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Children's health

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Original poster

How hot is too hot?

28 replies

pramdunce · 18/03/2013 21:39

Just a bit concerned about ds. He's 11 months and has been very off today, mostly sitting having cuddles, being bf (right now, one hand typing!) and sleeping. I've just tken his temp and it's 39.7. I have an 8 yo dd who was suddenly sick on saturday night, again on sunday morning, and has had a temp and headache since. Is it likely the same thing? Ds hasn't been sick at all though did hae a bit of a nappy explosion this afternoon. Is it best to strip him down to cool him off?

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Original poster

pramdunce · 18/03/2013 21:39

Have just given calopl btw

OP posts:

PacificDogwood · 18/03/2013 21:43

Temp 39.7C is quite high and certainly enough to make him all hingy.
Check his temp again in half an hour or so to see if it has come down.
Strip him down but not to the point where he gets cold IYKWIM.

Encourage drinking - BM is ideal. Or water if he takes it.

It is quite likely he'll have the same bug as his brother, but he is of course younger so it might affect him differently/worse.

Fever rises late in the day/evening, so most kids are more miserable after 5-6pm. Keep giving Calpol if needed and see what he is like in the morning.

MrsSpencerReid · 18/03/2013 21:45

If cal pol doesn't work you can give ibuprofen too, my ds was ill last week, ibuprofen worked better at reducing temp, don't put him in a cold bath or anything drastic! Def strip him off, hope he feel better soon

MrsSpencerReid · 18/03/2013 21:46

Sorry, that post was badly written!

Original poster

pramdunce · 18/03/2013 21:49

Pacific, he's just worked out he has to actually tilt his sippy cup and hashad lots of water and bm today. I've just taken his top offf and his little arms are as red as his cheeks and even his feet feel hot :( I've just felt him wee (Lovely) and he's still bfing so at least he's hydrated

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Original poster

pramdunce · 20/03/2013 11:18

Well he's still the same, still has a raging temp hovering at just above 39, and hasn't eaten anything since Sunday. Still having plenty of breastmilk, but his wee smells awful. The last 2 mornings I've changed his nappy sharpish becasue I was convinced there was a monster poo ready to leak out of the sides, but it was just full of wee. Is that normal? Poor thing is still very red in the face and limbs, but the medicine does work for a while, you can tell when it's time for another dose though as he gets so hot so quickly.

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AnisotropicWeetabixFTW · 20/03/2013 11:26

A gp would be happy to see you if you're worried.

There are lots of bugs going round atm and dd has passed both a sickness bug and a nasty cough onto her 1yo brother in the last couple of weeks.

Food isn't much of a concern as long as he's drinking and as he's drinking breastmilk, you can be sure he's getting some nutrients and calories anyway.

With a temperature, it's not so much the figure on the thermometer but how they're affected. A child with a mild fever of 38 can be really unwell and a child with a high temp of 41 can be surprisingly chipper. You need to look at the child as a whole.

In terms of cooling a hot child down you also need to do it gently because shocking the system is not great for them and if you cool them too rapidly, they shiver and their temp actually shoots up. You need gentle, gradual cooling. So instead of stripping them entirely, go for loose, cotton clothing and a light sheet in bed instead of duvets/grobags/blankets. Plenty of drinks, air circulating etc.

All that said, if you're worried and the fever has lasted for a few days with no improvement or anything else is making you anxious, then a GP will see you happily to rule out throat/ear/chest problems.

mamij · 20/03/2013 11:30

Agree that GP wouldn't mind seeing your baby. Even if it's for your peace of mind.

Also, if temperature last for more than 5 days, definitely need to see a GP.

Original poster

pramdunce · 20/03/2013 11:45

Thanks, I'll call the GP. Not hopeful though, we've been registered with the surgery for 4 months and not managed to see a doctor yet . He's developed a streaming nose but is generally ok, just very quiet and not interested in anything except sitting on my lap. Dd has been ill since saturday but has gone to school today. I'm just worried about his temperature, even dd's went after the first 2 days, this has just not got better.

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mamij · 20/03/2013 14:05

Not sure if there's a blanket policy across England, but when I took DD2 to the walk-in a few months ago after surgery said there's no appointment, receptionist at the walk-in told me the surgery has to give me an appointment as she's not yet three years old. I managed to get an emergency appointment.

When I called surgery yesterday, they said they were fully booked until I mentioned the age.

Good luck and hope your DC feels better soon.

PacificDogwood · 20/03/2013 20:36

I hope you got him seen and a urine sample checked for a possible urine infection - they are not common in little boys, but do happen. They do cause high temps etc. Of course urine can smell quite strong as well if he has been drinking less/evaporating more fluid with being hot.

Nothing worse than an ill baby - I hope he is better soon.

MrsSpencerReid · 20/03/2013 20:58

Hope he's been seen and not shared his bugs with you!! my ds had a temp for a week and it turned out it was an ear infection! I only took him to the GP cos of his temp, I had no idea about the ear, oops

Original poster

pramdunce · 21/03/2013 09:06

We have an appointment just before 10. There is no walk in centre for miles, we've just moved to the arse end of nowhere and I don't drive. I'll ask about a urine infection, tbh it hadn't occured to me but it still stinks. I also woke up to a poo explosion all over his cot :( Temp is still being stubborn so I am quite worried now. How on earth do you even get a wee sample from a baby??

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PacificDogwood · 21/03/2013 11:21

I hope you'll have been seen by the time I am typing this.

Urine samples from boys is easier than from girls, trust me .
If you need further advice still, let me know

heymammy · 21/03/2013 11:36

Hope you managed to get a sample from ds! Sounds like a urine infection esp the minging smelly wee (and thinking he's pooed!). Don't hang about if it is, my wee ds had a uti at 4months and had to be admitted for 5 days iv. antibiotics

heymammy · 21/03/2013 11:38

Oh...and ds had a temp and red arm as well, sorry don't want to be all alarmist but his symptoms are so similar to ds.

Original poster

pramdunce · 21/03/2013 12:32

Well he has severe tonsillitis :( I am also trying to get a sample (as I type!). the doctorr worried me a bit as i said if it was a wee infection too shouldn't his throat antibiotics clear it up, but he said if a urine sample reveals anything he'd need a kidney ultrasound. Is that normal? because he's a boy? am very worried. he also seems to be on pee strike, 2 nught garden episodes and NOTHING

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mamij · 21/03/2013 12:35

Sorry to hear that Hopefully you'll get the right treatment now to help your poor DS.

Original poster

pramdunce · 21/03/2013 14:29

He still hasn't weed! How do I gett this boy to go??

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PacificDogwood · 21/03/2013 20:16

All of my 4 used to wee reliable if stood in a warm bath . Might be worth a try?? Give lots of favorite drink, then stand in bath with recepticle at the ready?

Don't worry too much. If he has a good going tonsillitis then that is a good enough reason for high temp and all the rest.

Even if he does turn out to have a urine infection too, then the key thing is to recognise it and treat it. Did he get penicillin for his throat? Or Amoxicillin?

My preemie DS2 had a confirmed UTI aged 8 months, he had all the tests to make sure there was no structural abnormality predisposing him to infections and to check that he had no scarring on his kidneys. It was all fine and he has not had one since (now aged 9 years) .

PacificDogwood · 21/03/2013 20:17

reliably, dammit, sorry

MrsSpencerReid · 21/03/2013 21:12

The scan is cos he is under 1 if I remember right, hope he wee's soon and the antibiotics work really quick

Bunbaker · 21/03/2013 21:43

"but he said if a urine sample reveals anything he'd need a kidney ultrasound. Is that normal?"

Yes. Be thankful that you have a thorough doctor. UTIs can have extremely serious implications and if left untreated can cause permanent kidney damage. A good doctor will always follow up a UTI with an utrasound to make sure that there hasn't been any kidney damage.

DD used to get UTIs as a baby and tests revealed that she had bladder reflux.

Original poster

pramdunce · 22/03/2013 23:17

Thanks everyone. We went to the GP this morning for a bag and struck gold mid morning. But it won't get sent off for testing til monday, which I'm a little less than impressed by. We've also had a scare as it seems ds is allergic to his antibiotics, I spent a good half hour on the phone to NHS direct when he developed a rash after his afternoon dose (the first he's not vomitted back up). Rushed him to get seen by a pharmacist as advised, all seems fine. But again, being stuck here in the middle of nowhere, I have to wait til tomorrow til someone can give us a lift to a walk in centre where they can give him antibiotics. I HATE living here. Everything seems just so much harder. And I feel so sad for him, he's had one thing after the other. I was convinced when I saw the little spots coming up that he had meningitis, and when I finally got him into bed tonight I just burst into tears :( Been a hard few days. I'm hoping that if the weather gets as bad as they say it will we have the perfect excuse to just hibernate for a few days

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PacificDogwood · 23/03/2013 11:37

Like I said, nothing worse than an ill child .

GP surgeries rely on sample being collected by hospital drivers, usually have one or 2 pickups/day - our 2nd one is at 1pm, so any sample arriving at the surgery after that on a Friday will not go until Monday which is not ideal for a urine sample.

You sounds quite isolated - is there any way you can deliver a sample to the local hospital yourself? I did this once when we were in the throws of not knowing how bad DS2's urine/kidney problem was going to turn out to be.

I still shudder with horror at the number of illness DS2 had in his first 2 winters; you have my sympathies. It sounds like hibernations with lots of chocotale is just what you need.

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