AIBU to be confused about temperature? Can toddlers/children run warmer than the usual 37?

[sinistericecreamvan]

DS is 18 months and ended up in hospital with fever and a rash a couple of months ago which turned out to be a viral infection.

I got a new thermometer as the forehead one we had was reading low compared to what it turned out the GP made him.

The in-ear one consistently shows one degree higher than the forehead one. By the in-ear one he is regularly 37.7+ but never higher than 38.

The hospital said they treat anything above 38 as a fever. I contacted the doctor again recently as he kept going bright red and feeling roasting to touch (fine otherwise) like on and off over a period of a week and half with regular readings of 38, although fine otherwise.

They suspected teething as he was otherwise well, but gave him antibiotics for a suspected ear infection at the time (they were a bit yellow and he was tugging at them).

He's now right as rain and they said just to keep an eye on temperature to make sure it doesn't keep going above 38 and if he gets any other symptoms of being unwell to get back in touch but they're not worried that he seems to be regularly warm.

I was just always under the impression that 37 was normal and you have to be really careful especially in children, so getting 37.7+ for an 18 month old just doesn't seem right?

He doesn't have Covid, we've done tests. It's not every day. Obviously I expect him to be a bit hotter when it's very warm weather like today, but I'm just confused as to why the GP doesn't seem more concerned.

His dad is very hot blooded, so perhaps he is the same. I wondered if in-ear readings are sometimes a bit higher? As the forehead ones are apparently consistently a degree lower....

I don't take his temp a lot, only when he gets obviously very hot to touch and with the red cheeks, but I've managed to thoroughly doubt myself and my judgement since hospital and GP seeming unbothered by the fact he's always quite hot!

Is it normal to have such a high baseline temp? Mine is usually around 36.5. I'm also worried as he starts nursery soon and I think he will keep getting sent home with suspected illness!

Have you tried taking his temp when he's not hot to the touch and red cheeked?

Yes, children can't regulate their temperature as easily as adults.

So they can "overheat" so to speak.

@DarcyLewis I think I have once or twice and he was still pretty warm according to the thermometer but he rarely feels cool to the touch if that makes sense. I'll try in the morning tomorrow as that seems to be when he's coolest to touch

@Ylvamoon so does that mean he is regularly overheating despite just poodling around in a nappy on a hot day? I keep him in the shade etc, and he never wears too many layers. He does seem to prefer to sleep in less as well. DH absolutely hates being too hot and is intolerant of any temperature over 24 outside so maybe he's going to take after him

yes and the reverse, I run cool at 36.3 on average. My brother runs hot and particularly when asleep as his body doesn't seem to manage temperature control well.

I personally don't tend to worry about fevers until they are over 100 (38 in C) but a 'proper' fever is more like 39 or above (102)

Temperatures vary depending on where it’s measured - ear differs from underarm which differs from forehead which differs from rectal.

so @Merryoldgoat is there a different range for each type of thermometer which would mean 'fever'. Our ear one glows orange (so elevated) for up to 38, so although it's elevated doesn't think it's a fever. I've just found it a bit of a minefield and because I was using the forehead one when he DID have a high fever and it didn't register it correctly, it has filled me with doubt!

@goldenblue makes sense. I think I'll stick with the ear one as I'd rather have a mistakenly high reading that miss a high reading if that makes sense.

In fact, as we've always used the forehead thermometer since he was a tiny baby (we were advised by health visitor to keep an eye on temp during the heatwave last year) he consistently measured around 36.5-.7 on it which I now know works out at 37.5-7 on the ear one so maybe he just does run warm. I guess forehead ones aren't to be trusted unless you add on the extra degree?

Different people definitely run at different baseline temps IME. For DD a normal temp is around 37.4, but DS around 36.8. Same in-ear thermometer used.

Forehead and armpit read a bit cooler
In ear reads medium
Anally reads hotter (not that many of us use that method now )

As a parent I think you learn your own child and pay attention to when they don't seem themselves.

My kids throw really high fevers but can still be happy and bouncy. When they're not is when I worry and many consider the doctor etc. Mine also do really impressive post viral rashes so early years were a bit scary until we got used to their patterns.

Trust your own judgement though, you know when you child is not themselves. It is the best indicator

Thank you

I'm wondering if because of lockdown, he's now coming into contact with lots of germs at the park etc so perhaps that's why he flares higher so often, even if it does run warmer.
I don't want to become neurotic about it, so I was just trying to get my head around it. I think I was just a bit surprised when the GP wasn't worried, but if he's otherwise well I guess it makes sense

Forehead thermometers always read up to a degree lower than in ear thermometers. The only really accurate thermometers are rectal ones, but obviously that's unnecessary!

People have individual "normal" body temperature. I have had to take the temperature of 14 residents at work every breakfast time for the last year and know all their normals. One guy is always 35.5 with a forehead thermometer, he's like a machine, never varies, is never even slightly unwell either - never known him have so much as a sniffle in three years. Another guy's normal is 37.7, and he is often 38 if he's only just got out of his warm bed where he wraps himself in his duvet. The women in the group have a temperature cycle through the month as you'd expect etc.

The key as a parent/ carer and an individual is to know your charge/ children's and/ or your normal if you have cause to monitor for temperature increases.

Children under 7s temperatures do also vary more than those of adults and a child can sometimes be running and playing happily with a temperature with which an adult would struggle to function.

If your child's temperature is a full degree higher than his personal normal using the same thermometer then he has a high temperature, two degrees and he has a fever and needs medical attention, with the caveat that over 40 in a vulnerable person (including a child in that category) or in anyone without clear and understandable cause should be checked out ASAP.

That's really helpful thank you @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme that makes sense.
And so I think he has always been 36.5 -36.8 on the forehead one so if I add a degree to that it works out pretty much to what the in-ear is registering which seems to be his baseline. So the 38s are a fraction higher than baseline but due to the fluctuation and his all round behaviour, I don't think anything to worry about. I was struggling to get my head around the different thermometers and different readings but this helps break it down a bit.

@sinistericecreamvan you may be right. I found when my kids started nursery we had a long period of minor illness. At least once a month poorly enough not to go to nursery. It took about 9 months of catching everything (and often sharing it with me) they got well and stayed healthy from there onwards. It's a hard period with endless sniffles and minor fevers but I think t helped their immune system longer term as they are very robust as older teenagers now.

yes i did wonder @GoldenBlue as previously he would have been mingling etc and probably had more sniffles etc - the only thing is he doesn't display any symptoms of being ill when he runs hot. So he's either pretty robust or maybe that's just his norm.

I'll keep an eye on it without getting too OTT with the thermometer but I'm not sure how to deal with nursery as I'm pretty sure he's regularly going to be above the covid temp cut off

DD is regularly very warm to the touch, so is DH. I’m usually pretty cool, around 35.5 or 36. If I’m 37 I’m usually unwell. People vary.

Yes I think that might be the way he is. He isn’t red at all at the moment and is splashing about naked in a freezing paddling pool and is still 37.6 so I think it’s just the way he is! He’s perfectly happy

@sinistericecreamvan I could have written your post. My DS is 22 months ans I've been regularly checking his temp after a few bouts of illnesses. He is completely happy but regularly has a temp of 37.7/37.8 which only comes down when he is asleep and calm.

Was 37.7 normal for your son and did he grow out of it as he got older?