I’ve been at home for two days and counting with a sick feverish infant. Little Pod has been running a fever and throwing up. We just got back from the doctor’s office. Everything is okay; the doctor just said to keep giving her liquids and getting her rest. Right now she’s sleeping on my shoulder.
So here’s the next post on “stuff to make you cool,” or in this case, stuff to help you help others. If you’re ever in a poorer country and you meet an infant who is vomiting, feverish, and has diarrhea, make sure he or she drinks ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution). Diarrhea kills millions of kids each year–more than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined. It kills children by dehydrating them. But there’s a simple solution: ORS.
Here’s the recipe: a handful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a liter of clean water. Just mix it up and give it to the child to drink. It’s that easy: read more here (photo credit). As I understand it, the water provides valuable liquid, salt provides the electrolytes, and sugar makes it taste better. It can save a child’s life.
(Above I said to use this if you’re in a poorer country. If you’re in a richer country, Pedialyte or Gatorade tastes much better. The principle is still the same; make sure your children get enough water and electrolytes if their sickness is causing them to expel water and electrolytes.)
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I hope Little Pod gets better quick! Being sick sucks. And yeah, I was going to say that Pedialyte works too.
Thanks, TZ! Pod gets scary feverish, so I was vigilant with the Gatorade the whole day. I think she still has it, but hopefully it’ll be gone soon!
Yikes! Is she feeling better now? I hope she gets well soon.
Thanks, Dinobot!
She’s actually pretty sick. It was worse than we originally thought. However, she’s on prescription medication right now, and we’re expecting her to get better this week.
Hey jaewhan, that’s some pretty scary stuff. I feel sorry for your little one. Hope she gets better soon.
Oh, poor thing! Feel better soon, little Pod!
Thanks Leon and RCR!
Her fever topped out around 105 every day last week. That’s considered very dangerous–103 is supposed to be the max. Now it tops at around 102, which is an improvement. Thanks for your well wishes!
good gawd, jaehwan! hope the little one gets better soon…i’d have thought she’d be under hospital observation with such a dangerously high fever.
Yikes, I just read 105°!!! But correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t juvenile fevers tend to run hotter than adult fevers? I seem to remember reading that somewhere.
Anyway, i hope that your little bundle of joy is doing better now?
Thanks, guys!
Yes, not sure how hot we adults get. The doc just said to be careful when it hits 103 for the kids. She’s still fighting it–not yet ready to go back to the normal routine, and she woke up at 4 am this morning, but I think she’s getting better.
It’s been a couple of days, so I hope she’s feeling better now
^ The smiley above should actually look more like this:
8o
or
D:
Thanks, Dino!
Her fever just broke yesterday. It was pretty bad–and she shed two pounds off her already low weight–but hopefully she can start building it back up. She was eating like crazy yesterday to make up for lost time.
Thank goodness! Well if there’s a silver lining, the weekend is coming soon so you’ll be able to fatten her up with lots of ice cream, lol :p
Definitely! That’s the plan!