Moms Talk: Do You Suffer From 'Fever-Phobia'?

Moms Talk is a new feature on Redmond Patch that is part of an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to moms and families.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. Do you know of local moms raising their children in the Tiger Mother's way and is it the best way? Where can parents get information on local flu shot clinics for children? How can families help local schools weather budget cutbacks?

If you have an idea for a future Moms Talk question, please post it in the comments below or e-mail Caitlin.Moran@patch.com.

This week, our question comes from a Minneapolis Star Tribune story that questions whether fever reducers are a good remedy for children who have the common cold or flu. According to the article, pediatricians are now encouraging parents to focus more on sick kids' comfort level, not their temperature.

"Fever is a sign your body is fighting infection ... you should welcome it," Dr. Carolyn McKay told the newspaper.

What do you think? Are fever reducers necessary to help kids fight illness? Or should parents make more of an effort to cool it with the meds?