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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how to treat a 10mo with a temp of 40.2

401 replies

Whoevenknowswhattodo · 26/02/2019 23:04

Shamelessly posted here for traffic Blush

Ds2 is 10months. He hasn't been unwell, not even snotty . Yesterday afternoon at lunchtime he wouldn't eat which is unlike him. Cried and crashed out and slept most of the day and night. He had a temp of 38-39.5 all day despite regular Calpol and ibuprofen.
Today he's been the same, eating and drinking okay but sleeping longer than normal and high temps.
Still doesn't appear poorly. Isn't upset just raging hot.
He had Calpol at 6pm. Ibu at 8pm. Just been to check on him at 10.30pm before i went to bed and temp is highest yet at 40.2.
He had gone to bed happy and in a babygrow with no vest or sleeping bag.

Is a temp alone worth doing anything about
If they're not seeming poorly / rashy/ upset?

I've given him more Calpol at 10.30 but he's maxed out on his doses now for both meds in a 24hr period so I'm at a loss

My plan is currently stay awake till 11.30 Then go and check temp again to see if it's coming down. Does this sound the right thing to do?

OP posts:
thaegumathteth · 27/02/2019 12:17

I’d catch a urine sample - do you have a small pot you can clean out? Ideally sterilise but even boiling water? Ask them to dip test it.

cheeseypuff · 27/02/2019 12:23

*Get yourself and your baby off to a&e where at the very least the vital obs and check for uti can be done

No wonder a & e is flooded if there are GPS like this all over the place*

No wonder a & e is flooded if people take it upon themselves to completely ignore the (highly trained) GPs advice & go off down to a & e where there are lots of people with lovely germs, so that the "proper doctors" Hmm can see them instead.

janetforpresident · 27/02/2019 12:36

It doesnt sound like your GP is shit OP. He/she knows what to look for. Just keep monitoring him but any change and you can ring GP, 111 or rush to a&e. They saw something on his throat so it may well just be a viral thing and pass in time.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2019 12:36

There are some seriously over the top responses on this thread. I bet op wishes they hadn't posted. I hope your lo gets better soon.

raviolidreaming · 27/02/2019 12:39

No wonder a & e is flooded if people take it upon themselves to completely ignore the (highly trained) GPs advice & go off down to a & e where there are lots of people with lovely germs, so that the "proper doctors"can see them instead

Indeed. At ease, Mumsnet. Stop falling over yourselves for the OP's baby to be seriously unwell. He's been seen and, for now at least, all is well. Some kids - including mine - spike a temp when they're fighting something underlying / teething and it's just the way it is. If the situation changes though, then they are to go back. Sensible and without undue drama.

Eatmycheese · 27/02/2019 12:43

@cheesy the problem is that the GP didn’t do their job
Or did you miss that bit?🤔

I have very recent and quite terrifying experiences of a baby presenting with an unexplained and sustained fever. Every single occasion the GP or A&E staff checked his heart rate, his results, his oxygen levels and tested his urine: this was in primary as well as secondary care. On one occasion he turned out to have swine flu and was very poorly in hospital.

The GP rushed the assessment of what the OP has told us happened.

Prequelle · 27/02/2019 12:44

Well it's no wonder thousands of people die from sepsis if a GP doesn't even bother to check basic observations on a patient with pyrexia.

CoffeeTeaChocolate · 27/02/2019 12:45

Just agreeing with previous posters. Do keep the risk of an UTI in mind. When one DD was about the same age she had a high unexplained temperature. The paediatrician has me sit with her on a plastic sheet for about 2 hours to try to get a urine sample. Turned out to be a UTI, she got antibiotics and got better. Daughter of a friend ended up for three days in hospital as the GP didn’t check for UTI. A little boy should be relatively easy to get a sample from...

Prequelle · 27/02/2019 12:45

It's no wonder they rock up at our a&e when they aren't getting sufficiently examined.

CoffeeTeaChocolate · 27/02/2019 12:48

Seems I am agreeing with about 50% Smile. Due to my experience and the one of my friend, I am probably biased!

Eatmycheese · 27/02/2019 12:48

There are some posters on here who are seriously up their own arses.

I’d like to see you all being so laid back and patronising if it was your ten month old. Hindisght and “as it turned out” is a great thing.

And even more so if it turns out your GP does an assessment that is so cursory that if they were being assessed themselves would have resulted in a fail. Every single time any of my children have been been like the OP s baby they have been thoroughly checked over with what they have ironically said are basic observations.

bobstersmum · 27/02/2019 12:59

Hi op. My dd had a urine infection at around this age it came on very suddenly and she had a very high temp, was screaming and very upset and vomited. I took her to the out of hours and the doc did similar to yours, bit dismissive. I insisted that they test her urine as I have history of kidney reflux and he gave me a pot and said good luck! You can put a cotton wool pad in the baby's clean nappy and wait for a wee then you can squeeze that out into the pot. They don't advise doing it this way because of cross contamination but it's often the only way with babies. I was later told by my own gp that they should treat an unexplained fever like that with a general antibiotic in such a young baby to be on the safe side.

grannieanne · 27/02/2019 13:08

How is he now OP ?

For what it's worth, if you think something isn't right, are concerned or a change in his presentation, just get him to a and e.

Many years ago my eldest was a 1yr old and poorly with d and v, went on for 2 weeks, lost a quarter if his bodyweight and despite my GP saying he was 'fine' on several visits, he was unconscious when I decided to ignore her and rush him to a and e. He had Salmonella and was hospitalised for a fortnight.

Trust your judgement, GP's do get things wrong. Hopefully he is now on the mend and you can both get some rest x

Quartz2208 · 27/02/2019 13:11

The key here I have found is that you can bring the temperature down and they perk up when that happens so it becomes cyclical they perk up go downhill again when it wears off

If you can’t bring it down and/or not perking up he needs monitoring (DS has had it)

overtheirishsea · 27/02/2019 13:27

Why do people continually spout the bollocks that teething causes temperatures. It's just not true.

From the NHS website: Some people think that teething causes other symptoms, such as diarrhoeaea and feverer, but there's no evidence to support this.

BlueDotty · 27/02/2019 13:37

DS needed a urine sample when he was in nappies. They gave me a bag with a hole and a sticky surround. Put in place in the nappy and collected the wee. Easy peasy.

TheSheepofWallSt · 27/02/2019 13:43

Get yourself to A&E now whilst it’s quiet.
Babies mask very well, sometimes- I don’t want to alarm you, but I’m my previous life as a documentary maker in hospitals, I filmed a few children who “seemed well” but turned out to have sepsis/ raging infections- and in one case was going into heart failure.

Your GP has done no checks.
Your child is under 1
You are now feeling uneasy- listen to that instinct
Your child is exhibiting worrying fever symptoms (hard to control, very top end of tolerable etc)
GO TO A HOSPITAL

5SleepingLions · 27/02/2019 13:45

I'm sorry op what the doctor said about get a urine sample is rubbish.
I've had to get urine samples off my little ones a few times and they just give you a little bag with a sticky thing on it and you put it on him put his nappy on and just wait.

HJWT · 27/02/2019 13:50

@Whoevenknowswhattodo hope DC feels better soon Thanks

Original poster
Whoevenknowswhattodo · 27/02/2019 13:52

Temp currently dead on 38, I'm going to call 111 back. He had calpil 2 hrs ago. He's eaten a bit of lunch and is happy in himself so just can't take him to a&e as feel like a fraud

OP posts:
DearTeddyRobinson · 27/02/2019 13:53

Get his heart rate and sats checked please OP. My DS had a high temp, but no other signs like red throat, ears etc. Luckily GP checked his vitals, he was tachycardic, we were sent straight to a&e and put on iv antibiotics.
Do not mess about with this PLEASE

vinergartom · 27/02/2019 13:55

It can be tricky to get a urine sample from a baby, the urine bags aren’t suitable when testing for a uti as the urine comes into contact with skin and contaminates the sample. You need to be patient and watch and wait and catch. That said it’s very important to check for a uti in a child with an unexplained and prolonged fever. I would personally get him checked again and ask for a urine analysis. If he deteriorates at all and you have any concern he’s just not right get him to a&e. Prolonged and unexplained fever is a justifiable reason to get prompt medical treatment and sometimes that needs to be in a&e.

That said the dr likely did check his heart rate. It doesn’t take long when you’re used to it to determine heart rate while listening to a patient’s chest. Though not ideal to not listen for a full minute. Hope he’s on the mend soon OP. Don’t be hesitant to get him checked again.

TheSheepofWallSt · 27/02/2019 13:56

OP
You are daft.
I’m a mother who spent 8 years working and observing in clinical environments. I’ve told you my instinct is a doctor would want to see that baby.
A doctor upthread has told you to take the baby in.
90% of posters have told you to take the baby in.

You are worried about “looking like a fraud” - putting a moment of feeling silly if all is well- and I hope it is- over your baby’s welfare.

I think I’m going to step away as I can’t bear this kind of stubborness. Makes my blood boil.

Original poster
Whoevenknowswhattodo · 27/02/2019 13:57

@thesheepofwallstreet but he has seen a doctor already today who wasn't concerned?

OP posts:
KTD27 · 27/02/2019 13:59

Op I was really hesitant to reply as I have a slightly biased viewpoint - my son has a heart issue that never would have been found had I not taken him to a&e instead of treating a temp at home.
But your last point about feeling like a fraud please don’t feel this way. The doctors would always rather see you and discharge you than you don’t go in and need them later in a more tricky and scary situation.
Go. Go and be sent home and reassured that all is well. Wouldn’t you rather that way round?

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