Should I have taken my newborn to A&E?

[AOMum14]

Hi guys,

My newborn (5 weeks + 5 days old) has had a blocked nose recently that has caused her to breathe quite quickly but she is okay in herself. I suspected a cold as my elder daughter (21 months) has been struggling with a temp, cough and sore throat for 3 days. Spoke to doctor on phone who was not worried.

Due to being cautious in case my newborn caught my daughters bug, I have been regulary taking her temp. I use the exact same method of taking temp (tempadot) as A&E - her temp at first was 37.7. My partner took again and it was 37.3. I said to take one last time and it was 37.9. I think the lower temp wasn't placed firm enough in armpit. I called 111 who said someone would call in the hour. But I'm not hanging around with my newborn so went A&E.

However, in the small span of my daughters life so far, she has been A&E twice before due to high temp (admittedly only 37.6 the previous times). On these two previous times, it was under the advice of midwives to go in.

Each and everytime of going in, her temp has been normal on arrival. My daughter does run hot (her normal temp is 37.2ish) hence the reason I take her temp instead if rely on touch - she always feels hot! I then appear crazy to all involved and a time wasting mum. This was my reason of using what the hospital uses to measure temp, so my thermometer couldn't be blamed.

Now I'm in a third time, with a baby who has a blocked nose and had a temp of 37.9. Had her temp taken by nurse once we come in and it was only 37!!!

I feel stupid and judged for coming in again. Or for putting her at risk for coming to A&E (we are in our own room though). Should I have just waited for a call back from 111 (I suspect they would have sent us to see someone anyway). Should I have waited to reach that dreaded 38? I didn't make the high temp up but am thankful that whatever the case her temp is lower.

Sorry for long message!

Stop monitoring your essentially perfectly well baby so obsessively, and get some help for your health anxiety.

I think if you are worried it is always best to go and get things checked out and I am sure staff would rather you were left feeling reassured.
Home thermometers aren't always that accurate which could be why the hospital gets a different reading.
Hope baby is better soon.

Babies will get colds, and even temperatures. I never gave any medication unless they were unhappy. Was your little one unhappy? Crying? Just make sure she is drinking plenty and is comfortable. Sure, call 111 if you need reassurance, but I’m sure your little one is fine even if she has caught your older daughter’s bug. I think A&E is a bit of overkill, kindly.

38 and above is a high temp. Anything below wouldn't bother me especially if baby if fine in themselves.

I would have just made sure they weren't dressed too warmly and bedroom was a nice cool 16-18 degrees

Put the thermometer away. I've managed to get all my DC to adulthood without ever owning one. You'd know if they had a temperature to be concerned about.

One of the best advice I was given by the GP is that don't go by temperature, go by behaviour.

If they're temperature is normal, but they're unusually drowsy not producing many wet nappies and fretful when awake etc. Go to A&E.
If their temperature is 39 and they're still drinking and producing wet nappies and are awake and alert, then you don't need to worry.

But also A&E is full of ill children. Ds had an A&E trip after catching a bug in A&E (and yes, I do know it was there) when he'd been there. So if you think she's got your older one's virus, and she's drinking, weeing and alert a reasonable length of time, you're better not to go.

Kindly OP you need to relax, I do get it, my daughter is 11 months old and we’ve already had bronchiolitis, RSV & a whole load of other germs but nothing you’ve described sounds like an A&E job.

We have always been told you really only need to worry at 38+, with emphasis on the +, 38 isn’t a huge tipping point, you just need to be wary, and although you may have the same temp check at home unless you’re a nurse it’s so easy to get it slightly wrong. None of the temperatures you’ve mentioned would have worried me personally, if they’d lasted 24 hours I’d have rang the GP but certainly I wouldn’t have been rushing down to A&E.

While quite blunt, I appeciate your honesty. I do have health anxiety you are correct (I have specalised therapy for this) made worse by losing my son at 33 weeks. It is difficult to not feel every situation is life or death. In my defence, my daughter feels hot to the touch all of the time and so, when I hear she has a stuffy nose, been extra tearful and around an unwell toddler, I will take her temp. But I very much agree with you in terms of trying not to make it habit - it does not do anyone any good.

111 and midwives will pretty much always tell you tibe fet a baby checked out if discussed over the phone. If your baby is well, feeding, responding OK maybe just lay off the temperature checks?

There's nothing inherently wrong with having a slight temperature. I understand that your baby is still so little but a temperature is entirely normal when they have a bit of a cold.

I literally never owned a thermometer and it sounds like you should step away from yours. As long as baby is taking milk and not horribly unsettled then I think you’re maybe overthinking it all.

No, that’s ridiculous. You’ve essentially taken her to A&E for a blocked nose.

I do want to add that both times previously going to A&E I have been told to head back to A&E if newborns temp is in high 37's by the doctor. 38 could be a medical emergency for a newborn and it's not advisable to wait (from what I understand anyway) for a baby under 3 months.

However, obviously, once arrived her temp is back down and so it is clear I need to perhaps slow my horses a little!

All that being said, thank you for your responses. It is reassuring to know that most likely my baby is fine and that I am just being an over-cautious/anxious mum

NHS website says 111 if over 38c for a child under 3 months.

Do you suffer from health anxiety/OCD? You’re being obsessive about temperature taking AND panicking when it’s higher than normal. You say yourself their temp is lower by the time you get there, so it’s obviously not a sustained fever.

Please seek further help for your anxiety OP. I’d also describe myself as an anxious first time mum with a baby but I wouldn’t have rushed to A&E in any of these scenario’s, so I do think your actions go beyond just being a bit over-cautious

Op unfortunately babies go down hill suddenly and fortunately get well suddenly surely the issue here is your thermometer?

Have you got two and if not get two and have you got the one docs use about 30 or 40 quid? Get that and also the finger oxomiter so you can manage her own oxygen etc.

If she runs hot are you over dressing /wrapping her?

I also want to add that, while you are allowed to feel I am over cautious or an over worrier, I don't deserve to be made to feel stupid.

The majority of response here have been really helpful and kind - thank you to those responses!

For anyone who has been in the post-partum period, you know what those hormones can do to you. And yes I am a worrier and over the top. But no one hear knows what I've been through to be like this, so I suggest always trying to be kind in your responses.

I work HARD on my mental health. So bloody hard. And as I said, I have been through hell and back to make me like this.

My baby is healthy, gorgeous, looked after and loved - she just has (as many of you have correctly sensed) an over anxious Mummy

This.

i wouldn’t even medicate a temp below 38 if the child seemed
reasonably well. let the perfectly normal physiological response do it’s job. Intervention will slow down recovery.

I wouldn’t be concerned until 39/40 personally. 38 I would be doing Calpol and taking a layer off.

i wouldn’t want to take a baby to A&e for a sniffly nose. I took my son once after a sustained period of laboured breathing and he had Covid and rsv. You do really know when a baby is ill

I first suspected this but she runs this temp even when naked (not that we keep her naked often!). My first daughter runs cold, so I never take her temp. Can just go by touch

If you have lost a baby to stillbirth, you have also lost that trust that normal people have that everything will be ok. You might also have lost trust in your own judgement,and even medical staff depending on the circumstances. Be kind to yourself, none of those feelings are your fault. But it's time now to start thinking of this little baby's wellbeing, and make sure everything you are doing is based on her needs now, not what happened before. Because at some point if you keep getting worried all the time, it will start to affect her.

I would recommend calling SANDS and talking through your feelings, it is really common after loss to have health anxiety. Is there someone you trust who would agree to be your anxiety buddy and run through the pros and cons every time you are worried she is ill? Ditch the thermometer, it won't help you make an informed decision. You will feel more confident in time to trust that this baby will be ok, I promise.

@MargaretThursdaya temperature of 39 in such a young baby should never be ignored.

Honestly I wouldn’t take much notice of anything under 38. Even then I’d call NHS 24, A and E is the depth of hell and I wouldn’t be going there if I could avoid it.

Also invest in a good in ear thermometer, the £40 Braun one is the same one they use in hospital and is so much more accurate.

Get some saline drops/ spray and a smock sucker to try and unblock nose. Try and keep baby upright as much as you can.

Thank you. I needed to hear this. So thank you