In my most recent trip to Japan in 2023, I purchased baby cooling gel patches from Pigeon, a line of baby products made in Japan. These patches, typically used for fevers, are a somewhat popular item with Japanese mothers that can be purchased at most drugstores and some Don Quijotes. It is easy to pack away; the box is neither very expensive nor large and can be squished without issue. To further reduce weight/volume, one could consider taking out the contents— which are labeled— and trashing the box.
The penguin-decorated gel patches are designed for use by babies (For those of 0+ years of age!), thus the small 45 mm x 80 mm size. The ones I purchased in 2023 came two to a foil-lined packet, with 6 foil-lined packets in a box for a total of 12 cooling gel patches. The gel pads need a little time to start being cooling and are supposed to stay cooling for 8 hours. They make sure to advertize that these fever-relieving patches are dermatologist-approved and will not harm your baby through any strange additives, but I did not research that too much. However, I can say that these gel patches are certainly more convenient and less wet than repeatedly damping and straining a towel and replacing it on a child’s forehead!
To use these, simply open one of the foil-lined packets, remove one patch, remove its plastic backing, and stick on dry skin! Remember to fold the packet’s top over to preserve the other patch.
One concern I usually have with such patches is whether they will stick to one’s hair and be painful to remove. Visually, I could see that placing it on my 3-year-old’s forehead would cover some hair, whether of the eyebrow or by the hairline. After testing it on myself, I discovered that the sticky gel is very gentle and does not painfully stick to hair.
Unfortunately, when the opportunity finally came for my daughter to benefit from the patch, she rejected it. “Sticky!” she complained in a hoarse, slow voice. I tried sneaking it on her forehead when she looked asleep, but her little hand came up to pull it off. I tried putting it on her leg, which also radiated heat, but again, her hand crept over.
She told me to put it on my forehead.
I tried applying it to her forehead again a few hours later, but her little hand swiftly reached up to peel it off.
I do recommend the Pigeon baby fever cooling pad/patch as a potentially useful tool for fighting fever, but one should realize that their toddler may not wish to use it. The convenience of just using a patch instead of laboriously using a towel would have been very worth it to me. If my child been interested in using this.
