Fever and its treatment
The heat in fever arises through an increase in metabolic activity in the body’s muscular system, the rise in temperature through throttling the blood flow to the skin. Thus at the start of a fever the child is pale and cool and in extreme cases suffers from shivering fits in all the muscles until the fever has reached the point set by the organism. In many diseases in which the body is challenged to overcome and come to terms with something, fever provides decisive assistance in achieving that goal. Other bodily functions such as eating, digestion, sense perception, an interest in the surroundings, play, etc. are subdued or restricted for the benefit of generating the fever.
Before dealing in greater detail with the meaning of fever in respect of the child's organism, we will look at and discuss the typical courses of fever, the assessment and treatment of fever at home and so-called febrile seizures.
Before dealing in greater detail with the meaning of fever in respect of the child's organism, we will look at and discuss the typical courses of fever, the assessment and treatment of fever at home and so-called febrile seizures.
When does fever occur ?
The most frequent cause which makes the organism develop a fever is infectious diseases. Here the mostly harmless flu-like infections of the airways, throat and ears represent the large majority of fever-producing diseases in childhood. Identifying serious infections is a matter of experience and frequently also of instinctive assessment. Serious infections require medical support.
Fever can also have other causes. It can occur through overheating or heat accumulation : in infants, for example, through blankets and baby bonnets which are too hot in heated rooms, sleeping in the sun or in cars standing in the sun. An infant can also suffer heat accumulation when he or she sleeps in the parental bed (cf. p. 193). Dehydration can lead to a rise in body temperature, particularly as a result of diarrhoea and vomiting (p. 103 ff.). Fever, in turn, leads to a clearly greater need for fluid so that in the case of illness care must be taken to ensure sufficient fluid intake. Drinks for children who are vomiting should nevertheless be provided cautiously despite the fever so as to avoid vomiting immediately after the drink, leading to a vomiting fit (see under diarrhoea and vomiting on page 104). Much movement can also raise body temperature. At rest it normalises in about 1/2 hour.
Taking temperature, assessment and treatment
The temperature of children should preferably be taken in the rectum. Care should be taken to ensure that the child is lying comfortably on his or her side and that the tip of the thermometer disappears fully into the rectum.
Infants and small children should lie on their back. The bent legs are gently held at the back of the thighs with one hand while the other hand holds the thermometer like a spoon and uses the little finger to brace the hand against the child’s bottom. In this way the thermometer cannot injure the child if there is a sudden movement (see fig. 21, p. 420). One to three minutes are sufficient for taking the temperature. If there is a suspected inflammatory disease in the abdomen such as appendicitis, for example, the temperature is additionally taken under the armpit to determine the difference. Take care to ensure that the tip of the thermometer is positioned in the middle of the armpit and the upper arm is resting on the chest. Shoulder and arm should be covered. Here the temperature should be taken for five minutes. The measured values are, nevertheless, imprecise. As a rule the core body temperature is five increments, i.e. 0.5° C higher than when measured under the armpit. With appendicitis the difference is mostly greater than 0.5° C (see p. 42f.).
Young people and adults prefer to measure their temperature in the mouth. In that case we recommend a second thermometer in the house marked for that purpose. Measurement time and accuracy correspond to the rectal measurement.
What thermometer ? We recommend a mercury-free Geratherm thermometer whose content is less poisonous if it breaks and can easily be wiped up with a soap solution. The widely-used battery thermometers are unreliable (battery discharges, two-year calibration, batteries are hazardous waste). Infrared thermometers are also unreliable in children and totally unsuitable for diseases of the ears. Temple and forehead thermometers are too imprecise.
How high can the temperature be ? There is no generalised answer to that question. Exceptions are : a newborn who has a temperature above 38° C for several hours must be taken to the paediatrician ; if he or she refuses to drink or does not look well this should be done without any delay. A fever which rises above 40.5° C or which fluctuates by more than 1.5° C up or down (without a reduction in temperature by chemical means) also requires the attention of a doctor. Otherwise the following rule applies : what do I know about – what don't I know about ?
Infants and small children should lie on their back. The bent legs are gently held at the back of the thighs with one hand while the other hand holds the thermometer like a spoon and uses the little finger to brace the hand against the child’s bottom. In this way the thermometer cannot injure the child if there is a sudden movement (see fig. 21, p. 420). One to three minutes are sufficient for taking the temperature. If there is a suspected inflammatory disease in the abdomen such as appendicitis, for example, the temperature is additionally taken under the armpit to determine the difference. Take care to ensure that the tip of the thermometer is positioned in the middle of the armpit and the upper arm is resting on the chest. Shoulder and arm should be covered. Here the temperature should be taken for five minutes. The measured values are, nevertheless, imprecise. As a rule the core body temperature is five increments, i.e. 0.5° C higher than when measured under the armpit. With appendicitis the difference is mostly greater than 0.5° C (see p. 42f.).
Young people and adults prefer to measure their temperature in the mouth. In that case we recommend a second thermometer in the house marked for that purpose. Measurement time and accuracy correspond to the rectal measurement.
What thermometer ? We recommend a mercury-free Geratherm thermometer whose content is less poisonous if it breaks and can easily be wiped up with a soap solution. The widely-used battery thermometers are unreliable (battery discharges, two-year calibration, batteries are hazardous waste). Infrared thermometers are also unreliable in children and totally unsuitable for diseases of the ears. Temple and forehead thermometers are too imprecise.
How high can the temperature be ? There is no generalised answer to that question. Exceptions are : a newborn who has a temperature above 38° C for several hours must be taken to the paediatrician ; if he or she refuses to drink or does not look well this should be done without any delay. A fever which rises above 40.5° C or which fluctuates by more than 1.5° C up or down (without a reduction in temperature by chemical means) also requires the attention of a doctor. Otherwise the following rule applies : what do I know about – what don't I know about ?
Signs of fever and treatment
If a child is different from the way he or she normally is, if he or she "does not look right", then the child should be observed more closely : movements, eyes, facial expression, nasal wings and respiration. Is the tongue dry ? Do the eyes have dark rings ? Feel the temperature on the forehead, back of the neck, body and limbs. Palpate the body. Take the temperature as described. If you are unfamiliar with the observed condition or have other concerns, you should consult the doctor at the surgery or seek advice by phone.
If the skin on the limbs feels cool – particularly the calves – and if the thermometer shows e.g. 38.5° C, we can be certain that the temperature will rise further. The body is not yet in a position to release heat at the periphery. In this phase cool leg wraps should on no account be given ! Calves and feet only become hot when the temperature has finished rising and the body wants to give off heat. "Hot" pulse wraps with arnica essence have proved effective (see p. 677f.). The child should additionally be covered warmly and might even be given a little "hot" tea.
Once the skin feels hot down as far as the calves, calf or leg wraps or cool rinses are indicated if the temperature rises above 39° C. These support the body in its attempt to give off excess heat through the skin (see p. 678f.). But these measures should only be adopted if they are pleasant for the child. They can be accompanied by naturopathic suppositories such as fever and teething suppositories, Aconitum / China comp. or Viburcol. As a rule the fever can be held at between 39 and 40° C in this way which is well tolerated by most children. It is better to keep the fever at a certain level than to provoke major fluctuations which place a great stress on the child's circulation. Ibuprofen or paracetamol-containing suppositories or juices are only indicated if no improvement is achieved with the above measures in temperatures above 40° C.
It is possible to cool a febrile seizure and hot skin by wrapping the child in a damp towel which is at room temperature. For more information see above and p. 73ff.
As the temperature rises, the child feels unwell and tends to vomit. His or her head, limbs and body often feel sore which eases once the fever has reached its peak. The child should therefore not be forced to eat anything and at most be given some warm tea if wanted.
Diet for a high fever without diarrhoea : a lot of liquids (tea or semi-skimmed milk with a little sugar, maybe half-diluted sour cherry, sloe or lemon juice, lukewarm or cool), light food without potatoes, little fat and proteins. No nuts, chocolate or similar things. The child cannot put on weight in this phase. He or she will rapidly be able to put back on again what he or she has lost at this stage.
Clothing and covers must be carefully adjusted to take account of room temperature and the fever. The following rules apply in most cases : no draught but fresh air. Cover well if a window is open, maybe put on a hat and jumper. In summer heat, cover the child at least with a linen cloth. In all cases the limbs should be warm, there should be no heat accumulation and the child should feel comfortable.
Restless children who constantly throw off their covers despite the fever, stand up or charge about will time and again need a calming adult who sings, hums, tells stories or is quietly engaged with something.
A cot with wheels which the mother can take with her as she goes about her business in the house can be of help. Older children can have a day-bed made up on the sofa in the living room. Simple objects which leave room for the imagination are preferable for play (see p. 307ff.).
If the skin on the limbs feels cool – particularly the calves – and if the thermometer shows e.g. 38.5° C, we can be certain that the temperature will rise further. The body is not yet in a position to release heat at the periphery. In this phase cool leg wraps should on no account be given ! Calves and feet only become hot when the temperature has finished rising and the body wants to give off heat. "Hot" pulse wraps with arnica essence have proved effective (see p. 677f.). The child should additionally be covered warmly and might even be given a little "hot" tea.
Once the skin feels hot down as far as the calves, calf or leg wraps or cool rinses are indicated if the temperature rises above 39° C. These support the body in its attempt to give off excess heat through the skin (see p. 678f.). But these measures should only be adopted if they are pleasant for the child. They can be accompanied by naturopathic suppositories such as fever and teething suppositories, Aconitum / China comp. or Viburcol. As a rule the fever can be held at between 39 and 40° C in this way which is well tolerated by most children. It is better to keep the fever at a certain level than to provoke major fluctuations which place a great stress on the child's circulation. Ibuprofen or paracetamol-containing suppositories or juices are only indicated if no improvement is achieved with the above measures in temperatures above 40° C.
It is possible to cool a febrile seizure and hot skin by wrapping the child in a damp towel which is at room temperature. For more information see above and p. 73ff.
As the temperature rises, the child feels unwell and tends to vomit. His or her head, limbs and body often feel sore which eases once the fever has reached its peak. The child should therefore not be forced to eat anything and at most be given some warm tea if wanted.
Diet for a high fever without diarrhoea : a lot of liquids (tea or semi-skimmed milk with a little sugar, maybe half-diluted sour cherry, sloe or lemon juice, lukewarm or cool), light food without potatoes, little fat and proteins. No nuts, chocolate or similar things. The child cannot put on weight in this phase. He or she will rapidly be able to put back on again what he or she has lost at this stage.
Clothing and covers must be carefully adjusted to take account of room temperature and the fever. The following rules apply in most cases : no draught but fresh air. Cover well if a window is open, maybe put on a hat and jumper. In summer heat, cover the child at least with a linen cloth. In all cases the limbs should be warm, there should be no heat accumulation and the child should feel comfortable.
Restless children who constantly throw off their covers despite the fever, stand up or charge about will time and again need a calming adult who sings, hums, tells stories or is quietly engaged with something.
A cot with wheels which the mother can take with her as she goes about her business in the house can be of help. Older children can have a day-bed made up on the sofa in the living room. Simple objects which leave room for the imagination are preferable for play (see p. 307ff.).
How dangerous are febrile seizures ?
We will only deal with infection-related seizures here : A child plays outside as normal. Perhaps the wind has turned on this particular day. Perhaps she was not dressed warmly enough. On the way home the child suddenly turns pale, unconscious and rigid. The worried mother observes some lip smacking and quickly carries her home. There the child quickly returns to a relaxed state but still stays noticeably pale. Then she is herself again. She appears to be cold and quickly goes to sleep, warmly wrapped up in bed. On the telephone the mother tells the doctor that the little one was cold and so could not have a fever. At the doctor's suggestion she does however take the child's temperature and is surprised to find 39° C (see p. 70f.). The child sleeps on the way to the doctor. If nothing serious is found on examination, the child may carry on sleeping until thoroughly rested. As a precaution, an anticonvulsant is prescribed in case there is a (rare) repeat. If it had been meningitis, the doctor would have admitted the child to hospital immediately. In this instance he merely refers to a "febrile seizure" but wants to see her again the next day.
He does not have an electroencephalograph (EEG) done until about two weeks later (see below). At the time of the seizure the child probably only had a temperature of 38 to 38.5° C.
Another child has a temperature of more than 40° C when he suddenly goes rigid and his face starts to twitch. In a few seconds the whole body begins to twitch. He becomes unconscious. A worrying sight for the parents. They can breathe easily again when the seizure stops by itself after one to five minutes or when it stops five minutes later with the help of a medicine which was prescribed previously.
He does not have an electroencephalograph (EEG) done until about two weeks later (see below). At the time of the seizure the child probably only had a temperature of 38 to 38.5° C.
Another child has a temperature of more than 40° C when he suddenly goes rigid and his face starts to twitch. In a few seconds the whole body begins to twitch. He becomes unconscious. A worrying sight for the parents. They can breathe easily again when the seizure stops by itself after one to five minutes or when it stops five minutes later with the help of a medicine which was prescribed previously.
How to act in a seizure
A febrile seizure in the first years of life is not a rare event (2- 4% of all children are affected). Because of its immaturity, the child's brain still reacts with significantly greater sensitivity to a rise in temperature than later on. The so-called seizure threshold is lower in childhood. Directly after a febrile seizure, an electroencephalograph (EEG) can easily show slight to middling pathological changes which, however, disappear again completely within 14 days. A febrile seizure is a symptom of a subsequent seizure disorder only in 2 out of 100 children who have suffered such a seizure at some point. Febrile seizures do not cause epilepsy ! What is true is that the predisposition for a seizure disorder can initially come to expression in a febrile seizure. Febrile seizures alone, including repeated ones, do not leave any permanent damage or behavioural and developmental disorders. Antipyretics are neither certain to stop a febrile seizure nor can they prevent epilepsy.9 Both for children who have a tendency for febrile seizures and those with a seizure disorder, we therefore recommend preventive treatment which is adjusted for the constitution of the child, whereby we rarely use antipyretic suppositories or juices even for children with seizure disorders. In children with a simple febrile seizure we advise the following action for handling febrile infections :
Ensuring that they are warmly enough dressed (so that the shivering phase as the temperature rises does not take place precipitately).
Influencing a corresponding imbalance in the reactive situation of the organism with a corresponding anthroposophic or homoeopathic constitutional medicine.
When the temperature is high, not agitating or upsetting the child through any kind of measure but starting by cooling the head as it grows hot with a wet flannel on the forehead. The information on pages 71 - 73 applies with regard to everything else.
It is nice to see confidence in the child's own resources returning in a family when the child, after an initial febrile seizure, survives his or her next infection with a temperature of up to 40° C without suffering a seizure. He or she has "learnt" to handle the fever. We hope that such critical collaboration between the parents and the doctor, guided by the individual child, will become more common again.
Ensuring that they are warmly enough dressed (so that the shivering phase as the temperature rises does not take place precipitately).
Influencing a corresponding imbalance in the reactive situation of the organism with a corresponding anthroposophic or homoeopathic constitutional medicine.
When the temperature is high, not agitating or upsetting the child through any kind of measure but starting by cooling the head as it grows hot with a wet flannel on the forehead. The information on pages 71 - 73 applies with regard to everything else.
It is nice to see confidence in the child's own resources returning in a family when the child, after an initial febrile seizure, survives his or her next infection with a temperature of up to 40° C without suffering a seizure. He or she has "learnt" to handle the fever. We hope that such critical collaboration between the parents and the doctor, guided by the individual child, will become more common again.
The meaning of fever
Fever represents a critical change in the temperature structure of the organism. There can be a whole range of causes for that. In children it can, for example, be a birthday party, a long journey, a weather front, previous hypothermia or an erupting tooth. All of these things can negatively influence an organism and also make it easier for pathogens to penetrate and gain a foothold. Thus it was found in animal experiments that viruses and bacteria require an optimum temperature of between 33 and 35° C, i.e. a subnormal temperature, to multiply and harm the organism. For this reason we can also justifiably refer to a "chill". As a consequence, the organism has an optimum temperature in a fever (mostly between 39 and 40° C) at which it can best prevent and kill off the harmful viruses and bacteria.10
Many of the important reactions which activate the body's defences are only triggered by the fever. Thus the fever stimulates the activity of the defence cells in the immune system, it inhibits the proliferation of pathogens and protects the body's own cells against the antibodies produced by the immune cells. Lowering the temperature can cause corresponding harm. In measles, reducing the temperature leads to a clear rise in the complication rate.11 The same applies to unidentified blood poisoning, septicaemia, in which the bacteria spread in the blood and attack all the organs in the body.12 Reducing the temperature also leads to a measurable inhibition of kidney function. Beyond that, the beneficial effect of a febrile infection can also be seen in another respect. Thus it has been clearly shown that febrile infections in early childhood protect against allergies. The more such infections are undergone in childhood, the lower the allergy rate.13 Interestingly the cancer risk also falls in the same way through febrile diseases which have been gone through.14 It was possible to show in febrile childhood diseases that the cancer risk is significantly lower specifically after measles, rubella and chickenpox.15
But it is not just the medicine-induced reduction in temperature which puts the organism at a disadvantage, the administration of antibiotics can disrupt the organism's own activity during a fever. The latter should only be used when the organism is incapable of resisting the infection. Apart from anything else, antibiotics are not effective against viruses which are frequently involved.
Fever and warmth regulation also have a soul and spiritual side. Warmth is not just something that can be measured with a thermometer but appears in humans also as an expression of soul and spiritual activity. We feel “all warm inside" when we meet a good friend, see a familiar landscape or "feverishly" look forward to something. Similarly the flash of a good idea or the enthusiasm for an ideal can literally make us glow. In contrast, shock or fear, or even just being around hate, jealousy and discontent can make the blood "freeze" in our veins. Thus we also refer to an "icy" atmosphere or a "shiver" going down our back. Just as a comfortable body temperature of 37° C fosters and supports our physical, soul and spiritual effectiveness, so a happy experience or strong inner concentration and meditative work can harmonise and warm our organism throughout. The blood circulation and the way it supplies the organs reacts sensitively to our feelings and thoughts – and not just to physical movement and nourishment. And thus we rightly distinguish between physical, soul and spiritual warmth – although it is always the same warmth at all three levels – working either more inwardly or more outwardly.
The uniform nature of warmth has the effect of making the human being feel a cohesive entity in body, soul and spirit through his or her warmth. Hence we can also refer to the warmth organism overall as the physical vehicle of our self, the human I. As any illness is also associated with a change in the warmth organism, the I, our self, is always directly affected and "engaged".
We owe it to Rudolf Steiner's research into the nature of the human being that this connection has been identified and put to use in education and medicine. Our attitude to illness changes when we see it in the context of the child's own activity and intent, i.e. his or her I. Thus we might, for example, have a child who characteristically "never" gets a high temperature, another with longer-lasting, less severe rises in temperature and a third child with short highly febrile attacks. There are whole families whose children are regularly the first to be "knocked out" while the neighbour's children are still splashing about in a puddle. Then they swap roles and sometimes the child who falls ill in a later period undergoes the infection with particular intensity.
Adults display still different characteristics. So someone who likes to work hard but in rhythmical way might suffer much less frequently from flu-like infections than someone who more often needs to "take a break". The strong involvement of the I and enjoyment of work have a stimulating effect on the warmth organism and thus also an "immunising" one.
This has meanwhile also been confirmed by psychoneuroimmunological research : positive feelings such as courage, enthusiasm, trust and love have an immunostimulating effect whereas stress, resentment, fear, listlessness and depression weaken the immune system.16 So we might well ask with regard to the highly febrile infections in childhood : can fever also represent an attempt temporarily to strengthen the intervention of the soul and spiritual entity in the body or to compensate for too little soul activity ? Many interesting observations provide an answer to this question.
The following example speaks for itself : "Just like his granddad !" we say about a newborn. Later we might notice that he or she "is more similar to mum now". Finally, after a febrile illness, the parents find that a new trait has appeared in their child which is no longer a reflection of family. Now they are happy to see the child's own personality with greater clarity. The fever can help the I of the child to "adapt" his or her inherited body to his or her own needs to a greater extent so that the child can express himself or herself better through it. We also know that congenital diseases such as for example infant eczema or asthma can improve after a serious febrile disease. One of the physiological reasons for this may be – this has been shown by the immunological and genetic research of recent decades – that the genetic material in the form of the genes is not a static dimension, as was assumed previously, but a dynamic one which may alter as the circumstances change. Research has long shown that the system of our genes and their functions is not just open throughout life to the influence of the immune system, but also to soul, spiritual and psychosocial processes.17
From a purely external aspect, the rapid recovery of the weight lost as a result of the fever indicates that an organic restructuring of the body has taken place. The child has broken down something of its inherited body and newly built it up again under the independent direction of its warmth organisation. We have experienced this innumerable times in our consultations. Experience has shown us that a highly febrile flu, a carefully treated pneumonia or, indeed, measles have introduced a new and more stable phase in the child's development. The rarer opposite case of a prolonged series of illnesses indicates that further tasks need to be solved.
The action of fever in the body is comparable to a good education : the child has learnt something by its own effort. It is not educational to keep repeating, for example : "Do this, do that – stop it, don't do that." Unfortunately that is precisely what still happens all too frequently with febrile infections : no sooner has the temperature risen above 38.5° C and the child is given a suppository. And if an inflammation is found, treatment is immediately supplemented with an antibiotic. That leaves the organism precious little opportunity to engage itself freely in dealing with the illness by its own effort. Then there is the additional factor that when things get serious, such an organism will lack the "elasticity" and "practice" to deal with tasks which are a lot more challenging than febrile infections in childhood.18
We know that illnesses can lead to dramatically extreme reactions, such as the febrile seizures described above, and that there are also disease courses which can leave permanent damage. Dealing with these courses in a timely fashion is the real concern of medicine. Recognising these – rare – complications in good time requires the involvement and support of the doctor.
Many of the important reactions which activate the body's defences are only triggered by the fever. Thus the fever stimulates the activity of the defence cells in the immune system, it inhibits the proliferation of pathogens and protects the body's own cells against the antibodies produced by the immune cells. Lowering the temperature can cause corresponding harm. In measles, reducing the temperature leads to a clear rise in the complication rate.11 The same applies to unidentified blood poisoning, septicaemia, in which the bacteria spread in the blood and attack all the organs in the body.12 Reducing the temperature also leads to a measurable inhibition of kidney function. Beyond that, the beneficial effect of a febrile infection can also be seen in another respect. Thus it has been clearly shown that febrile infections in early childhood protect against allergies. The more such infections are undergone in childhood, the lower the allergy rate.13 Interestingly the cancer risk also falls in the same way through febrile diseases which have been gone through.14 It was possible to show in febrile childhood diseases that the cancer risk is significantly lower specifically after measles, rubella and chickenpox.15
But it is not just the medicine-induced reduction in temperature which puts the organism at a disadvantage, the administration of antibiotics can disrupt the organism's own activity during a fever. The latter should only be used when the organism is incapable of resisting the infection. Apart from anything else, antibiotics are not effective against viruses which are frequently involved.
Fever and warmth regulation also have a soul and spiritual side. Warmth is not just something that can be measured with a thermometer but appears in humans also as an expression of soul and spiritual activity. We feel “all warm inside" when we meet a good friend, see a familiar landscape or "feverishly" look forward to something. Similarly the flash of a good idea or the enthusiasm for an ideal can literally make us glow. In contrast, shock or fear, or even just being around hate, jealousy and discontent can make the blood "freeze" in our veins. Thus we also refer to an "icy" atmosphere or a "shiver" going down our back. Just as a comfortable body temperature of 37° C fosters and supports our physical, soul and spiritual effectiveness, so a happy experience or strong inner concentration and meditative work can harmonise and warm our organism throughout. The blood circulation and the way it supplies the organs reacts sensitively to our feelings and thoughts – and not just to physical movement and nourishment. And thus we rightly distinguish between physical, soul and spiritual warmth – although it is always the same warmth at all three levels – working either more inwardly or more outwardly.
The uniform nature of warmth has the effect of making the human being feel a cohesive entity in body, soul and spirit through his or her warmth. Hence we can also refer to the warmth organism overall as the physical vehicle of our self, the human I. As any illness is also associated with a change in the warmth organism, the I, our self, is always directly affected and "engaged".
We owe it to Rudolf Steiner's research into the nature of the human being that this connection has been identified and put to use in education and medicine. Our attitude to illness changes when we see it in the context of the child's own activity and intent, i.e. his or her I. Thus we might, for example, have a child who characteristically "never" gets a high temperature, another with longer-lasting, less severe rises in temperature and a third child with short highly febrile attacks. There are whole families whose children are regularly the first to be "knocked out" while the neighbour's children are still splashing about in a puddle. Then they swap roles and sometimes the child who falls ill in a later period undergoes the infection with particular intensity.
Adults display still different characteristics. So someone who likes to work hard but in rhythmical way might suffer much less frequently from flu-like infections than someone who more often needs to "take a break". The strong involvement of the I and enjoyment of work have a stimulating effect on the warmth organism and thus also an "immunising" one.
This has meanwhile also been confirmed by psychoneuroimmunological research : positive feelings such as courage, enthusiasm, trust and love have an immunostimulating effect whereas stress, resentment, fear, listlessness and depression weaken the immune system.16 So we might well ask with regard to the highly febrile infections in childhood : can fever also represent an attempt temporarily to strengthen the intervention of the soul and spiritual entity in the body or to compensate for too little soul activity ? Many interesting observations provide an answer to this question.
The following example speaks for itself : "Just like his granddad !" we say about a newborn. Later we might notice that he or she "is more similar to mum now". Finally, after a febrile illness, the parents find that a new trait has appeared in their child which is no longer a reflection of family. Now they are happy to see the child's own personality with greater clarity. The fever can help the I of the child to "adapt" his or her inherited body to his or her own needs to a greater extent so that the child can express himself or herself better through it. We also know that congenital diseases such as for example infant eczema or asthma can improve after a serious febrile disease. One of the physiological reasons for this may be – this has been shown by the immunological and genetic research of recent decades – that the genetic material in the form of the genes is not a static dimension, as was assumed previously, but a dynamic one which may alter as the circumstances change. Research has long shown that the system of our genes and their functions is not just open throughout life to the influence of the immune system, but also to soul, spiritual and psychosocial processes.17
From a purely external aspect, the rapid recovery of the weight lost as a result of the fever indicates that an organic restructuring of the body has taken place. The child has broken down something of its inherited body and newly built it up again under the independent direction of its warmth organisation. We have experienced this innumerable times in our consultations. Experience has shown us that a highly febrile flu, a carefully treated pneumonia or, indeed, measles have introduced a new and more stable phase in the child's development. The rarer opposite case of a prolonged series of illnesses indicates that further tasks need to be solved.
The action of fever in the body is comparable to a good education : the child has learnt something by its own effort. It is not educational to keep repeating, for example : "Do this, do that – stop it, don't do that." Unfortunately that is precisely what still happens all too frequently with febrile infections : no sooner has the temperature risen above 38.5° C and the child is given a suppository. And if an inflammation is found, treatment is immediately supplemented with an antibiotic. That leaves the organism precious little opportunity to engage itself freely in dealing with the illness by its own effort. Then there is the additional factor that when things get serious, such an organism will lack the "elasticity" and "practice" to deal with tasks which are a lot more challenging than febrile infections in childhood.18
We know that illnesses can lead to dramatically extreme reactions, such as the febrile seizures described above, and that there are also disease courses which can leave permanent damage. Dealing with these courses in a timely fashion is the real concern of medicine. Recognising these – rare – complications in good time requires the involvement and support of the doctor.
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