Cow Bell Won't Help

The best course for kids with a fever is to let it do its own thing - that's why we have the fever.

What I normally do is wait at least 24 hrs with the child having a fever then give them minimum doses of a fever reducer as needed simply to keep them comfortable. The exception was my oldest daughter who seemed to have asthma-like symptoms triggered by a high fever.

See NPR: Pediatricians Caution Parents Against 'Fever Phobia'

Speaking of body temperature, research indicates 98.6 is ideal for preventing fungal growth [SciAm].

Autism - Fever - Stress

PhysOrg: Scientists propose new theory of autism

Evidence that autism is a chemical problem rather than a physical one includes:

The new theory stems from decades of anecdotal observations that some autistic children seem to improve when they have a fever, only to regress when the fever ebbs. A 2007 study in the journal Pediatrics took a more rigorous look at fever and autism, observing autistic children during and after fever episodes and comparing their behavior with autistic children who didn't have fevers. This study documented that autistic children experience behavior changes during fever.

...a 2008 study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, that found a higher incidence of autism among children whose mothers had been exposed to hurricanes and tropical storms during pregnancy. Maternal exposure to severe storms at mid-gestation resulted in the highest prevalence of autism.

And the idea of fever as therapy reminded me of how fever was used as a cancer treatment at one time.

Fever In An Infant

The NYT has an article on dealing with fever in little ones: If a Baby Has a Fever, Treatment All Depends

Nowadays, anyone under 1 month old who develops any fever still tends to end up in the hospital. For babies older than 3 months, we now use our clinical judgment: if they appear well, we might order a blood or urine test, but they can go home, as long as we stay in touch with the parents.

Between 1 and 3 months is still a gray zone. And in this case, there were a few other subtle shades of gray, notably the fussiness and reluctance to nurse: after all, an infant with a serious infection has a limited repertory of signals to say, “Hey, Mom, something’s wrong.”