My baby has a fever :(

[3girls2luv]

I got home at 9p and when I was holding her I noticed that she felt a little warm. DH laid down with her while I took a shower and when I laid down she felt warmer so I took her temp and it was 101.9 under her arm. Her lips were red and her eyes were glossy. I gave her some tylenol and she fell asleep in my arms pretty quick.

At about 2am she was restless so I checked her temp again and it was 102.8 I gave her some motrin and she asked for water so she got a drink and went back to sleep.

This morning its 100.9 and my mom gave her a bath and some fluids and she seems to be doing better. She has no other symptoms so I am not sure where this fever is coming from.

She is 21 months bf for 18 mos and this is her first fever. DD 2 had febrile seizures so fevers worry me a bit. She would have 101 and if I did not medicate it would jump to 104 very fast and she would have a seizure. Please keep my sweetie in your T&P today. I hope she is not like dd2.

[ammtimes3]

Poor little girl. I hope she feels better soon.

[Earthmama]

Poor baby. I wish her well.

[CatEyes]

T&P's :hug:

[The_Market]

I realize that you're looking for support, but I just can't neglect to tell you that medicating a low grade fever, or any fever, just for the sake of the fever actually compromises a child's immune system. Especially when the fever is the main thing, medicating it means that you're not allowing the body to do the work it is trying to do to fight off (what is probably) a virus, and you're potentially masking other symptoms that might be important to know about, as well.

It takes a very high fever very fast for a febrile seizure and -even then- a febrile siezure is generally not harmful, although I get that it's scary.

You're also no longer supposed to give baths for fever.

A fever is a good thing. It serves an important function. It also builds the strength of the immune system by exercising it.

[Bellaelle]

Best thing to do is contact your doctor if it continues. She might have an ear infection.
There is nothing wrong with giving Tylenol or Motrin for a fever if the child is miserable.
Luke warm baths are still recommended for lowering temps if nothing else is working.

I am pretty sure OP is a nurse and is aware of what a fever is and how it works.

[Tiffearni]

You're also no longer supposed to give baths for fever.

I didn't know that. Why is this exactly? Because we're supposed to let the fever do its job or because it may shock the system or something?

Sorry, I'm jumping ahead guessing. lol


What about wiping them down with a wash cloth? same thing?

[Tiffearni]

To the OP, I agree with Bell. I hope your baby feels better soon.

[Bellaelle]

About the bath, the concern is not using cold water or allowing the child to get chilled.
Getting chilled will cause the body to raise the temp some more.

[3girls2luv]

Thank you Bella. I am a nurse and I do know how to treat a fever. I have plenty of experience as a mom as well. Any kind of seizure can be harmful since it can cut off oxygen to the brain. I do not medicate for fevers of 101 normally but since I experienced one to many seizures with dd2 I won't take my chances. She would spike her temps too fast and that would cause the seizure. As far as baths go, it is safe to give warm baths. They no longer recomend bathing with cool water since it can lower the fever to fast and cause a seizure as well. She has not been pulling on her ears but my mom said she was a bit congested after her nap and her temp is 99.0 right now. I will call the pedi if she continues with fever tonight. Thanks for the support ladies. It is so hard when your baby is sick and you have to be at work :(

[Tiffearni]

About the bath, the concern is not using cold water or allowing the child to get chilled.
Getting chilled will cause the body to raise the temp some more.


Oh, ok. Now, I've heard that before.

[The_Market]

I didn't know that. Why is this exactly? Because we're supposed to let the fever do its job or because it may shock the system or something?

Sorry, I'm jumping ahead guessing. lol


What about wiping them down with a wash cloth? same thing?
A cool cloth for comfort is fine, but doing the sort of ...manual, or forced lowering of temp has been found to cause a rebound effect where the body then pushes it up even higher, to compensate. Does that make sense? I've not really slept in about 30 hours.

[The_Market]

Having completed nursing school does not mean a person has an objective view of the role of immune development and medication, in the healing of an otherwise healthy (but fevered) body. I was raised by a nurse who gave meds at the drop of a hat. If we thought about a headache, or even felt feverish, we had Tylenol or Motrin. While I was almost never made to be uncomfortable, there were negative consequences to that. I had antibiotics 2-3 times a year for things I am able to fight off, now, in the same amount of time. The more often I was medicated, the worse things were the next time. It took becoming a mother to help me figure it out.

Since I stopped medicating myself for small things, and let my body do the work it's made to do, I am sick so far less often and the duration is stunningly shorter.

I disagree with risking a weakened immune system out of a baseless fear of seizures. I live every day with the consequences of a mother who trusted meds, and valued comfort, over the strength and integrity of my immune system. It's not something I shrug off. There are risks to casual medication of a being that depends on illness in childhood to form its immune system properly.

I feel badly for my children when they are sick. I do what I can to comfort them. I will give Motrin if they need rest and discomfort is interfering with it, but I won't medicate a fever around the clock simply because it's a fever. And I'm not panicked over an otherwise healthy child having a short bout of feverishness. I know my children benefit, in the long run, from small illnesses.

Interestingly, it was this board that brought me to my senses about casual medication of fevers.

[3girls2luv]

I understand the immune system and how it works I medicated her lastnight twice and today we are pretty much letting it run its coarse. She is sleeping in my mom's arms right now and my mom says she has been drinking a lot of water today and has not had the usual amount of wet diapers. I know she is still running a temp and causing her to require more fluids so her body is taking care of itself.

I totally get your point Market. My older 2 girls were given antibiotics at the drop of a hat, more so dd2 than dd1. DD2 was sick so much when she was little. This baby has never had an antibiotic and this is her first time ever being sick. I have learned a lot over the yrs. and I realized my dd2 was just given too many antibiotics and it did weaken her immune system.