Would a temp of 40.4 freak you out for toddler ?

[hookline]

Some people would go to hospital for this kind of temperature.

My boy is 18 months and has had a temperature all day ( no other obvious symptoms).

Temperature was around 38-38.5 all day. I've been giving him paracetamol and ibuprofen. He's been lethargic when his fever was high but when the medicine kicked in, he'd be pretty happy.

Since this evening it's risen quite dramatically to 40.4 just now ( he did sleep on me so it made him hotter ).

He was wrenching a bit earlier, but no vomiting.

I have him medicine an hour ago, but temp has just risen ( but was also sleeping on me ). Anyway it went up to 40.4. I've now taken off his very thin top. His temperature is now 40.

Is a high temperature like this a reason to take them to a and e?

I think if it responds to medication it's probably ok.

Or am I being too relaxed about it ?

Ring 111 for advice if the medication isn't brining it down. Hope they feel better soon

My tot used to spike temps this high all the time. They also wouldn’t respond well to calpol, but ibuprofen would bring them down. In my experience ibuprofen could take a couple of hours to make a difference, but once it did , it cooled her down a lot. I’d say give it another hour on the ibuprofen, if it hasn’t come down by then, I’d call 111 x

Call 111. That temperature is too high, considering you've given him medication.

I'd say this is a high temp an hour after Ibuprofen. And high for a young child of his age of course. Personally I'd take him in to be checked over in person, maybe something is developing now. What's his skin like, colour, feel, any changes or rash?

It definitely has come down a bit. I think it just spiked because he was sleeping on me. It's 39.3 now.

Definitely call 111.

It could be fine. It could also not be. That's not a risk worth taking, in my opinion.

As a medic, we'd far rather see 10 kids come in who are fine, than have one stay at home when they aren't.

I called 111 for a high temperature (somewhere around 39.7 - can't remember now) in a toddler and they told me to keep dosing paracetamol and strip down to one layer of clothes. They also told me to call back if it went over 40, or if she had any other symptoms

39.3 an hour after Ibuprofen is still high.

There can be an urgent need for 111 option though. Our child was referred many times for overnight hospital observation even though it was on her notes that she was a child who’s temp always runs high - as there can be complications from a sustained high temp which needed hospital observation. Our child routinely had high temp delirious type symptoms. Their temperature often hit 41/42 but experience taught me that a temp of 40 or above that didn’t quickly respond to calpol/ibruprofen gave me a 50/50 chance of using the hospital ready bag we ended up keeping in the car. Usually the underlying cause was found to viral tonsillitis for our child but didn’t mean we got sent home till they were satisfied her temperature was definitely starting to stay down and we’d been given a 3 day immediate return to their paediatric hospital dept pass in case the temp went high again.

Hope they feel much better very soon.

my DD had a temperature of over 40 when she was 9 months, it wouldn’t come down with calpol. Saw doctors and they just said to keep up with calpol and ibuprofen. Anyway I trusted my gut and took her to A&E. the second time I went, on the fourth day of high temperature, they took me seriously and took bloods. It turned out to be an upper urinary tract infection and she was very poorly. Be cautious and trust your gut. My daughter wasn’t showing signs of being really unwell but the high temperature did tell me something was wrong. Best to be safe I think and call 111 or go to A&E if you’re really worried.

not in my experience. Ibuprofen would usually take a couple of hours to properly bring my tots temp down when it was that high.

Your child is different to mine then.

Neither of us knows OP's child, I always say better safe than sorry.

39.3C is high temp in a young toddler, according to NHS advice.

Monitor temperature at night and call 111 or gp tomorrow. Go by your gut feeling op. It's okay if you have to wait at the hospital. Make sure you carry snacks and water for him and yourself. Is he drinking okay. It's important to stay hydrated too. It's probably nothing but with toddlers it's best to get them seen .

From my experience when the temp is really high, ibuprofen and paracetamol don't always bring it right down, but just help lower it by a degree or so.

It's less than ideal though.

I'd have been at the hospital if the temp hit 39 degrees. Please take him in.

Oh I see. I would be in hospital a lot, because both my children have temps over 39 quite often. He's sleeping now. 39.1.

Some DC just do get particularly high temps. One of mine does but as long as there are no other worrying symptoms and the medication does lower it I have never seen the point in rushing to a doctor unless of course it stayed that high continuously for more than 36/48 hours.
Keep your eyes peeled for a rash, dehydration, discomfort, disorientation etc.

I’d definitely call 111 for advice.

OP im holding my breath reading your post. .
There is no way I would sleep tonight if this was my child .
Call out of hours for an app and take your dc tonight.

There is an nhs traffic light information page that I often found useful - gives ranges for breathes per minute etc that I used to check.

I agree with pp who say don’t risk it - if you want them to be checked for your reassurance then do it. Every doctor I’ve spoken to has told me they would always rather check over a young child as they can deteriorate really quickly. Instinct is important. Once 111 advice was that our child didn’t need seeing that night and to contact my own GP in the morning. I put down phone, looked at my child, put them in the car and drove to nearest minor injuries clinic that was open 24 hours back then. They took one look and rushed them to front of the queue and immediately referred to hospital - they even debated whether it was ok for me to take them there myself by car or they needed to be taken by ambulance.

With that high of a temp, you're risking seizures and dehydration.

Yes it would freak me out, and has. It’s probably ok if no other concerning symptoms (extreme lethargy / lack of interest, not eating, excessive thirst, not weeing, rash etc). However, a wise GP once told me it wasn’t my risk to take, it was hers - always get them checked if you’re really worried. I have held off too long twice (trying not to make a fuss) - both ended in hospital admissions. Not worth it.

Also a high temp is the bodies way of fighting abs infection . So there is something causing the temp , you should try to find out what by seeing a medical .
If you fall asleep and the paracetamol wears of and the temp gets high then this can cause your dc to fit .
High temp os first sign of an unwell child .

You're right to call 111 to have him checked. I would do the same

I would call 111 and possibly go to A&E depending on how worried I felt. 39 is still high after both ibuprofen and paracetamol and there is no obvious cause. The fact that he is lethargic alongside this would be enough to worry me. Hope the temperature comes down soon.