The Soothsoft Mini Chillow Could Help Kids With Fevers

On my other blog, "Is It Hot In Here?" Menopause, Motherhood & More (http://isithotinheremmm.blogspot.com/2014/06/product-review-soothsoft-mini-chillow.html), I recently wrote a review of the Soothsoft Mini Chillow which is helping me with the hot flashes I get in the middle of the night.  Here, I want to review this product as something that could, potentially, help a sick kid.

Now, the Chillow is a water-cooled cushion that contains memory foam to keep you cool without electricity. I'd read mixed reviews on Amazon, but decided to try it, so I bought, not the full one, but the Mini model.

When you get it, you have to fill the Chillow up with water. This is the trickiest part because you will spill some. The trick is to hold the opening up with one hand while filling the product with the other hand. Then, after the foam absorbs the water, you carefully squeeze the air out during which you spill even more water. I had to squeeze the air out twice to have the Chillow look like it's supposed to in the instructions. You let the thing “rest” for four hours before using and, to get it even cooler, can put it in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes before using.

After using the Mini Chillow for about a week now, I can tell you that it is not like putting your head something cold; rather, it is cool to the touch. It can absorb body heat, so I don't think you could honestly expect it to cool you down the whole night, but if you turn it around several times, it will definitely stay cool for several hours.  It does have a kind of weird, burnt smell that threw me off the first night or two that I used it, but that smell has subsided. Using it with a pillow case, obviously, raises the temperature a bit, however, since I don't mind sleeping on the plastic side of it, I stopped using it with a pillowcase.

Yes, it helps with hot flashes, but I think it could really help a child who is sick with a fever.  The temperature is soothing and since it doesn't require batteries and is medication free, it would be good for a kid who is, perhaps, age 4 and up since I think it could be somewhat of a suffocation hazard for a child younger than that.  I understand from some of the reviews on Amazon that the product tends to leak or smell funny after a year, but for under $20, I'm willing to spend that for something that helps me sleep.  It could also come in handy when you need a cool, not cold, compress. 

My daughter has always felt warmer to the touch than other kids.  I suspect that she just has a slightly higher body temperature than most.  And since her bedroom tends to be warmer than other parts of the house, even with the central air on, I think this could help her and would certainly help kids whose houses don't have air conditioning. 

Again, the Mini Chillow is available on Amazon.com, I've seen it at Wal-Mart and a few other stores.  I think it's worth keeping in the house for when your child runs a fever.