2.5yo send home w fever every week

[Carm10]

At my wits end. Since the beginning of September, my daughter has been send home from nursery almost every week (3 times in September, 3 times October and today) due to her having a temperature of 38c or more. I don’t mind to leave work to pick her up if she is unwell. However her fever lasts for about an hour and then she is perfectly fine. However the nursery won’t let her in for the next 48 hours of last fever. Gp is not concerned “it’s just a virus” they say.
I work frontline in the nhs and my managers are very annoyed at me. I have spend most of my annual leave and they don’t allow me for more carers days. They say this is not normal (and honestly it is not, my colleagues have children and they are not off as often as me).
I don’t know if pushing for further investigations with my gp? Even in summer she has random temperatures twice a month.
Maybe changing nursery too- my other friends nurseries are not so anual about getting children isolating x48hour and tested for COVID every single time they develop a tenperature.
If this is my daughters normal or could be something more sinister?
If it’s nothing sinister could I get a letter from my gp to give to my nursery like: she has temperatures over 38 degrees every week, do not panic.

I have already lost 2 opportunities for promotion to a higher band and I’m afraid I am losing all credibility from my colleagues and employers. I also feel stupid for paying full-time nursery fees when she is only allowed to attend 3 days a week at most

I think I’d push for further investigation by gp. Temps as frequent as that are surely not normal ( though tbh with your job you probably know more than me!).

In the interim can you get family/ friends to have dc? X

Perhaps go back to the GP. And get on the waiting list for a different nursery as a back up option?

That sounds really rubbish. Are the nursery checking the temperature when she feels hot or just randomly? How are they checking the temperature?

If you are having to regularly get her PCR tests would they accept lateral flows? Not ideal for little ones but sounds like she must be used to them by now?!

I would look to change nursery to be honest if you have the option to do so.

I would also ask for a second gp opinion. Perhaps keep a daily record of her temperature for a month?

For what it's worth my 4year old runs hot. I have stopped checking her temp as it is invariably above what is deemed normal (usually she is around 37.7-37.8). I only check her temp now when she has other symptoms too which would indicate she is actively unwell or she feels excessively hot.

Just re-read your op. As the temperatures are regulalry over 38 I would definitely request more investigations. Comparison to my DD is not particularly helpful!

Definitely go to GP and ask for a letter.
My son used to have a sensitive gag reflex. So he was sick at preschool and then school more than usual. The school were very understanding and didn't make him stay off for 2 days following a sick incident. And we made sure he ate slower and took smaller bites.

Is there any pattern to the temperature? E.g. when she hasn't taken a nap? Coming in from outside? Is it borderline - could you give them another thermometer to try?

I’d ask for more investigations too. How long do these fevers last? You say they go after an hour so is it always in mornings, or are you nursery looking for reasons to send her home? I’d consider switching nurseries too as they clearly arnt looking at her individual case.

There is no pattern to her fevers. She keeps getting sniffles and a congested nose and the next day: fever. Then sometimes the fever is the only symptom. I get a congested nose and sinusitis a few times every year (but no fever) so maybe is something genetic?
I stopped calling GP because they told that toddlers get sick in nursery. In the past my gp told me “your child gets viral infections frequently which is normal. There is not treatment for viral infections, I don’t know what else you want us to do”

They took her bloods when she was 1 year old and they were normal (I don’t know what they tested her for).
Is there something i should be pushing for?

Op are you checking her temp when you pick her up? Any chance nursery are wrong?

We had this with nursery when my DC first started. High temp every week which meant we had to collect due to COVID policies. Normally they would have just given Calpol. When I say high, it was normally just 38, which to me isn't really high at all, not for toddlers who are perma-sniffly in the first few years of life. It's was more frustrating than worrying.

You are right not to worry about it and the GP is correct that you don't need toncall him to be concerned. But you definitely need something to change. What is the policy in the nursery- do they give paracetamol? What does their sickness policy say? Can you use that in your favour? It seems ridiculous that the child can't go back in.

GP told me this is normal and that this summer and autumn they have seen a lot of viruses going around.
The nursery policy is that if temperature is over 38c they ring the parents to collect child. They then ask u if you want to give your child some calpol. But this is not of much help since your child is already expected not to come to nursery for the next 48 hours. This is according to PHA and was so before COVID too. But according to my friends their nurseries just give them calpol and get on with their lives.
Maybe I just need to accept she is more sick than other kids her age? Maybe a childminder would be better for her. It would break my heart to separate her from her bffs (she actually has 2!) but this nursery seems to be a virus hotpot regardless of all their isolation measures

It’s a bad time of year, plus with Covid viruses are horrendous. It sounds normal unfortunately. Your nursery need to be practical here.

Ours doesn’t ask for PCR tests anymore but would have done at the start of the pandemic, it’s just no realistic anymore. They are just advised. DD has been sent home once when she had a temp but she was also acting unwell so I would have wanted her home.

I’d have a meeting with the nursery manager- have you had a chance to walk to other parents?

Why are they taking her temperature so often if she isn’t showing other symptoms of illness?? The only time my childminder has taken my daughters temperature is when she has been under the weather.

I do think childminders in general are a bit more flexible on this and perhaps more willing to have a child a bit under the weather than nurseries are. But if other nurseries are less militant you could consider those too.

It’s bad enough when you keep missing work when your child is ill, missing it when they aren’t is even more infuriating! Is there anyone else who can look after her so you have less time off - the child’s father or grandparents perhaps?