possible,there is a curious and willful blindness amongst doctors in the vaccineestablishment. Why is there no concern about the impact of vaccine inducedfevers in infants during this critical early period of life? Why is it thatif a spontaneous fever arises in the newborn, it is viewed as a potentialmedical emergency, but if the fever is vaccine induced, it is brushed offas "normal" and parents are advised to suppress it with antipyretics? The medical mindset that imposes vaccine schedules in early

infancyviolates a fundamental precautionary principle which disregards thefragility of the baby and the vulnerability of the immature brain/nervoussystem/immune system. Just look at the double standard operative here. Onthe one hand parents are cautioned to seek immediate medical help if feverdevelops in the newborn, yet are heavily pressured to submit their babiesto multiple vaccines without regard for the fact that these injections arethe primary cause of fever in young infants. Fever is knowingly inducedduring these early weeks of life, when all common sense and instinct shouldprevail to protect the infant from this outcome.It is not only the vaccine induced fevers which raise a caution. While thefever signals the infant's immune response to the artificially implantedviral/bacterial and chemical agents he/she is forced to cope with, thebigger question is - what deeper affect do these toxic substances have,

nowthat they have access to the blood stream, vital organs and the immaturebrain/nervous system? And what additional insult to injury occurs when theresulting fever is then manipulated with antipyretic drugs preventing thenormal mobilization of the immune system? A new theory regarding a potential cause of autism is currently beingexplored by Dr. Anthony R. Torres, M.D., Senior Scientist and Director ofthe BioMedical Lab at Utah State University. His hypothesis questionswhether fever suppression is involved in the etiology of autism andneurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Torres is investigating evidence suggesting that the etiology of autisminvolves infections of the pregnant mother or of a young child. "Mostinfections result in fever that is routinely controlled with antipyreticssuch as acetaminophen. The blocking of fever inhibits processes thatevolved over millions of years to protect against microbial

attack. Immunemechanisms in the central nervous system are part of this protectiveprocess." (4)(top) "Pathological infections, including vaccinations, commonly result in fever.For example, 50-60% of young children develop fever after receiving MMRvaccine", and are routinely treated with fever suppressants. Many parentsreport their children slipped into autism following MMR shots. Dr. Torreshas also found that "43% of mothers with an autistic child experiencedupper respiratory tract, influenza-like, urinary or vaginal infectionsduring pregnancy compared to only 26% of control mothers", suggesting thatin some cases autism may be linked to the "sequella of pathogenicinfections, especially those of viral origin."(4)Suppressing fever during pregnancy and labour may effect the fetus asresearch has shown that acetaminophen "significantly decreased maternal andfetal serum IL-6", an immune factor the infant is

incapable of producing atbirth and depends on from the mother.(4) A press release (Oct./02) from theBritish Thoracic Society cautions that a recent study links paracetamol, anacetaminophen based drug similar to tylenol to childhood asthma when usedby the mother in late pregnancy.(5) The central nervous system and scores of factors in the immune system worksynergistically to achieve optimum immune function. What affects oneaffects the other. Dr. Torres points to evidence that acetaminophen is animmunosuppresive agent. In highly technical language, he describes thecomplex activities launched by the immune system and the many signalsrelayed to control centres in the brain when the body is fightingpathogenic organisms. The activation of pyrogens stimulates the rise offever and "production of various cytokines (immune cells) from organs inthe viscera (gut)" - the gut being the primary and largest immune organ ofthe

body. Key signals carried along the vagus nerve which connects thegut/brain immune pathways, and which are normally mediated byprostaglandins, can be blocked by antipyretics like acetaminophen, therebyderailing the complex sequences of immune signals that flow between the gutand the brain. (4)Dr. Torres postulates that the blockage of fever with antipyretics, whetherinduced by infections or vaccinations, interferes with normal immunologicaldevelopment in the brain, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders incertain genetically and immunologically disposed individuals. The effectsmay occur in utero or at a very young age when the immune system is rapidlydeveloping. (4)Kathy Blanco, President of CHILDSCREEN www.childscreen. org herself a motherof autistic children, predicts that these findings will not be popular withmainstream medicine and are "potentially a public relations time bomb".Searching for advice on

fevers and vaccine reactions on the internet,Blanco found that the majority advise, 'If your child has a fever during areaction to a vaccine, give them acetaminophen' ."This all too common advice may actually cause autism. However, if Dr.Torres' groundbreaking theory proves true, it could be the means of savingthousands of children from becoming autistic." Currently, a tremendous amount of fear is being whipped up over theoutbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in this country.Health officials are in an uproar, even hinting that this may be the "BigOne" - the pandemic they've been anticipating for years, even though it'snot influenza. Draconian quarantine measures are being implemented, andsome sources are speculating whether this is a training exercise to testthe population's willingness to submit to quarantine in preparation forbiowarfare attack. To date there has been no definitive identification

ofthe pathogen, although there is speculation that it is a form of coronavirus, the family of viruses found in the common cold. At one point it wasthought it might be related to the paramyxo virus which is related tomeasles and canine distemper -there's even speculation that chlamydia couldbe involved. The measles virus has been mutating and its footprintidentified in some nasty cases of encephalitis and respiratory infectionsin Asia in recent years. Already plans are rolling to start vaccinedevelopment which is surprising since the virus or viral combination is yetto be identified.Early reports described SARS as beginning with a dry cough that keepsgetting worse, and that some people get headache, body ache, a"skyrocketing fever or blotchy rash on their bodies", and as illnesses go,this one seems fairly "vicious". Treatment? People are given a "battery ofdrugs - cocktails of antibiotics and antiviral medications"

..(6) They'reprobably getting strong doses of fever suppressants as well……which has leftme wondering whether antipyretics diminished the immune capabilities ofthose who have died from SARS. Is this one of those diseases that needs ahigh fever to rally the immune system to optimal output? Are the aggressivemedical treatments actually creating a higher risk of death?Homeopathic and Naturopathic healing modalities have a long and trustedhistory in the prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases. One of thegreatest antivirals known is vitamin C, which has been used with stupendoussuccess in both the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Highlyeffective treatment protocols have been developed by administeringascorbates of vitamin C intravenously in critical situations and aredocumented in medical literature and accessible through Dr. RobertCathcart's website with links to Dr. Klenner, and Linus Pauling.

(7)Intravenous vitamin C should be available for every patient facing acuteand critical illnesses, but the current medical monopoly blocks access tothis simple and highly effective treatment. Writes health activist Croft Woodruff, "In the spring of 2000 I referred ayoung relative, who was suffering from an acute case of mononucleosis, to amedical doctor who administered four separate intravenous injections ofvitamin C as sodium ascorbate over as many days. The results were quitedramatic. The patient recovered completely, albeit with a newly acquiredrespect for the power of vitamin C as a healing agent."Our mistrust of natural processes, and reliance on drug oriented medicinehas obscured our understanding of the importance of childhood illnesses andthe necessity of fever as a vital aspect of the maturation of the immunesystem enabling a strong & resilient foundation of health to evolve. Whenwe discard the

old fears and lift the veil of ignorance, we are thenempowered to see with our innate intelligence, the real picture unfoldingin front of us - and recognize that the artificial manipulation ofchildren's immune systems, via mass vaccination programs, indiscriminateuse of antipyretics and antibiotics, rather than protecting, is threateningtheir health - their future.The encouraging and wise words of Dr. Incao may help us shed old fears andembrace a new relationship to Nature - "Every childhood inflammation, everycold, sore throat, earache, fever and rash is a healing crisis and acleansing process, a strong effort by the human spirit to remodel the body,to make it a more suitable dwelling. Anthroposophic and homeopathicremedies aid and promote this cleansing process and help the illness towork its way out of the body so that healing can occur."(8) In a personalconversation recently, Dr. Incao reminded me that - " It

takes a while tofree our mind from the imprisonment, and our need to adhere to politicalcorrectness for fear of being judged radical. Illness is part of life. Itis not alien or abnormal and has to be accepted as a part of life. Everybreakdown is a spiritual growth opportunity. We need to learn how to dealwith and work through it - this is part of the new paradigm." ReferencesHealth Canada Advisory, Feb. 13/2003: www.hc-sc.gc. ca/english/ iyh/ Philip Incao, M.D. - excerpt from a talk given at NVIC conference 2000 Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. How To Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of YourDocotor. Anthony R. Torres, M.D.-Is Fever Suppression Involved In The Etiology OfAutism And Neurodevelopmental Disorders?" http://autism. rollingdigital. com 5. Press Release, British Thoracic Society (BTS), 28/10/2002http://www.brit- thoracic. org.uk/admin/ action.lasso? -database= btsnews & - layout=cgi & - response=news_ detail.html & -op=eq & id= 209 & -search The Globe & Mail, Mar.17/03 -Cause of Deadly Pneumonia Still EludesScientists 7 Dr. Robert Cathcart MD: at: http://www.orthomed .com/ 8 Philip Incao, M.D. Chapter on How To Treat Childhood Illnesses, pge. 61;The Vaccination Dilemma, and personal communication, April, 2003 Sources of Complimentary and Alternative Healing Modalities:-Fever in children: A Blessing in Disguise, by Linda B White, M.D. andSunny Mavor, Mothering Magazine, Issue 95, July/August, 1999, available online at:www.mothering. com -Sheri Nakken website -

great links to homeopathic sources of informationhttp://www.nccn. net/~wwithin/ vaccine.htm. -Alternatives & Antidotes to Infectious Diseases - Year end VRANNewsletter, 2001, lists many alternative healing modalities - availableelectronically at: info (top) EXTRACTS FROM MEDICAL LITERATURE: TYLENOL, PARACETAMOL, IBUPROFEN etc.Compiled by Hilary ButlerCould the increase in all forms of meningitis and other infectious diseasecomplications and deaths be because for the last 40+ years, the first thingparents do at the slightest sign of temperature is push paracetamol? Ibelieve so, because what you weren't told was this: "Not all fevers

need to be treated but many physicians do so to relieveparental concern." (Eur J Ped 1994 Jun; 153 (6): 394-402) "An elevation in temperature following bacterial infection results in asignificant increase in host survival" (Science 1975 Apr 11; 188 (4184):166-8)"Many components of the nonspecific host defence response to infection suchas leukocyte mobility, lymphocyte transformation, and the effects ofinterferon, appear to be enhanced by elevations in temperature thatsimulate moderate fevers. In addition, some evidence indicates that a feverin conjunction with the changes in plasma iron levels known to occur duringinfections is a synergistic host defence response." (Pediatrics 1980, No:66 (5) : 720 - 723)"Parental fever phobia and its correlates.. .surprising, highersocioeconomic status was not associated with a lesser degree of feverphobia...undue fear and overly aggressive treatment of fever are

epidemicamong parents of infants and young children, even among the highly educatedand well-to-do. considerable effort will be required on the part ofpediatricians and other child health workers to reeducate parents about thedefinition, consequences and appropriate treatment of fever." (Pediatrics1985 June;75 (6) 1110-1113)"There is no convincing evidence that naturally occuring fevers areharmful. In contrast, animal studies have shown that fever helps animals tosurvive and infection whereas antipyretic increases mortality. Moreoverthere is considerable in vitro evidence that a variety of humanimmunological defences function better at febrile temperatures than atnormal one." (The Lancet, Volume 337, March 9, 1991)"Many cytokines are endogenous mediators of fever including interleukin(IL) -, 1 beta, IL-6 and others. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha may be both anendogenous pyrogen and an endogenous antipyretic or

cryogen."(Neuroimmunomodulat ion 1995 Jul-Aug; 2 (4):216-223)"There is overwhelming evidence in favor of fever being an adaptive hostresponse to infection... as such, it is probable that the use ofantipyretic/ anti-inflammator y/analgesic drugs, when they lead tosuppression of the fever, result in increased morbidity and mortalityduring most infections; this morbidity and mortality may not be apparent tomost health care workers..." Infect Dis Clin North Am 1996 Mar;10 (1) : 1-20.)Acetaminophen can induce pneumonia... 'These finding suggest that allergicmechanism was involved in the pathogenesis of the pneumonitis. Underlyingimmunological disorders may have enhanced the occurrence." Nihon KyobuShikkan Gakkai Sasshi 1997 Sep; 35 (9) 974-9) There are other reports ofthis as well..."the results suggest that lung disease (rheumatoid lung) associated withcollagen vascular diseases may be exacerbated by

drug-induced(acetaminophen) pneumonitis. " Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Sasshi 1997 Oct;35 (10) 1113-1118)"Despite our lack of knowledge about its therapeutic mechanism, it has beenclaimed to be a safe drug, especially for children... paracetamol syrup(presumably for children) is extensively prescribed in largevolumes...There is mounting evidence that paracetamol is not the benigndrug that it was formally thought to be... We would question the wholerationale of prescribing the drug in near epidemic proportions. If it is tobe used as a placebo, then it is a very dangerous placebo... The wholeplace of paracetamol prescribing for children has been questioned. Whilethere is little concern about its use in the short term as an analgesic,there is considerable controversy over its use as an antipyretic. ...thereis little evidence to support the use of paracetamol to treat fever inpatients without heart or lung disease.

Paracetamol may decrease antibodyresponse to infection and increase morbidity and mortality in severeinfections.. .too many parents and health workers think that fever is badand needs to be suppressed by paracetamol when, indeed, moderate fever mayimprove the immune response...the use of paracetamol in children with acuteinfection did not result in an improvement in mood, comfort, appetite orfluid intake." (Family Practice, Volume 13, No 2, 1996 pgs 179 - 181)"Fever is rarely harmful. Only extremely high fevers of 42.2C or 108 F orhigher have been known to cause brain damage. Only fevers of 40.5C or 105Fand higher need immediate attention, mainly because they are a clue that aserious infection could be present "(such as meningitis) (Sunday StarTimes, May 3, 1998, C3) doctor's column."Paracetamol has no antipyretic benefits over mechanical antipyreses alonein ..malaria. Moreover, paracetamol prolongs parasite

clearance time,possible by decreased production of TNF and oxygen radicals. " (Lancet1997;350:704- 709)"The data suggest that frequent administration of antipyretics to childrenwith infectious disease may lead to a worsening of their illness." (ActaPaed. Jpn 1994 Aug;36 (4) 375-378)"Fever is an important indicator of disease and should not be routinelysuppressed by antipyretics. ..fever may actually benefit the host defensemechanism... fever is short-lived and causes only minor discomfort.. .routineantipyretic therapy should be avoided byt may be necessary in individualpatients with cardiovascular or neurologic disorders."( Infect Dis ClinNorth Am 1996 Mar;10 (1) 211-216)"Studies of bacterial and viral-infected animals have shown that moderatefevers decrease morbidity and increase survival rate" (Yale J Biol Med 1986Mar-April; 59 (2) : 89-95)"Antipyretic drugs are effective in diminishing fever,

but have significantside effects and may suppress signs of ongoing infections" (Arch Intern Med1990, Aug; 150 (8): 1589-1597)Meningococcal Disease: "use of analgesics were associated withdisease...analgesic use was defined as analgesics taken in the past 2weeks, excluding, for cases, those taken for identified early symptoms ofmeningococcal disease. These analgesics were predominantly acetaminophenproducts.... ..because analgesics showed a stronger relationship withmeningococcal disease, the use of analgesics may be a better measure ofmore severe illness than reported individual symptoms.... we cannot excludethe possibility that acetaminophen use itself is a risk factor formeningococcal disease" (Ped Infec Dis, Oct 2000, Vol 19, No 10, 983-990)"Antipyretics prolong illness in patients with Influenza A.... The durationof illness was significantly prolonged from 5 days(without) to 8 1/2 days(with).

Pharmacotherapy 2000, 20: 417-422) Take two aspirin, prolong theflu - 2 January 2001 Anne Burke, HealthScout Reporter (also reported byReuters medical news...) "Taking aspirin or Tylenol for the flu actuallyprolongs the illness by up to 3 1/2 days, say researchers at the Universityof Maryland. That is because fever may be the body's natural way offighting an infection and taking aspirin or acetaminophen - the genericname for products such as Tylenol - may interefere with the process. "Youare messing with Mother Nature," Says Dr Leland Rickman, an associateclinical professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego."An elevated temperature may actually help the body fight the infectionquicker or better than if you don't have a fever.Whatever you do, don'tgive aspirin or Tylenol to children who have the flu or any other viralillness", Rickman said:"These results suggest that the systematic suppression of

fever may not beuseful in patients without severe cranial trauma or significant hypoxemia.Letting fever take its natural course does not seem to harm patients withsystemic inflammatory response syndrome, or influence the discomfort levelAND MAY SAVE COSTS." (wow!!!) (Arch Intern Med 2001, Jan 8; 161 (1) 121-123)Chickenpox treated with Tylenol/Ibuprofen provokes bacterial skininfections into fulminant necrotising fasciitis (Pediatr I(Pediatrics Vol103, No 4, April 1999, 783-784 and 785-790) (Infect Med 1999 16 (5):307)Just two of many references for antipyretic induced complications ofchickenpox. (In MMWR - May 15, 1998, Vol 47 No 18. All cases of Varicellarelated deaths were treated with antipyretics. No causal association wasinvestigated or ascribed. The "solution" to the problem was considered tobe mandatory vaccination. ) Hilary Butler - "What you do as a parent, is your choice. Make sure that itis an

"informed" choice. Get the articles referenced, do a med-line search- retrieve any others. READ the whole articles. Give them to your doctor toread, and discuss them with him/her. Most importantly, if you feel yourchild has an immunodeficiency, get your child tested so that you know whatyou are dealing with. How a child handles any infectious disease isdependant upon the immune system inherited, nutritional status, life-style,environment and resultant stresses and how the child reacts to them. Thechoice is yours."With appreciation to Hilary Butler and The Immunization Awareness Society,New Zealand for their permission to reprint this review, published in WAVES- Vol. 14, No. 4, 2002My child was born perfectly healthy, full of life. He had the potential to achieve anything in life that he would have chosen to do. Because of a short sighted medical system that

failed, my child is now a semi vegetative little boy who is lost in his own tortured world of mercury induced autism.When I look upon other healthy six year old children who are playing, communicating and living normal lives, I wonder what might have been with my little boy. I am sure I am not alone in my thoughts. This is a painful and very tragic occurrence. - Courtney L. Zietzke , A Parent.

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Travel.