1 year old with temperature of 39.3

[migola]

gave calpol at 9.30pm when temp was 39.1, but it's now up to 39.3. She's asleep, only a nappy on, when she was awake she was smiling and seemed happy. Do I wake her up in half an hour to give her ibuprofen? Am panicking a bit (am hopeless when they're ill) and DH is useless fast asleep with headphones in

Yes and set your alarm through the night to do alternate ones. We did it with DS1 last night (aged 2). Good luck and try not to panic. x

If its gone up since the Calpol (did you give the full amount allowed for the age - 10ml of the infant calpol for over 12 months) then I would ring the GP Out Of Hours.

Stripped off to just nappy and vest?
Opened windows?
Given cool drinks?

Any rashes?
Hands and feet feel ok, not icy cold?

NICE guidelines advise not to alternate calpol and ibuprofen for a fever of unknown origin in under fives.

If usual measures have no effect, get some medical advice. I hardly take mine to the docs, ever. But I did when my 1yr old had a fever that didn't come down - it is the right thing to do.

thanks for your replies.

Moaning minnie I only gave 2.5ml, half the dose. So what shall I do, give Ibuprofen at 11.30 or give another 2.5ml of calpol at 11.30?
stripped off, yes
just opened window
fed her but not given cool drink
no rashes, hands and feet feel normal

And don't forget NHS Direct.

0845 4647

You're doing everything the medics would advise. Just check for rashes to be on the safe side and ring NHS Direct if you are still worried. But they're probably only going to tell you to do what you're already doing, and to take her to the GP if its still high after a certain period of time.

My DD had a temp of 40.5 a few weeks back (although she is 11, so I'm not sure if that's easier to deal with). Everyone I spoke to reassured me that her immune system was fighting off a virus, hence the high temp, and to keep her cool and comfortable.

Good luck.

(Oh, and I would give her nurofen, but possibly wait until she stirs naturally, rather than poke her awake!)

Is there some cool air circulating in the room? Have you a fan? Is she drinking normally? Well hydrated?

It's a very personal decision, but I don't wake dd for meds. I figure she needs sleep to get better and I keep a close eye on her throughout the night and see how she is if she wakes up but otherwise let her snooze.

I don't medicate for just a temp though either. Only for discomfort/pain.

It's utterly horrible when they're ill, isn't it?

Oh, and plenty of fluids. Keep her hydrated.

Ibuprofen is better at lowering a temperature, calpol stabilises it. So when she wakes up, I'd go for the ibuprofen first.

Half a dose probably wouldn't help much as they're conservative in dosage anybody (though you should never exceed the dose specified).

For 12 months and over the max dose of paracetamol (baby strength ie 120mg/5ml) is 10ml each time, up to 4 x daily, at least 4 hours between doses

I would give another 7.5ml now and call it 2330 for the whole dose, so next dose not before 3.30am if needed.

It will probably help nicely

If it doesn't, ring GP OOH, the number will be on the answerphone at your surgery.

we don't have a fan but windows in our bedroom (she's in our bed tonight) open but no draft. She is well hydrated, had a good feed at about 9pm.

I know what you mean liberty about not giving medication for a temp but it was so high I was scared and am terrified she'll have one of those fits.
I'll set my alarm to go off every hour (not that I'll sleep anyway!) just tocheck her. I have one of those ear thermometers but every time I put it in she turns her head (she's a really light sleeper)

Is she coughing or been sick at all? How has she been feeding today?

Advice is NOT to wake for Meds. If she's happy when she's awake then just let her body get on with it. If she wakes up and is uncomfortable or seems upset then by all means give her something for it (as long as you are within the recommended dosage timeframes of course!)

Fever is a good thing. It is the body's defense against illness and unless she is uncomfortable there is no reason to suppress a fever. you should go by her and not by the thermometer. It's hard I know but advice is changing and all this alternating meds constantly to stop a fever is not recommended now. I will try to find the website to reassure you a bit. Hope she feels better soon!

she's eaten ok. she has been coughing a bit but not much -what does that mean?

Febrile convulsions are worrying yes, I understand. But the risk of them is caused by a rapid rise in temperature, as opposed to the temperature itself. My niece is prone to them and rarely has high temperatures but just a rapid rise from 36 to 37.5 can cause her to fit. It's just the way she is.

If you can keep her cool in other ways, get air circulating, avoid covers and thick clothes etc, this helps to stabilise the temperature naturally. Offer lots of fluids when awake.

I would never tell somebody else not to medicate. That's what the medicines are there for. And you do what feels right for you and your dd and what makes her comfortable for the night.

A temperature is the body fighting off something and within reason I don't artificially lower it and trust dd's body to do its job. I of course give medicine if she is in pain or uncomfortable.

Keep an eye, you will anyway. Chances are it's a virus, but if anything changes, call NHS direct or OOH.

Oh and temp wise, you can use your body to see how she feels. Press your lips to her forehead and/or the back of her neck. You should be able to feel how hot she is from that. It's sometimes useful to get used to how she feels gauging her temp from your own body for those moments when you're worried about waking her/can't put your hand on the thermometer immediately. A well child just feels the same as you when you kiss their forehead/back of neck. If still running a fever, you can feel the heat on your lips.

Temp's always a bit higher at night too.

Hopefully this will reassure you a bit.

She probably has an upper respiratory tract infection (causes a slight cough and fever). I am NOT a medic obviously. It's a viral infection, v common.

hi just wanted to add if using a fan it shouldnt be directly blowing on DC (this reason for this but it escapes me right now) just fan the air around the cot/sleeping area
but i have found a fan is really good for reducing a high temp

hope things improve

It's good that she's eating and drinking. That's one of the first things a doc will ask and it's definitely a good sign. It sounds like she's just fighting off a bug (possibly upper respiratory because of the cough). Keep up the fluids, light cotton cover so she doesn't shiver and keep an eye on her. I hate it when they're sick but they really do bounce back quickly. Hopefully she'll be better in the morning and bouncing around while you try to cope after a night of no sleep! :)

Yes if she is coughing a little that may mean an upper respitory tract infection. A fever is a symptom of an infection of some sort, there is always a reason for a fever present. In a young infant a fever needs close monitoring. You are doing the right thing. If you have a gut feeling that something is not right or if she takes a turn for the worse overnight do not hesitate to go to a& e. Good luck inhave been there so many times it's awful.

thanks for that bubbleymummy
thanks for the tip libertygibbet, I do that too and she definitely feels hot
bless she just woke up and is trying to put DH's earpiece in her mouth .

thank you everyone. thinking of it she's had a few dirty (squishy) nappies today so it 4could be to do with thatq. she's now triying to type you a MessaGe hERSELF

Aww, poor baby.
Remember that kids can run really high temperature without being seriously ill. If she seems ok ie responsive etc, then most probably it's just a virus that she'll fight off quickly.
I remember DS getting those fevers that would last just one night.
Or perhaps it could be an ear infection? DS never really pulled his ear even though it must have hurt him. But then if she's not in pain, then it probably isn't it.

:) No problem. I always go back to that site and read it everytime my two are sick. It keeps me reasonably sane! I do believe that letting their bodies get on with it works though. My two have never had a fever last longer than 2 days and they're usually gone in one (thank goodness!). Of course if they were in any way sore or uncomfortable then I wouldn't hesitate to give them something so I just try to judge as much as possible by watching them and stick to the natural cooling methods such as stripping them down, fanning and using light covers. Also, Camomile tea is a natural antipyretic if you can get her to drink that. Or if you're bf then you can drink it. It brings the fever down a bit but not too much so it's not doing its job.

migola, how is she tonight? Hope you managed to get some sleep.