low temp in 5 month old baby

[talesofthegoldengoose]

First time I'v posted so apologies if this is in the wrong place ect. Need some advice

DD is 5 and a half months old and has not been right for a few days, had high-ish temp 37.8 then a day of being really lethargic and not herself , perked up for a few days then yesterday temperature was down to 35.4 or so . Doctor had a look today and couldn't work out what was going on just said to monitor her.

struggling to find any solid advice on why babies get low temperatures and if it could be teething related ? She's crying a lot but then having times when she's herself and playful. Doctor told us today that if it drops below 35 take her to hospital but dont keep checking it every 5 mins. Am now very anxious.

How is she in herself? Is she eating? Drinking? Wet nappies? Responsive?
Where are you taking the temperature? Sometimes a low temp can be due to a bit of earwax, worth doing the temp on both ears and underarm if your thermometer allows, as lows can sometimes be deceiving. But if persistently low, then phone 111. Trust yourself as a mother & if you think your daughter needs a doctor then go with that.

she's up and down mood wise but is normally very happy. Drinking ok , poo has been all over the place (literally) from green slime to bright yellow.

taking the temp with Braun in ear , it does seem to give a variety of readings from low to mid 36 depending how far you put it into her ear. the doctor had excatly the same one and it read a few points higher than ours at 36.8

Nappies not as wet as usual. Phoned 111 last night and they ran through a load of checks and then scheduled a call back from health professional. they called back but it was at 4am and we missed it. Temps gone up a bit today to 36.2 but shes just not herself and worried about her wet nappies.

A low temperature after a high one plus lethargy etc can be a warning sign for sepsis. Not to scare you but with such a little baby I'd be going to a&e.

Pressed send too soon. Meant to add she's likely fine but with something like that it's much better to overreact than underreact iyswim.

she seems better than yesterday and the doctor who saw her earlier at 6pm didnt seem concerned . Should i still be worried if her temp has gone back up ? just trying to work out if we should go to A and E , She's sleeping really soundly now.

If it was me I'd take her but I have known a few children affected by sepsis so I am over cautious.

Ultimately it's your call.

Need to make sure the thermometer is firmly in the ear otherwise it will give an incorrect reading

Definitely take her if you're worried, but bear in mind it could be a faulty reading from the thermometer, I've used lots of different ones and they often under read. Does she feel cool to the touch? Hope you get some reassurance

have spoken to 111, they seem to think by assessing over the phone that sepsis is unlikely going on her description, mood, and various other things. They have given us a 2 hour window for a health care professional to call back and advice. When we woke her to do the assessment over the phone she was giggling and and wriggling round like everything was normal, best we've seen her all day. Her Temp was still coming up low at 35.7 but when my partner tried it to give a reference it came up at 36.0 so were wondering if it may be running out some (or were just cold blooded)

Thanks for all your help , we took her to A and E who were brilliant , they were happy with her and did some tests to rule out sepsis . Back home now , so relieved . Thanks again for advice x

That's great

That's good, always nice to be reassured