What temperature would dc have to have for you to go to the ER?

[cc1003]

And what would they do for them?

DS has been running a fever since last night and it has ranged from 101-104.8. The majority of the time it's been around 103-104. I've called the ped and he said to just stay on top of it with Tylenol but I can't just keep calling him every time it gets to 104.

We've given him two baths which lowered it one degree both times.

Any advice?

He's never sick but the past couple of weeks we've seen so many sick people so I'm sure he caught it from his cousin.

[Amy_G_]

I would NOT give baths cause sometimes you'll get a rebound higher temp after the bath.
I'd let him sleep and watch the temp. I have never gone to the er for a temperature, but I wouldn't go unless it was over 105, not responding to pain meds and I couldn't reach my pediatrician for advice. I would give motrin because it lasts closer to 8 hours, and double check the doseage since babies grow so fast it's easy to underestimate their weight. If I had to I would do the alternating of tylenol and motrin, but I've never done it cause I'm always afraid I would make a mistake in dosing. I would watch the child, if they feel well enough to take a bath and not sleep or cry thru the whole thing i would probably relax and just watch. If they were miserable, moaning and very very uncomfortable I might decide to go to the er to see what is behind it all.

[still_me]

Is this a rectal temp?

I alternate Motrin and Tylenol only when it is bad and I write down each time I do it so I don't mess it up.

And I agree with Amy about the "miserable, moaning, and very very uncomfortable" part. Watch for other signs and go with your momma gut.

Is he drinking and keeping down fluids? I'd keep an eye on that because dehydration can sneak up fast.

And finally, :hug: It is trial and error with your first for a lot of things so don't beat yourself up for worrying or second guess yourself. Just do what you can and don't hesitate to call the doc.

[3girls2luv]

Hang in there momma. Just keep an eye on him and keep him hydrated. Also keep him as cool as he can tolerate like a shirt and a diaper vs a sleeper. If he is chilly then put a light blanket on him.

[Teresa64]

Sorry your little man is sick!!! (no advise...looks like everyone said what I would have said)

[cc1003]

Is this a rectal temp?

I alternate Motrin and Tylenol only when it is bad and I write down each time I do it so I don't mess it up.

And I agree with Amy about the "miserable, moaning, and very very uncomfortable" part. Watch for other signs and go with your momma gut.

Is he drinking and keeping down fluids? I'd keep an eye on that because dehydration can sneak up fast.

And finally, :hug: It is trial and error with your first for a lot of things so don't beat yourself up for worrying or second guess yourself. Just do what you can and don't hesitate to call the doc.

He's acting relatively normal. It's strange. Only when it was 104.8 was he pretty fussy. At 103-104 he's playing, he ate all his breakfast, has nursed a ton, will drink all of his water, etc. He even got into an argument with his Alvin & the Chipmunks movie.

I'm using an Exergen Temporal Thermometer. It's the same one our ped uses.

Thanks:).

[cc1003]

Hang in there momma. Just keep an eye on him and keep him hydrated. Also keep him as cool as he can tolerate like a shirt and a diaper vs a sleeper. If he is chilly then put a light blanket on him.

He's wearing a little tshirt with his diaper and that's it. He's sleeping now so he has a little blanket over him. I just took his temp again and it's 103.8. I suppose we'll see. The ped said that he'd give the fever three days.

[_Gypsy_]

Yes, 105 and NOT responding to medication.

If you take a child to an ER for a high fever they will do a clean catch urine culture which involves using a catheter to get the urine, blood draw and spinal tap.

It's NORMAL for fevers to go up at night and get lower in the daytime, that's a normal fever pattern. I'd be more concerned if the fever didn't fluctuate on it's own.

I don't medicate fevers unless my child is in pain or can't sleep. Even if the temp is 104 I let it ride as long as they are sleeping/content enough to lay and watch TV.

[PiccoloRose]

The one time we took DD to the ER (it was a Sunday, or would have taken her to her GP)for high fever it was 103 during the daytime and not coming down at all when we gave Tylenol. Turned out that she had staph. All they did was take a throat swab, and let her pee in a cup to do a urinalysis, then gave her an antibiotic shot.

[Sadalsuud]

For us, it is over 105 or 103 for 3 days.

When we'd take dd in to the ER for her cyclic fevers, they'd do some bloodwork and do a UA. She's never had a spinal tap for a her fevers. She may have had an IV depending on how dehydrated she was.

I agree that baths might not be the best thing, but when dd was sick, I'd have her lay with me in the shower that wasn't too hot or too cold. I'd just make sure she didn't get chilled afterward since shivering is the body's way of warming it up, which is the last thing you need when you have a fever.

It's hard to have a little one who is sick. Hang in there and I hope your little guy feels better soon.

[Earthmama]

Great advice already. I hope he feels well soon.

[cc1003]

Well, to update...it got up to 106.7 so we went in. I gave him Motrin immediately upon seeing the 106.7 and by the time we got to the hospital it was down to about 102. They got a rectal of 101.9.

They said that he just has an upper respiratory virus and that his fever was spiking at that time.

It takes a lot to scare me but 106 does it for sure.

[still_me]

:hug: I've been there. DS1 briefly hit 108 in the hospital and I was freaking out. It is a long and emotional story, but all I will say for now is that he had an Angel watching over him that night because when I laid him down it was only 103. It spiked fast and hard. What woke us up was a wooden toolbox that was very secured to the wall falling and smashing on the floor. When we ran in he was limp and we flew out the door to the ER.


ETA: I'm glad to hear that your little man is a little better. It sucks seeing your baby sick like that.

[HammBugga]

Scary :( I took Ds2 in when it was 104 but that's only because it had stopped responding to medication and I was using Motrin and Tylenol one after another. It was his first and only ear infection.

[Bellaelle]

Better to be safe than sorry. I hope your little one feels better soon.

[Teresa64]

(((hugs))) Hope he feels better really soon!!!

[HIJKMommy]

I took Kenna in once because it was 104.8 not responding to meds and she was having febrile seizures.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Poor little guy. That is scary. I hope he's better soon.

[cc1003]

It seems like he's lots better today. When we woke up this morning it was up to 102.1 but we had skipped a dose of Tylenol so I guess we're just going to have to stay on top of that for the next day or so. I'm SO not a medicine giver but I can't let his temp get that high again.

[Funmommy]

WOW I guess I'm a worry wart because if any of my kids ran a temp of
103 and the doctor's office or clinic wasn't open it meant I was off to the ER.
Luckily it hasn't happened that often. :o

[cc1003]

Okay, so DS still is running a fever of almost 102. This is ridiculous. Without Tylenol or Motrin, he runs a fever. We've given it to him pretty consistently but skipped one today and yesterday just to see if he was better but it went right back up each time.

Do you think that this is still the upper respiratory virus (i.e. cold) that they said he had or should we be worried about pneumonia? Anyone with this experience that can help me out? This is his fifth day with a fever.

[Teresa64]

I would call his pedi at the very least. What are his other symptoms?

[cc1003]

He has a VERY runny nose, clear though, and a very productive cough. Also his eyes are very watery. Plays fine though.

[Amy_G_]

did he go to the pediatrician as a follow up to the ER visit?
Cause my pediatrician ALWAYS recommends a follow up visit because the ER doctors are USUALLY not pediatricians and they miss a LOT of things that they just don't recognize cause they aren't used to how things are supposed to be in babies and toddlers.

[cc1003]

did he go to the pediatrician as a follow up to the ER visit?
Cause my pediatrician ALWAYS recommends a follow up visit because the ER doctors are USUALLY not pediatricians and they miss a LOT of things that they just don't recognize cause they aren't used to how things are supposed to be in babies and toddlers.


No, he hasn't yet because the ER visit was on Thursday, a holiday, then now it's a weekend so we haven't had the chance yet.

But do y'all think he's probably still symptomatic from the cold or should I call the ped right now and be worried?

[Teresa64]

I would go ahead and call the pedi on call. Can't hurt and better be safe than sorry!

[cc1003]

I will call him first thing tomorrow morning.

[The_Market]

He's acting relatively normal. It's strange. Only when it was 104.8 was he pretty fussy. At 103-104 he's playing, he ate all his breakfast, has nursed a ton, will drink all of his water, etc. He even got into an argument with his Alvin & the Chipmunks movie.

If my kid were acting normal, I don't even think I'd medicate, let alone go to the ER.

He'd have to have a fever of over 105, getting to 106, and me not have a reason for it for me to go to the ER for a fever. You'll sit there for hours for that and it's a great place to pick up more illness.

I get concerned when they act lethargic and/or dehydration is an issue. I don't even think the fever itself is dangerous, so much as the dehydration.

[Bellaelle]

Did they say he has the flu? It sounds like it could be the flu.

[Tweet]

I went to Urgent Care once when DD1 had a 104 temp because she was hallucinating and lethargic. Otherwise, I don't worry.If they are miserable, I alternate Motrin and Tylenol, but not because of the fever, but because they hurt.

I would go ahead and go to the ped now, though, since it's been so long that he's been ill.

[Amy_G_]

Yeah I would get an appointment Monday to have him checked out because it's been a long time with a high fever.
It's also something I'd add to my mommy list to remember to go to the pediatrician for a check the NEXT DAY after a visit to the ER for ANY reason. Heck, the last few times anyone in my friends and family circle have gone to ER, the er discharge papers recommends a follow up visit ASAP with your regular doctor in case the ER missed something. I've had ER's miss broken bones, ear infections, need for antibiotics after a dog bite, and allergic reactions to antibiotics and other things in a child. I don't usually think in an emergency to go the extra miles to take them to the children's ER, which is the only place your children are guaranteed to see a pediatrician in the ER dept. some ER's will page a pediatrician, but most don't.

[cc1003]

Well, I went ahead and called last night and took him in this morning. The ped took one look at him and said that he was tons less worried after seeing how active and playful he's being. He isn't acting sick at all even though his temp was 103 this morning.

So ped said that we have one more day and if he runs a high fever today/tonight, he'll want a chest x-ray tomorrow. But he was able to rule out the scary stuff like meningitis, etc.

He said that it's likely that he has RSV which is really no surprise since he was a preemie, had it last year, and they told us that it would be likely that he would get it again this year. So we're praying that today is the last day!!

[The_Market]

Do you think that this is still the upper respiratory virus (i.e. cold) that they said he had or should we be worried about pneumonia? Anyone with this experience that can help me out? This is his fifth day with a fever.

You could have the doctor test him for RSV.

ETA: I posted this before I saw you most recent update. I think there's a test for RSV and that's probably cheaper and less scary for him than chest x-rays. I think they can do it in the office.

Also, I want to reassure you that a fever itself is not dangerous. You want to know why a child has one, but the fever is not dangerous, and if he's feeling otherwise fine, then I really don't think there's anything freak out about. I mean, they can't even do anything for RSV, can they?

[cc1003]

I'm going to lose my mind. So, we skipped a does of Tylenol and next thing we know, his temp was back up to 106.5. Called the doc and went to get a chest xray. Now we're waiting for results. The ped will call us as soon as they hear something.

Should I be worried? I'm trying to be sensible but I am just so concerned at this point. Has anyone experienced this high of a fever for this long?

ETA: Oh and we called the ped to ask about being tested for RSV and they said it was pointless because it has to run its course either way.

[3girls2luv]

Sorry I have not kept up with this but how long has he had fever? How old is he again?

[cc1003]

Sorry I have not kept up with this but how long has he had fever? How old is he again?


He is fourteen months old and has had a fever since NYE so this is day five. It has ranged from 101-106.8.

[3girls2luv]

Wow that is a long time. DD2 did that several times when she was little and they usually treated her for pneumonia. Is he on antibiotics?

[Sputterduck]

106.8 would scare the Crap out of me.

[cc1003]

Wow that is a long time. DD2 did that several times when she was little and they usually treated her for pneumonia. Is he on antibiotics?

Not yet because we're not sure if he has it. I guess we'll know more when the xray comes back.

[3girls2luv]

Sometimes dd's x-ray would come back negative but she was coughing and sounded very very congested so the doctor would diagnose her by her symptoms. I sure hope they get down to the bottom of this soon. In the mean time keep him well hydrated. Have you been giving him tylenol around the clock this whole time?

[cc1003]

We've been alternating Tylenol/Motrin every three hours around the clock. When we've skipped doses, his fever's gone right back up.

[3girls2luv]

I don't want to scare you but that is a lot of medication for such a young child. I know when dd would have fevers it went down faster once I let it peak and she did have a temp of 106 and then it just kept going from 103-105 the 102 until it stayed down. I would try other means to keep his temp down like light clothings and lots of fluids. How is his urine?

[cc1003]

I don't want to scare you but that is a lot of medication for such a young child. I know when dd would have fevers it went down faster once I let it peak and she did have a temp of 106 and then it just kept going from 103-105 the 102 until it stayed down. I would try other means to keep his temp down like light clothings and lots of fluids. How is his urine?

I know that it's terrible to give that much medication but nothing else is working. We are a more natural methods family and we NEVER give meds but I don't want him to have a seizure! He's never had medication before now so I'm hoping that it doesn't have a lasting effect.

His urine output is great.

[MiMi_of_4]

I hope you hear something quickly, cc.

[3girls2luv]

If he is prone to febril seizures there is not much you can do. DD would get them at 100.2 and even at 104 but rarely at 106. Seizures can also occur if you cool him down to quickly. Hang in there momma I hope you get answers soon.

[BeachMama]

I agree w/ Gypsy.

I have never taken my kids to the ER for a fever. I actually don't even own a thermometer. I haven't had one for years.

[cc1003]

I agree w/ Gypsy.

I have never taken my kids to the ER for a fever. I actually don't even own a thermometer. I haven't had one for years.

You wouldn't even go if it were almost 107 and you couldn't get it down and didn't know the cause?

[momoffive]

Of course, I always advise talking to your dr first, but my ped tells me to give full doses of tylenol and motrin together if the fever is at 104. It works like a charm.

I also would not give baths with fever. You can put your child into shock.

[cc1003]

Update here (http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?p=597351#post597351)

[Bellaelle]

Your update is exactly why I do not believe in letting fevers ride it out for days.
I hope your little is better soon. Thank goodness you took him in.

[cc1003]

Your update is exactly why I do not believe in letting fevers ride it out for days.
I hope your little is better soon. Thank goodness you took him in.


We definitely learned our lesson here.

[BeachMama]

You wouldn't even go if it were almost 107 and you couldn't get it down and didn't know the cause?
Sorry, I was not clear. I am not saying I wouldn't take them for a high fever, just that I never have. They've never had scary high fevers before. I don't know what my limit would be. I think it would depend on their behavior and how they're feeling.

[BeachMama]

I just read your update and I see that he had RSV last year. I think if my child had a history of such things I'd be more cautious w/ fevers and what not (than I am with my kids, not saying that you were not cautious). I'm sorry he is so sick. :(