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!

I think you've got some anxiety regarding your dd and with a temp in the 37s or even 38s I wouldn't have taken any of my dc to a&e.

I’m so sorry for your loss.

Some of these replies are ridiculous. While I don’t think you need to focus solely on temperature, if you are worried about other things alongside this, such a behaviour, presentation, lethargy, stuffed up nose, you are doing the right thing. Those toddler illnesses, when a very young baby gets them, are nasty. Bronchiolitis is essentially a regular cold, but experienced by an under two and can often require hospitalisation. Yes, it’s basically a blocked nose, but when that’s experienced by a tiny baby that’s serious stuff. Unfortunately in my experience, there will always be a medical professional who is sceptical of parents advocating for the child to receive proper care and the only thing you can do is dig in your heels.

Truly, the poster who scathingly wrote that you essentially brought a baby to A&E for a blocked nose should be horrified with themselves, because that’s all it takes for a little one to struggle to breath and stop feeding. When they’re tiny and trying to regain birth weight that’s a big deal.

OP since you have said you have health anxiety I would suggest listening to health professionals and not guessing. 111 are usually pretty good with calling back within an hour or two and would help you to work through what to do.

Your baby’s temp wasn’t really that high. Also check the NHS website …

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if your child: your child has other signs of illness, such as a rash, as well as a high temperature. your baby's temperature is 38C or higher if they're under 3 months old. your baby's temperature is 39C or higher if they're 3 to 6 months old.

So advice is you don’t have to take baby. You also said you didn’t think the lower temp was under baby’s armpit enough - gently I think you thought this because you didn’t want to believe it as your anxiety was telling you differently.

So you kept checking temp, called 111, didn’t want to wait and took baby to A&E. Sounds like you wanted to go and were looking for clues to fit your narrative. You aren’t a bad mum, but help yourself in these stressful situations by just taking professional advise. Hope baby is better soon!

Go to A&E if you need to. You’ve had an awful time and it’s ok to get reassurance if necessary.

I have a neighbour similar to you. She knocked on my door crying and shaking because her baby slightly choked on spit up. She called an ambulance. The baby was literally fine cooing and looking around. It was honestly disturbing and I felt for my neighbour but felt for the baby even more. She also gets very worked up when her baby is ill, she's been on many medications and antibiotics in only her first year of life.

Honestly if I were you I'd get help.

I agree and all the information you have shared is very helpful.

I do however HATE going to A&E - despite so many trips. If that third temperature had been low, I'd have calmed down. I am also a very honest anxious person. I tell everyone I meet at hospital that I have health anxiety and said to the 111 dispatcher about all three readings -including the low one.

You are absoutly right though that I had made my decision to head to A&E before listening to 111. Partially this was based on advice given to me from midwives and doctors but you are so right that it was also due to my health anxiety. I do need to work on this!

A doctor isn't prescribing baby drugs because mum is anxious?

I did end up in a&e with a 3 week old who had a UTI, so I have been there (he was over 38 though). What I will say is that I did not need a thermometer to tell he had a temperature, he felt hotter than the sun.

that said, just because you’ve been before and it wasn’t serious doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go back on a different occasion if temperature is generally raised.

Oh love. Health anxiety is horrible and it's no wonder you are struggling with it after what you have been through.

It's easier for posters to slate you for going to a&e, but when you are in the midst of that sheer terror that something is wrong it seems so reasonable and logical.

Your baby is very tiny, no doctor in the world is going to complain about seeing a baby so little with a very worried mum.

I think you do know this already, but you definitely need to work on that health anxiety, but, that will come in time. You are only 5 weeks PP with hormones flying everywhere, on top of everything you've been through.

Be gentle with yourself, you aren't a bad mum, just a worried one x

A baby under 3 months with a temp of over 38 needs to be seen urgently as they can deteriorate rapidly. I agree that in an otherwise well older child it’s probably unnecessary,but you absolutely should take a newborn in the 38s to a&e

Thank you for your message.

Firstly, I would not have called an ambulance on a baby spitting up or choking on it, I am currently covered in it. But I may have with my first daughter. And your poor poor neighbour, I hope she is okay now. Post-natal anxiety is real, sadly very common, and can get anyone, no matter how mentally healthy they were before baby.

I was far worse with my first daughter but now she is older I very rarely take her to get checked. She has not been harmed at all thankfully by my anxiety- in fact she is a confident, happy and thriving baby. Being anxious does not mean you are unable to parent your baby - it just means as a parent you don't get to enjoy it as much!

My final update and I will share what was said to me and it can be taken for what it is.

My baby is fine, does have a virus but can go home. I've been advised to see GP if face rash does not improve.

The doctor said that in young babies below 90 days old, serious illnesses and minor illnesses can present very similarly. And so if anything changes or I still feel anxious, I should come back. She said don't feel you will be judged - a baby of my age will take priority and never be turned away.

However, I won't be returning unless her temp is above 38 and/or showing worse symptoms.

Thank you everyone

Completely agree with @whataballbag (what a name btw 😂)!

@AOMum14 Your worries are completely understandable given what you’ve been through. I haven’t personally been through having a stillborn child but my parents have when I was in my late mid-late teens and even having been through it as a sibling, I suffered terrible anxiety later in life during my pregnancy and early stages of motherhood. I’m so sorry for your loss.

Babies under 3 months should be getting checked if you are worried - simple as that IMO. They’re tiny. Their immune systems are extremely immature. Any health professional I’ve ever encountered has said they’d rather check 100 young kids with “overly anxious parents” and give reassurance than see the one kid that wasn’t brought in in time and be seriously ill.

Just for future - in our area when calling about kids (especially under 1yo), 111 are usually incredibly good at calling back within an hour or so. Any time we have needed them and been advised to have DC checked, they have given us an appointment at an “out of hours” GP in the grounds of one of our local hospitals. It means baby being seen by a doctor without sitting in a busy A&E waiting room. And if needed they can then be sent to A&E or the GP can admit them straight to paediatrics if needed. I know all areas are different but it may be worth going through 111 in future as there may be similar in your area.

I hope all is well with your lovely baby ❤️

I understand your anxiety and dilemma especially after everything you've been through, and baby being so young.

My DS is always warm, we had to take his temperature every day before school during some of the covid protocols, and it was really tricky knowing he is naturally warm. In the end I did average over 3 readings and if he seemed fine, he went to school. (We were doing twice weekly lateral flow tests as well)

Be kind to yourself. What a self aware honest response. Keep working on it and you will improve. Good luck.

Please don’t listen to all the uneducated people telling you to step away from your thermometer and that you are being paranoid. My baby had a fever when she was 6 weeks old and I rang 111 and they told me to wait for a call back. I didnt wait and went straight to a&e…her lumber puncture result came back stating she had meningitis. My fast acting to the only symptom present at that time - the fever (the rash broke out the next day) saved her life. Babies weeks old have to be seen in hospital with a fever. Especially when they are too young for calpol. You will NEVER regret getting your baby checked.

Well done OP, hope you're all home safely and sleep well tonight xx

Calpol and nurofen can only be used from 8 weeks..which is why a baby under that age with a fever has to be seen urgently by a doctor

I’m sorry for your loss OP, and congratulations on your baby girl! All I would add is that you will probably get used to her running hot over time and know when to worry.

My eldest runs warm and often spikes a temp of 40 with very minor ailments. It used to worry me a lot when he was younger (also overly anxious mum) but now I realise that’s just his way and treat the symptoms not the temp. His youngest brother on the other hand never gets a temp even when really poorly which is quite concerning in the opposite way as I have had to fight doctors to believe me he is seriously unwell because his temp never goes above 38 even with a bad infection.

You will get used to your DD being different to your eldest and soon start to work out what is normal for them and trust your instincts more.

I second this, op. I lost my twin sons 15 months ago, one born sleeping and my second died in the NICU at 4 days old. Currently about to give birth to my rainbow any day now and I dread the anxiety that comes with it.

Definitely engage with pregnancy loss groups or motherhood after loss. People who haven't been through this horrendous trauma won't always get how terrifying it is. You owe it to yourself and your baby to feel well and secure

rather than the put your thermometer away advice - take and record it when she is fine - what is her normal temperature?
You say you other daughter is always slightly higher than normal
My temperature always run low compared to average - during covid when people were flashing thermometers at you to gain entry anywhere, I had several places try to refuse entry, including a healthcare setting, because my temperature wasn't in their normal range.

This is DANGEROUS ADVICE

If a 5 WEEK OLD baby has a temperature of 39

There should 100% go to hospital, even if they seem ‘ok’

I really wish these kind of Dangerous comments would get deleted

Hi love, I think you’re getting a bit of a hard time. Even if you didn’t need A&E don’t be too hard on yourself for worrying. I’ve recently had my first and I struggled so much at first with anxiety - also caused by grief and trauma. The responsibility of looking after this tiny new life that I loved so much felt terrifying and lots of feelings related to previous bereavements came back up and made me convinced something bad was going to happen. I’ve since been diagnosed with ptsd and am receiving therapy which is really helping. All of that to say I see you. I’m desperately sorry you lost your baby at 33 weeks and can’t imagine how impossible that must feel at times. I’m so sorry you’re wrestling with anxiety because I know how excruciating it feels. Please do try and be kind to yourself. It’s great that you’re in therapy already and you know you want to work towards feeling calmer and better able to cope. I’ve also started medication, which I know is not for everyone but really has helped me. Speaking from (just about 🥹) the other side, there is light at the end of the tunnel ❤️

We have been home and had a good sleep and I have done some reflecting and this is what I am taking from this experience -

I think I was right to act and feel a bit worried. I have been told by a GP, midwife and A&E doctor that newborn babies, up until they are 3 months old, should be investigated for a temperature of 37.5 or above. I have also been told by the same people that newborns do not always present with infection the same way as older babies do - a temp can be their one and only symptom and so should never be ignored, regardless of any other symptoms.

I didn't rush to hospital at the first sign of her being unwell - her skin had been bad but used my knowledge of newborn skin to make judgement that she was okay and I had been treating her blocked nose myself for over a week. Yes I am anxious, but I didn't jump to A&E at the first sign of 'trouble'. My taking of her temperature was also justified to some regard - even the doctor last night assumed she had a fever based on touch alone, despite her reading being normal.

What I have learnt from last night though is to not go straight for A&E. I should have waited for the clinician to call me from 111 and followed their advice. In that hour, I could have tracked her temp, relayed that to who called and they may have judged her well enough to be monitored closely at home. I should have only taken her temp if I felt she was hot, rather than obsessively monitoring. I reacted abruptly and didn't wait to calm down and think rationally.

I am anxious, I do have health anxiety and so I accept all advice to work on this. However, in this situation, I was right to be anxious and I was right to react, I just perhaps didn't quite get the level of anxiety and the choice of response 'correct'. I needed to be calmer and show a bit of patience but I did the best I could.

Thank you for all of your comments and support.