...for your kids' fevers? We were supposed to be at the church tonight for a special memory marathon, but my lil guy has a fever of 103.2. No other symptoms, just the fever and tiredness... but sheesh! I know that if I call the nurse's hotline for our clinic, they'll tell me to bring him in. But 99% of the time they just tell me to take him home & keep doing what I was anyway. And I really don't wanna pay someone to tell me what I already know. But if he's really sick, I don't wanna wait too long before getting him in to be treated either. Just once, I wish my kids could catch something that I KNOW what to do with, rather than these mysterious high fevers! My daughter does this all the time; gets a high fever with no other symptoms. She'll spend the day resting, and be okay in the morning. But my son has never done this before! love, mom
My son had this last week. And four of the babies at work have gone to the ER with the same thing, a high fever for no explained reason. The ER sent them home with bed rest. I didn't take my son in but kept him home for a few days. All of the children involved are fine. If the fever is over 104 and you can't bring it down, go to the doc. Or if there are other symptoms that need treating. At least that's my philosophy. But as always, we all have to make our own decisions regarding our children. Hope your little guy is better soon. Kathi
our doc says not to call unless the fever is over 104 and won't respond to fever-reducing medicines, or if it lasts over a week. If you do call, they just tell you to give baby some tylenol and go to the ER if it doesn't get any better in a few days.
Yeah. 104 is what I've been told. Keep a really close eye on it, though. If the temp rises rapidly, you could have some problems. I also learned the hard way that if the person on the phone says don't bring them in, but you're worried because your kid seems very sick, you should trust your instincts. Watch his temp. If it reaches 104, go in. Also, if he becomes listless or unresponsive, go in right away. Make sure he drinks plenty. Give him tylenol.
I always try to let things run their course. If my kids get sick and have a fever of 104 or lower, I will wait it out and give them tylenol/ibuprofin, lots of fluids, and rest. If the fever lasts more than 7-10 days, then I will take them in to see the doc. I would rather let things run their course then have to put my kids through the trauma of having blood drawn and the works, if all they have is a bug. It's stressful when lil kiddos get sick. If you feel like something just isn't right, follow what your instincts tell you to do. HTH
Thanks mamas We gave him Tylenol at bedtime to help him sleep better, and he woke up this morning with a temp of 99.9 and that's where it's stayed all day. He is up & around like normal again today too. I dunno what it was, but he seems to be better-ish now. I'm pushing the OJ and applesauce, and trying (rather unsuccessfully) to keep him resting for the day so he doesn't get worse again. Trying to keep a 10 year old pinned to the sofa all day long has got to be second only to trying to corral a 2 year old for naptime though. I hate not knowing for sure what to do, y'know? I mean if he were tossing his cookies or breaking out in a rash, I'd know what to do. And if he had a cough & were sneezing along with the fever, I'd know what to do. But JUST a fever? I'm clueless. Usually I do just trust my instincts, but this time even my "gut" was shrugging it's shoulders. I will definitely remember 104 It's good to have a "magic number" to know what to do with love, mom
I have been told that sometimes a good thing it's killing the infection bacteria dies at high temps and it's the body's way of doing so. I once had 104 fever that just wouldn't go away for a week this lady told me to try alkaselser (can't spell it) and very hot water. kind of like tea.. and well it took my fever away. Wouldn't giving him some Vit C, Echinacea be a good idea to boost up him immune system? Hope he gets well soon
This "High fever of nonspecific cause" seems to be going around a lot. That's what all of the kids from work were diagnosed with at the ER. I guess that's the new technical term for I don't know. Anyway, they all got better in a couple of days. Dakota was sick for four days. But he's fine now as well. It's frustrating. Kathi
Sometimes the fever needs to be brought down, sometimes it is better to let it work on the infection. I use a rule (which is very flexible) that if the child is really uncomfortable, or if it is making the child very lethargic, where they won't drink fluids, or if it has been more than two or three days of constant fever, I treat the fever. Otherwise I let it run. 5th's Disease goes around this time of year. The only symptoms are a high fever with a little lethargy and not much else. When the fever finally breaks after a few days, the child get a very noticible "Cheek slapped" rash on the cheek. sometimes on the chest, too. The rash is not usually raised, but looks like someone slapped him on the cheek(s) It is not harmful to people, but can cause parvovirus in puppies, which is fatal in them. If you have a young puppy in the house, or your dog had not been vaccinated for parvo, keep the child away from him, until you know if it is 5th Disease or not.
I usually wait 24 hours, and if it doesn't go down or it increases, I ALWAYS call the doctor just to be cautious. Many times it just has to run it's course, but in my eyes, you can never be too careful when it comes to your little ones. My kids' pediatrician says that if they're running a fever (below 104 of course!) but are alert and eating and drinking well, not to worry. He says he's more concerned with how they are acting, even if it's a low-grade temp. He says that if they're running a 101 temp but listless, not eating, not drinking, he's more concerned than a 103 with normal behavior. Glad your little guy is feeling better!
