One of the many myths that circulate in this controversial area is that natural remedies are not studied by reputable scientists. Take a look at this book, The Holistic Pediatrician, by Kathi Kemper, M.D. There are well over a hundred (I stopped counting) references to scientific studies of "nonstandard" treatments, in established medical journals such as the Journal of Pediatrics, Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Toadfrog, your friends need to update their information.

Pelrad, your child's symptoms could have a number of causes, and I won't presume to make a diagnosis here. Children with high fevers commonly hallucinate, but you said this happened after the fever went down. Seizures would not be high on my list, but it's difficult to tell based on the limited information. I'd be more suspicious of some kind of para-infectious encephalitis. There is a growing awareness of a number of neurologic syndromes that are either "post-infectious" (after an infection) or "para-infectious" (associated with an infection, but not directly caused by the infectious agent), that probably result when the natural immune response to an infection is either "overactive" or "misdirected". One of the oldest and best known (among doctors, that is) is something called Sydenham's chorea, which is seen in acute rheumatic fever -- antibodies against streptococci (from a strep throat, for example) attack the body's own tissues, notably in the heart and brain. A good pediatric neurologist, preferably at an academic medical center, would certainly be your best bet if the symptoms recur--but let's hope they don't!

BlueJay, I completely agree with treating fever when the child is uncomfortable...I just don't think it's necessary when the only person uncomfortable is the parent. But I've done it enough with my own kids, so I understand completely!

As far as the "dangers" of Tylenol, I do understand your suspicion of the "safety net" -- that's one reason I tend to be the last one in town to start prescribing any new medicine. But my experience of TV medical "news" stories is that the great majority of them make a lot of noise about old news, or about questionably significant results. Somebody publishes a paper that confirms established information, or demonstrates a real but insignificant effect of something on something else, and the media jump on it like it's a message from Sirius--especially if the information is in any way scary or sensational. I would very much like to see just what was in these news stories you're talking about. I understand your concern, but I'd be very surprised if there's anything to this one. If you can give me specific information, I'd be happy to evaluate it, or send it to an expert. And if I'm wrong, I'll be the first to admit it.

Aloha,
Mark