My three year old has a temp and has been sick this morning. Please remind me what I should do / not do

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

I can give calpol for temp, right?
I should make sure she gets enough fluids, right?
Do I make her eat something today or not? She was off her food yesterday and didn't really eat much.

[francagoestohollywood]

Yes to calpol
yes to offering fluids (spoonfuls rather than the whole glass/cup)
camomile with lemon and sugar is good, if she likes.
I'd offer her a toast, but wouldn't really expect she eats.
Hope she gets well soon!

[pooka]

If she wants to eat, let her eat. But try and avoid anything too rich. Bananas, rice, apples, toast (BRAT).

Calpol/nurofen for the temp. I rang NHS direct last night becuase was worried about dd who has flu (proper lasts forever, feeble and can't move flu) and was told the guidelines re medication have changed. Whereas I had thought was advised to alternate meds i.e. calopl, then nurofen 3 hours later, then calpol 3 hours later and so on, NOW it is recommended that you stick to 1 type of med (i.e. ibuprofen OR paracetomol) and administer every 6 hours.

Thankfully she's better today.

Also, lots and lots of handwashing. Don't share towels, drinks or food. Use bleach and antibac to try and halt spread of bug (things like loo seat/flush/door knobs).

Lots of fluids. Doesn't matter if squash or juice is more palatable. Ice lollies can help with hydration. www.nhs.uk has advice on illnesses and I found it pretty useful last night.

[DarksomeNight]

calprofen is better for temp, calpol more for pain, or both if very poorly, you can alternate them as long as you don't exceed the no of doses per day.
If vomiting, wait until it has been more than 4 hrs since the last one to feed them anything, plenty of fluids, if they can keep it down.
If they down a load then vomit, I just give a teeny bit in a sippy cup every 15 mins so they can't

[pooka]

I asked why and apparently NICE guidelines have very recently changed.

So technically should be either ibuprofen OR paracetamol every 6ish hours or so. Means that you can keep an eye on fever and take action if it doesn't come down, rather than masking all symptoms (I think).

Was also told that temps (i.e. above 38 degrees) should not normally carry on for longer than 2 -3 days. And that toddlers can generally have temp rise of about 1 degree towards the end of the day (dd 5 so not classed as toddler).

[francagoestohollywood]

Interesting to see that the guidelines have changed re calpol and nurofen (dd is poorly too)

[DarksomeNight]

Really?? My doc said ok to give both. I don't tho unless very ill. But app ibuprofen better to bring down high temp. Then I save medised for bed time.

[pooka]

I was really surprised too. Thankfully dd much better and temp almost normal today, so haven't had to make her wait while hot and bothered and achey.

Bloody flu - I have never seen her so listless as she was last night. Completely out of it knackered. Hence ringing NHS direct as suddenly wondered whether was being too blase about it being "only' flu.

Thank god for ibuprofen/paracetamol and antibiotics and NHS. Ended up sleeping in her room as was so worried (unlike me) and was pondering in the early hours what it would have been like in 1930s if was poor and didn't have access to over-the-counter medication to bring fever down and to free emergency medical help if all went tits up.

It's been 5 days now and she seems to be getting better. But has missed pantomime, ballet, sleepover with grandparents, seeing father christmas today and will probably avoid the christmas eve trip to Knole to see the deer and have a hearty walk. Poo.

Hope your dd better soon elf (and franca too)

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

thank you for the replies.
I didn't know the guidelines had changed, when we took her to the walk in centre a few months ago (she was delirious with temperature) we were told to give both, but I've always tended to stick to one.
She is in bed with dh at the momenet, she has had some juice but that is it.
Poor mite. I knew something was brewing last week, thought it had passed but yesterday she was not herself. Hopefully she'll be over it quickly.

Hope everybody elses poorly children get better soon

[pooka]

Bed is the best place.

Ended up putting the sofa bed up here so dd could get to us and us to her easily, while listening to story tapes and watching more tv than ever.

Though her eyes were sore and she actually asked for it to be turned off and cue me checking for rashes, making her put her chin on her chest and shining a torch in her eyes

[bookthief]

There is some evidence that ibuprofen is actually better than paracetamol in reducing fever in children.

The recent study showed that ibuprofen and paracetamol were no more effective than ibuprofen alone, so maybe that's why NHS Direct are changing their advice.

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

DD is still asleep - should I let her sleep or wake her up?
Temp is 38.8 under the arm

[francagoestohollywood]

How long has she been asleep for? I'd wake her if she's been sleeping for a while and give her ibuprofen. I also agree it is more effective than calpol when temperature is high.

Sleep is very important when they are ill, imo.

Gosh Pooka, poor dd, it is awful being poorly over the holidays!

Lets hope they'll all feel better come christmas day (my dd has had a temp for 4 days now, I'm taking to the docs this afternoon)

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

have just woken her up for some medicine, she says she wants to go back to sleep.
She has been in and out of sleep all morning!

[Tanee58]

Poor mite. Let her sleep as much as possible - it's the best healer. Keep her warm but not too hot, check her temp every few hours. Don't make her eat if she doesn't want to and certainly nothing rich if she's been sick, but give her plenty of fluids (Lucozade was my favourite when I was a child, and I still turn to it when I'm getting over flu, and my mum used to give us toast and marmite when we were feeling up to eating).

Hope she'll be better for Christmas.

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

I always used to have rice pudding when I was getting over sickness, still go for it now!

She's asleep on the bed, not in the covers, with DH who is fast asleep, he got up Sat morning and didn't sleep til last night with all the travelling he had to do.

Will check on them shortly.

[pooka]

Let her sleep, but if she rouses, get her to have some sips of water and medicine (if due a dose)

Thanks Franca. HOpe the doctor can advise re: your dd.

The day after dd's temp started, so last Friday, she slept from 12 until 6.30pm, then woke for 15 minutes and then slept until 3am when she came in bed with us, then slept again until the morning.
Saturday she seemed perkier for a couple of hours, temp down and all that. But then by 2pm was wiped out and zonked on the sofabed.
Sunday - more sleep
Monday - more sleep
Today - much better, but is just getting the look of someone who is about to nod off.

She has literally walked to the loo, and to the kitchen from the sitting room, in the last 5 days! Poor thing.

HOpe everyone gets well soon.

[pooka]

Ooh Elf - my 2 illness foods used to be:

• flaked rice with a cadbury's flake crumbled on top.
• cod in parsley sauce with mashed potato.

Think may try her on some cod and mash tonight.

[francagoestohollywood]

Pooka, sounds like our dds are going through the same thing. Dd started with a temp on friday. Has been sleeping loads. She was very perky today at the doctor's but now is back on the sofa and temp is coming back...
Lets hope for a recovery in time for Christmas

[pooka]

Fingers crossed! Think dd might have a healthier christmas, but ds now a bit hot and achey, and I am just pottering until the time has come when I can have more nurofen.

[francagoestohollywood]

Oh no Pooka! My dh is poorly as well. Ds is at the grandparents, we hope he's managed to escape the bug...

[pooka]

Fingers crossed that your ds escapes,

Feel like this christmas has been a disaster. DD slightly better today, but so wan and peaky looking and really spent all day on the sofa looking pale and not eating. She's 5 and she ought to have had a lovely christmas eve.

DS very hot. Me too! GRRRRRrrrrrr.

[loveingigglypiggly]

BRAT diet is good!

B = bananas
R = rice
A = apple sauce
T = toast

Good luck!

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

Well, this morning she woke with a really sore neck, she was screaming in agony. Took her to the docs who said all her glands are up and she possibly has toncillitis
Got lots of medicine for her.

[loveingigglypiggly]

Keep a very close eye on her and temp. My DS had the same a few weeks ago, and suddenly after a day of calpol and nurophen had a temp of 39.6. Went to A&E in the end. The doc there gave him antibiotics.

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

her temp has been steadily at 38.5ish for the last two days it rages up then settles down for ages, then back up again