Question
My baby is one and a half years old, and he’s had poor appetite recently, still drinking milk. Today at noon, while he was sleeping, I felt that his palms and soles were a bit warm. His head and body are not hot, but he’s a bit sweaty. What should I do? The child vomits when taking medicine; what could cause his palms and soles to be hot?
Answer
Based on your description, there’s no need to worry too much. First, measure the baby’s temperature; if there’s no fever, then there’s no problem. Hot palms and soles don’t necessarily mean there’s a fever; no medication is needed. You can use a warm towel or alcohol swabs to cool him down. This condition could be a sign of excess internal heat or indigestion. Observe the child’s appetite and bowel movements. You can give the baby some infant spleen-strengthening san (Yi Pan San) to regulate digestion, but take breaks between doses, and encourage the child to drink more water during meals.