When we picked Sam up at the orphanage in Cambodia in 2003, he’d not had any vaccinations. Once home, routine began with the BCG, usually given at birth. He was fourteen weeks old when we returned to Seychelles from Southeast Asia, so was later than local kids with DPT, Poliomyelitis and Hepatitis B vaccines. By his first birthday, however, he had well caught up.

The situation in Cambodia had improved by July of 2005 when we traveled for Cj. She was also fourteen weeks old at the time, but had her little BCG dimple already and an immunization card documenting the first two of each in the series of three DPT and three Polio.

Countries follow various inoculation routines, many... more

The topic of fevers has come up in one of my groups lately. Forever a product of my time, like many Boomers my gut reaction to an elevated temp is to take whatever steps available to get it down as soon as possible. In the early 1970s when my first kids were little, the drill was to reach for the bottle of little orange pills, the baby aspirin, and start dosing with those.

Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are today’s drugs of choice. I have these sent over from the States and keep a good supply. Along with the new drugs comes a new perspective: fevers are good.

I understand the concept; it makes total sense, is completely logical and comes from qualified sources I greatly respect.... more