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Original poster

Does anyone else not treat fever in DCs?

93 replies

BradfordGirl · 29/12/2022 20:56

This is based on advice from my paediatric sister who says once they are over two months old, fever is not something to worry about.

OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 29/12/2022 22:10

One of my nieces runs fevers without feeling ill, as does a friend's DC. You know they have a fever because they can look flushed, glassy-eyed and feel hot to the touch despite acting well, which might convince you to check. Equally, there might be other DC in the house with a bug and you're being vigilant.

DD often feels a bit warm with a cold/cough but as a y11 student, I let her decide if she needs to take anything and usually, she doesn't bother.

MzHz · 29/12/2022 22:14

Ds is now 17 so less prone, but he has auditory hallucinations when he has a fever so in the main I leave him to it, but overnight he might take something to break the fever because the stuff he hears is awful

123boom · 29/12/2022 22:19

When my kids have had a fever they have always been in discomfort, so yes I would give them calpol. I also take painkillers with a fever as I always feel rubbish

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AhhSlippedOnMahBeansRitaaa · 29/12/2022 22:21

I don't have a choice my 3 year old will absolutely not take any medication and if I get some into him he vomits everywhere. It's so distressing for everyone.

I bought paracetamol suppositories for emergencies but I'm terrified whenever he gets poorly. Thankfully his sister is much better but she's 8!

MumUndone · 29/12/2022 22:44

But is there actually any benefit in not treating a fever? In which case, why wouldn't you?

MzHz · 29/12/2022 22:57

My theory is that if you let it burn itself out it’ll be over sooner, but I’m not a doctor

I just medicate when absolutely necessary

ok he’s a teen now so will sort himself out nowadays but you get the sentiment

Katapolts · 29/12/2022 23:06

If they're feeling shit I give them painkillers. Same as I would take something if I felt awful.

If they're feeling ok I wouldn't give calpol just to bring a temp from 38 to 37 though.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 29/12/2022 23:18

I'm not sure how you'd know a child had a fever unless they were showing symptoms of also being unwell. I never used to take my children's temperature randomly or regularly in isolation, always only if they were clearly feeling unwell and not able to take part in their usual daily routine eg off food and drink and just lieing there. And if they were feeling like that, why would you NOT give them calpol to make them more comfortable? It usually doesn't take it down to normal if they are properly unwell, just reduces it so it's still doing its "job" in fighting the virus, but it is enough so they can sleep or stop being sick (one of mine use to vomit with a high temp).

Kids can have a mild fever with a cold and be going about their business as usual apart from a snotty nose. I wouldn't bother giving calpol in those circumstances. Only ever if they felt poorly. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want their loved one to feel more comfortable/be able to sleep. I'm recovering from this flu-type virus. I didn't automatically take anything when I went to sleep at night if my temp was only mildly up. But damned right the times I woke up in the night roasting with my heart racing, my clothes and sheets drenched and feeling like death, I took some meds to enable me to go back to sleep. If someone had tried to prevent me having medication in those circumstances I would have had an absolute fit, just WHY would you do that? It's cruel.

Our bodies ARE designed to raise our temperature to make it inhospitable towards viruses. But they aren't perfect and occasionally the thermostat goes into overdrive and turns it up a bit TOO much. THAT's when medication comes in useful.

Comeonbarbiebrianharvey · 29/12/2022 23:26

I always treat a fever. Dc has had febrile convulsions, from viruses, even with calpol, really scary. Dr said they can't regulate their temperature very well as children so some can get really hot really quick. I wouldn't risk it.... but I might feel differently if I hadn't experienced them fitting.

Sockwomble · 29/12/2022 23:32

When my son has a fever of 38.5 + he is out of it ( like his body has shut down) and he refuses all of his other regular medications or to drink anything so if it is high I need to bring it down. When he was young he was prone to sudden temperature changes and would go from being ok to being unresponsive in seconds and it would take hours for him to properly come round.

Mylittlesandwich · 29/12/2022 23:32

I treat if he seems out of sorts partly because I wouldn't necessarily think to check for fever if he wasn't. I think if it was me feeling rotten id take paracetamol so he gets the same.

SuperPup86 · 29/12/2022 23:44

I am totally baffled by the amount of posters asking how you'd know they have a fever if they're not unwell as why would you even take their temperature.

I haven't owned a thermometer for years now. It's easy to tell if someone has a fever just by touch. They'll be very warm but 'evenly warm' - so back, chest, sometimes limbs feeling the same. I can tell if the dc have a fever a mile off.

People get too hooked on the number on a thermometer imo. I see the value for babies and toddlers but really, it makes no difference if the temperature is 38 or 39.5. You can be at deaths door with an infection and a temp of 38 or have a mild cold that generates a 39.5 - the important thing is that there's fever, not the exact number. People drive themselves nuts with incrimental changes when it's not actually important.

If I know there's fever there, I treat if the dc seem unwell with it - which they don't always.

Catsstillrock · 29/12/2022 23:58

I mostly don’t. I gather NHS advice has been updated on this too.

as others have posted, the fever is doing the job of killing off the infection. Bringing it down interferes with that and can make the illness last longer.

paracetamol is hard on the liver. Ibuprofen is risky for stuff like chicken pox.

i watch over them in the night, make sure they drink water and it’s true they don’t sleep well with a fever. But the fever often breaks in the early morning.

when my two had covid they both ran a hot intense fever of 40 overnight and I thought we were in for days of illness. But both sat up in the morning asking for breakfast and were fine after that.

if over 40 I use a cool face cloth first and only then give paracetamol if it doesn’t come down a little.

sunflowerdaisyrose · 30/12/2022 00:00

I treat it if my child feels unwell, if they're feeling ok I don't. I had a fever for a few days last week, I felt terrible at night times with a racing heart and it was only 38 degrees or so, I took medication for myself then too as was not feeling well and couldn't sleep.

healthadvice123 · 30/12/2022 00:19

Always gave mine calpol etc as if they had a fever they were usually ill , I would only take a temp if unwell ?
Mine also both had febrile convulsions and yes did seem when temp went up rapidy so rightly or wrongly when they were ill , and had a fever i would use calpol etc Every so many hrs as recommended on bottle so temp didn't go up quickly during illness as well
Kids were always ok after convulsions but they are not nice to witness

healthadvice123 · 30/12/2022 00:26

But this was a few years ago and advice changes all the time

minipie · 30/12/2022 00:36

Mine have never had a fever without also feeling unwell (being very sleepy, off their food, maybe headache etc).

I’m amazed some kids get fevers without any other symptoms! I agree I probably wouldn’t give medication for that- partly because I maybe wouldn’t notice!

tunthebloodyalarmoff · 30/12/2022 22:32

SergeiL · 29/12/2022 21:57

Quoting @FTMFML ”No... have seen far too many febrile convulsions to be comfortable with a little ones temp sitting above normal for a prolonged period of time. - nurse.”

I thought convulsions were caused by rapid changes in temperature as opposed to prolonged?

Yes so a rapid change would warrant calpol then

CottonSock · 30/12/2022 22:38

I treat it as I would if it was myself as a fever feels like shit.

Beginningless · 30/12/2022 22:38

minipie · 30/12/2022 00:36

Mine have never had a fever without also feeling unwell (being very sleepy, off their food, maybe headache etc).

I’m amazed some kids get fevers without any other symptoms! I agree I probably wouldn’t give medication for that- partly because I maybe wouldn’t notice!

Same, I can’t think of a time either have had a fever and not been feeling awful.

sanityisamyth · 30/12/2022 22:52

BedTaker · 29/12/2022 21:07

A fever is one of the body's ways of trying to fight infection, so unless it's dangerously high, I wouldn't give Calpol unless they have other symptoms as well.

This

Katy4321 · 30/12/2022 22:54

Fevers generally make people feel rubbish, so I definitely treat my lo with a fever. But will wait during the day to see if temperature goes back up, before giving another dose.

Several people here say of to leave a fever with no other symptoms. There will be something causing the fever, so I'd want to be sure no bladder or ear infection or other infection, that can't be seen easily in little ones

Eatentoomanyroses · 30/12/2022 22:57

God no. High temp, I crack open the Calpol and possibly the ibuprofen if the Calpol doesn’t work. If I’ve got a temp I usually feel terrible and would take something to help so I’d def give to Dc especially little ones who can’t tell you how they feel

Poinsettas · 30/12/2022 23:02

Cocolatte24 · 29/12/2022 21:46

Problem with saying ‘it’s a body’s way of fighting something’ isn’t entirely true though is it.. what if it’s not viral but bacterial and you need antibiotics to fight it?
My 2.5 year old son ran a temp in September of 42. Even with calpol it didn’t dip beneath 39. After a day of this he then developed a very feint rash. We called 111 who said they’d call back and they never did so we took him straight to A&E. My family all said the same.. ‘it’s just a temp’, ‘sponge him off’ ‘strip him down’ ‘it’s his body’s way of fighting it’ ‘put him in a cold bath’ ‘it’ll just be a heat rash’ ‘you’re overreacting’ it wasn’t though was it?.. it was Scarlett fever/ Strep A.

None of them were hurrying to tell me 2 months later when children were regularly in the news dying from it that I had overreacted.

People should do what they think best at the time and mot have a blanket ‘just a temp don’t bother treating it’ guidance. Every child reacts differently to different viruses and infections.

Sorry to hear your child was unwell. If they had Strep A/scarlet fever then obviously they had more symptoms than just a fever - which is what is being discussed here.

Cocolatte24 · 31/12/2022 00:05

Poinsettas · 30/12/2022 23:02

Sorry to hear your child was unwell. If they had Strep A/scarlet fever then obviously they had more symptoms than just a fever - which is what is being discussed here.

Show quote history

They didn’t - we were on the ball and caught it early thankfully

As per the nhs information.. fever then a rash 12-48 hours later. We asked if he had pain anywhere and the answer was ‘no’.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/scarlet-fever/