Ill one-year-old - what to do?

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13 month DD sent home from nursery on Thursday as she vomited at lunchtime and was running a temperature of 38.1 - she'd been absolutely fine in the morning so it came on quite quickly.

Because of the high temp we took her for a covid test on Thursday afternoon; it came back negative on Friday morning.

Her temperature shoots up to 39.6-39.8 when the calpol wears off. She's had quite a few dirty nappies - more than usual, but smaller amounts - but is eating and drinking. Maybe not quite as much food as usual, but enough, I think. She's also coughing a bit tonight but that could be dry air in her room.

I've just checked her temp and it's 39.6. I've given calpol and I'm going to check her temperature again at 2am to make sure it comes down.

I'm freaking out a bit though. This is only the second time DD has ever had a fever and she's not herself. It's unnerving me.

If her temp hasn't come down in a couple of hours should I phone 111? Or is this a normal childhood illness and I'm just not used to it?

Would be really grateful for advice.

It sounds quite a lot like when DD had bronchiolitis at the same age. www.nhs.uk/conditions/bronchiolitis/symptoms/.

Yes I would phone 111 if the temp doesn’t go.

If you think it might be bronchiolitis, please keep an eye on the coughing and her breathing. look any signs of finding it hard to breathe - sucking in under ribs for example - and then you would seek medical treatment via A&E (DD had a night on oxygen & sent home with an inhaler).

Yes you should phone 111. It is far safer than asking for advice on the internet.

Hope she is better soon.

Not herself in what way?

Her ribs/ neck / stomach being pulled in when she breaths?

You could also try giving nurofen in intervals between the calpol. Tends to reduce temps better than calpol

You really need to get her temp down. Can you strip her off and see what her temp goes to in just a vest?

We found nurofen better at lowering temperature than calpol. You can give them together (but better to alternate) so may be worth trying that to see if it works

But do call 111 if you're concerned

DD had a few illnesses around Xmas and got a really high temp. Then only thing that brought it down was just having her in a vest. My Dsis is a paramedic and she said this is what they do when they go to a baby with a temp to help get it under control.

Please dont strip your baby off, use lighter bedding / summer sleep bag.
If hot socks on, remove them..
39.6 is a very high temperature.

Ring 111 and they will ask you questions and you will speak to a nurse / doctor

I've just taken her temperature again and it's back down to 36.8, and she's sleeping peacefully. No alarming breathing or rib-sucking etc.

In view of the fact that the calpol brought her temp down, I'll see how she is in the morning.

Oh - not herself in that she's quite clingy and unsettled.

Thank you, everyone - it's so hard to know what is normal and "okay" for an illl baby and at what point medical attention is needed

If she is still running temps through the night and into tomorrow she likely has some sort of infection, whether it is viral or bacterial would need to be determined by a doc. If she is in creche, in the nicest possible way they can be rampant for spreading infection, it could be an ear infection, kidney infection, chest infection but after 3 days of consistent temps I would call a doc to get her seen and get antibiotics into her ASAP if relevant.

Thank you - her temp was okay this morning but I'll keep checking it. If it persists into tomorrow then that will be 3 days and I'll contact the docs.

Yes, I'm sure they're exposed to all sorts at nursery! The poor staff!