Dd has a temp of 38 and is very sleepy, wwyd?

[Blollocks]

Dd (18 months) has been a bit snotty over the past few days but generally ok in herself so I wondered if it was hayfever.

Today though she feels very hot, 38 degrees according to under arm thermometer. She's not eaten anything (still bf so plenty of fluids) and is very quiet and sleepy which is really not like her.

She won't take calpol or ibuprofen, I have stripped her off but now she has goosebumps. Just a bit unsure about my next step, keep an eye on her and drs tomorrow? NHS direct and see what they say? The temp in itself doesn't worry me, it's the sleepiness I'm a bit concerned about, as even when she had a nasty tummy bug a few weeks ago she was less sleepy than she is now.

My dd and ds both had bugs like this recently. They're 4&2. I was reassured as calpol brought their temps down.

I kept watch out for breathing issues, blue lips rashes and slept in their rooms at night but they were fine in a couple of days.

Honestly...... I'd make her have the ibuprofen or paracetamol.

Do you have a syringe? You need to get it right to the back of her mouth so she can't spit it out.

Hope she feels better soon.

I wouldn't worry about the temp - 38 is very slight and it's still quite muggy in some places right now. And obviously if she is a bit off colour she's going to want to sleep more than usual but no harm at all in getting her checked out if your instinct is telling you you need to be worried. Hope she perks up v soon.

I've tried a syringe before but she thrashes around so much that I'm worried she'll end up gagging on it.

She's just fallen asleep again (4th nap today) when she wakes up I'll try and get some medicine into her.

Thanks for the quick responses

I use to mix calpol in yoghurt or something you know she'll eat.

Go for the tough love approach with the syringe. Wrap her tightly in a towel so she can't move. She'll probably scream, at which point you out the syringe into her cheek and syringe in some medicine, so it trickles down into her throat. Takes maybe three goes to get a syringe in so you don't put so much down that she gags.

Unfortunately she's not eaten anything today, all she wants is to bf.

Hate it when they're ill when they're little, another reason they should come with instructions.

Thurlow that's pretty much what we've had to do in the past with her to get it in her. Feels really cruel (I know it's not really and she won't remember) but hopefully it will help her feel a bit better

My sister has a medicine refuser and now uses paracetamol suppositories instead.

How sleepy is she when awake? Is she vomiting? If sleepy or just generally worrying you then please call the doctor and get her checked. Either way if not needing a doctor now, please wake her and check her a couple of times overnight.

I don't think you do need to give paracetamol. I never gave it unless DS was uncomfortable. A fever in itself isn't dangerous unless your child has a history of febrile convulsion.

If she's rousable - ie she stirs when you poke her or shake her, then she's fine. It's normal for them to be sleepy. Let her have BF on demand. It's quite nice because they go back to newborns almost!

Also did you know that skin to skin will help regulate temperature. I don't know how long it goes on for, because I've only seen research for newborns, but in newborns the mother's skin temperature will change by up to one degree one way or the other to help stabilise the baby's temperature, and it's more effective at keeping a newborn's temperature constant than an incubator. (Studies on "kangaroo care" if you want to look this up) I know DH used to comment that I was surprisingly cold when I'd been cuddling up to DS when he had a temperature for the whole time I was breastfeeding, although that's totally unscientific.

If the temperature doesn't go by itself and it's into the second day, then it's worth seeing the GP in case she needs antibiotics as a fever can be a sign of infection.

to give my ds meds its a struggle but I win everytime. I pim him down and hently squeeze his cheeks so he opens his mouth then squirt. its traumatic but has to be done.