One early morning “temperature” doesn’t mean we need to self isolate?

[Lobsterroll]

DS 18 months is always rosy in the mornings, he wraps himself up in his cellular blanket and only kicks it off just before we come into him

Normally I get him up and DH does his breakfast but yesterday morning I had a lie in. He looked rosy and felt warm (always does first thing) so DH took his temperature. It was 37.7 in one ear and 37.8 in the other.

He took it again 45 minutes later as he felt a lot cooler and he was 37.3 and 37.4

DH thinks we have to self isolate and get tests now. I think it’s just normal for DS to be warmer in the morning as he’s been in a warm room (we have a hot house) covered in his blanket.

I did it this morning as soon as I took him out of his cot just to check and similar happened - 37.7 and 37.6 first thing that came straight down once he was out of blankets. He’s a warm kid anyway so runs warm and has no other symptoms.

Yesterday DH took his temperature frequently throughout the day even though he didn’t feel hot to touch and at once stage it got to 38 very briefly after he had been running around in the heat outside. I think if you take a temperature that often you’re going to see fluctuations, especially after activity. As soon as he sat down and had a drink inside it went back to normal.

Argh sorry I meant to post this in the coronavirus topic 🙈

Yanbu

If he was ill his raised temperature would be sustained.

Is your DH hoping for self isolation for some reason or is he always this anxious?

So not 1 early morning temperature then? Either your thermometer is faulty or your child is running an on/off temperature. No way should a 1 year old have a temperature of 38 just from running around outside, unless he had heat stroke. The human body regulates its internal temperature to keep it stable.

@DeathByWalkies that’s what I thought. It wouldn’t be 38 for half an hour or 15 minutes or whatever and then go back to 37 whatever

His argument was that it became elevated a few times throughout the day (and by elevated, still under 38) but as I said it was hot, he’s a toddler so frequently runs laps of downstairs, had just got up from his nap etc. Even the thermometer booklet says to take a reading after they’ve been still and not recently bathing or doing activity or wrapped in blankets!

He’s not normally this anxious but recently the new variant and vague reports that this one might be affecting children more has made him more worried. I do understand it, I’m obviously concerned myself still but I don’t think we need to take DS’s temperature every hour. He often feels warm anyway, as I said he’s a warm kid.

@BarbarianMum I looked it up and it said activity and a hot day can temporarily raise temperature

Running around or up and down stairs would not raise your child’s body temp to 38… that’s pyrexia and a sign he’s brewing something (not suggesting covid lol) or has an infection..

What's his normal temperature? One of my kids is never below 37.2, compared to my DP's temperature usually being around 36.4 and me and 36.6.

It’s totally unnecessary to take the child’s temperature throughout the day. It’s immediately obvious from touch if a child has a higher temperature than is usual for them. The thermometer is useful to monitor the temp, check if it’s getting dangerously high, check if paracetamol or similar is bringing it down, but it should confirm your observations rather than supersede them.

If your DH is anxious he needs to find ways to manage it.

I had a test because my temperature was 37.8. Within a few hours it had gone away. I had COVID. Activity and environment can cause some variation in temperature but not as far as to an abnormal temperature unless the activity/environment was extreme.

The rules on testing are designed to pick up as many cases of COVID as possible and they say your son should be tested and your family should self isolate. Whether you choose to follow the rules or not is up to you of course but the rules don’t say if you have a high temperature have a test only if you think it’s COVID, or if you haven’t been running around, or if it lasts a specific amount of time.

With an ear thermometer it's a fever at 38 and above. Also, it depends on what his temperature normally is. My son's is normally around 36.2 so if he was at 37 or above I'd think he was brewing something. However, I wouldn't be getting a Covid test based on what you've said.

I know circumstances are different now, but I managed to raise all my children without ever owning a thermometer. If they've got a temperature, you know. There no harm in arranging a test though, quick and easy now and the results come back quickly too.

Surely it wouldn't do you any harm to get a test though? Results tend to be back within 24 hours so I'm not sure what the issue is?

37.8 first thing on a warm day straight after being bundled up in blankets wouldn't bother me.

38 degrees during the day I'd be getting a test.

I hardly ever use a thermometer. Even my 13 year old is incredibly cool most of the time but gets very hot in bed. Even wearing a hoodie can raise her temperature.

My DS just had this, a temperature that came and went. We kept him off nursery and all got tests, not covid. Eventually he burned off whatever it was, a couple of nose blows here and there. Hot one morning (below 38) I'd leave it as just being hot, but what you've described needs a test. Results come so quickly now, go to the test centre early today and you most likely might have it confirmed by early morning. It's much better to check, you'll feel relieved once you have.

You should be able to get him a test today and results tomorrow

We will get tested in that case. He’s a warm child anyway 37.4 to 37.5 is normal for him so it didn’t seem that elevated. Our thermometer doesn’t think it’s a fever either (changes colour for fever) but as you say a test is quick now and won’t do any harm

I didn’t realise upper end of 37s was such an issue (I know 38 is what hospital considers a fever in kids) as I usually run in the mid 37s as my normal temp as well

No need to spend ages debating it. Book a test for today, results will be back tomorrow probably. No need for drama.

Madness!

Just get a test if you/he are worried. What a palaver. I also second that your dh looks like he's trying to find excuses to isolate!!

(I'm in my 50s and nearly everyone I know is doubled vaxxed so there is no way on earth I'm isolating without VERY good reason.)

Small children often have higher temperatures than adults. No harm in testing but a fever is not recorded from taking temperature once. You take the temperature and if high wait a few minutes and check again to confirm. I have had this in hospital and been rechecked to allow for fluctuations

Test results are back so fast - I took DD at 9 last Friday morning and had the results back that evening at 10:30pm - and we live in a small market town. I'd get rested to be on the safe side - if he does end up with a fever it's very hard to see a doctor without that negative test as covid is always the first point of call.

38.0 is a fever, and isn’t adequately explained by running around outside. His body would have cooled him down before it got that high if he was just being a busy kid. In this instance the body has deliberately produced the fever to fight something off.

Initially thought yanbu due to title. But seems like he has been recorded with a temperature a few times so I would test and isolate.

Do you have a pack of lateral flow tests? They come in packs of 7 and you can test yourself semi regularly.

I tested myself a couple of times as I go out alot now to cafes etc and wouldn't want to unknowingly spread it