Baby temperature of 40…

[OneKhakiDreamer]

My LO (8 month old) has a temp of 40 came on suddenly very sad given paracetamol taken an hour to come down to 39.4 so wondering if people think it’s come down enough to monitor at home? Any other suggestions to help manage or advice.

he’s just fallen asleep on me but apart from crying they seem ok no rash or no like trouble breathing etc but just as its staying so high the temp is my worry and wonder if I should stick to see if it goes away in next few days before contacting doctor or

Thanks in advance for any advice

I would seek immediate medical attention if it were one of mine.

No. Ring 111.

If it hasn't really come down much with Calpol I'd be going to get seen

https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/fever-in-children/

Temperature is a symptom, reducing temperature won't cure the underlying problem. Paracetamol or ibuprofen are given if they are feeling grotty - they shouldn't be given just to bring temperature down.

Thank you all so much he just woke up and smiled 😻 and now holding my eldest toy car his temp still above 38 but going to just monitor it and see if he takes his milk! Fingers crossed it keeps coming down!!

Glad he's a bit better. Some kids tend to get higher temps than others...my first DS always has a temp of 40 when he's ill...my second it's always around 38.5. I've been told the number doesn't mean that much, but to look at how they are, if they go floppy or are extremely distressed then it's urgent to get them seen.

It's so scary when they're ill. Hope he's ok.

Try paracetamol every 4 hours and ibuprofen every 6 x
Like your doing monitor him , they used to tell me to cover them up and not strip them x

Ibuprofen can be an issue for people with asthma and if there's any chance he has chickenpox pox it should be avoided but otherwise it is safe to alternate with paracetamol.
Keep giving fluids, dress him very lightly so he's cool (but not shivering because that raises body temperature)

Thank you all really appreciate the support. I’ve given him ibuprofen as his temp was still over 39 earlier and was over an hour too soon for anymore Calpol. He is asleep now so will keep checking on him and see how long he goes. Poor little bub awful when they are so sad and especially you know they can’t tell you what they’re feeling. X

It could be a urine infection. If the tmperature doen't go down please raise this as a possibility with a health professional.

Treat the child not the fever. My little ones always spike high temperatures I used to worry until doctor told me a fever is a fever doesn’t matter what the number says so a child with a temperature of 38 can be more unwell than a child with a temp of 41.
is unsettling when they are so young but don’t concentrate on the thermometer go off how he is behaving . Hope he feels better soon

Agree if hes ok in hes self then your doing the right thing keeping him content and well hydrated x even if your worried you could wake him in night when meds due but I always found sleep is the best medicine x

Keep up with the calpol and brufen, keep him fairly cool. My LO ended up in hospital with a high temp like that but he was pale and listless.
I’m not sure what he’s dressed in or the temp
is like in your house but I’d keep him cool - just a vest or a nappy and muslin and if you’re at all worried be prepared to take him in

Thanks all he’s woken a few times gave him Calpol about an hour ago and his temps finally dropped to 38.2 so feeling a lot better as currently can’t give anything more until 1.45am but positive to see it come down a bit. It’s the first time below 39 since earlier today. Hopefully continues and he manages to sleep. I filled in consultation with doctor so I don’t waste time if I feel I need to speak to someone tomorrow and can always cancel if I think he’s any better!

Doctor checked him out as temp was really only symptom and is tonsillitis poor bub so started him on some antibiotics.

appreciate all the advice and support :)

I came back to check and Id like to leave another tip
Keep a written record of doses and timings
This is particularly useful when you have more than one sick child to care for. It all becomes a blur!

@OneKhakiDreamer oh bless him. Once the antibiotics kick in he will be as right as rain. Small children bounce back quickly 💐

And good avice from @Shouldbedoing

Really good advice also the tiredness I can totally see myself making a mistake 😭

So update on this his high temps continued through to Saturday so we took him to an urgent care center where they confirmed tonsillitis but changed his antibiotics.
since then his high temps have continued all 39+ some up to 40 coming down with meds but then then shooting back up.
anyway today was stressing as 48 hours of temp continued to go back to doctors but didn’t have much luck so went to our emergency department.
this was in between Calpol doses and soon as little one was seen and obs taken perked up and temp had come down.
So we were sent away as believe viral now as not responding to antibiotics but obviously soon as we’ve got home his temp has shot up to 40.2

im so tired and can’t imagine this continuing for another 48 hours i feel like if viral this shouldn’t be lasting this long such high temps. But then again im not medically trained/expert.
anyone been similar situation and had such high temps for viral tonsillitis that lasted over a week and if so when did it improve /when will we sleep again!

In my experience, when temp has been 40 for tonsillitis it’s normally bacterial. My son’s temp took over 48 hours of antibiotics to come down. The doctors can swab tonsils to see if it’s bacterial or viral but takes days for results. What antibiotics have they given you? I would be going back to a&e if temp continues

I’d take him to get seen again, it may be that he needs stronger antibiotics or monitoring, high temperatures for a long time can be dangerous.

Ask them to check if he has a urine infection as well.

It must be so worrying for you 💐

ok, read through this post, what antibiotics was baby on and why the change? My first thought was tonsillitis.

high temps last for days at that age with tonsillitis it can take 48 hours for antibiotics to help. I’m very concerned baby isn’t on them

my child has recurring tonsillitis from 7 months and had them out! It’s awful :(

So originally we were put on amoxicillin 3.5 days later temp still high another doctor said we should be on penicillin now 60+ hours since first dose of the new antibiotic still temps of 40+ just now 40.3
I feel so frustrated I didn’t push for a swab or more testing but my LO was like a different child we were in and out within an hour so thankful for that but as was in between doses of Calpol they didn’t get to see the majority of how’s he’s been or get the temp numbers we get soon as meds wear off! He did mention to not even use Calpol and let temp run its course but I’m scared what would happen if we did. He said use of in discomfort which is why we are mainly as he is not a happy bunny when we are hitting the 40 region.
also as he was a consultant I felt i couldn’t really question but everything I see is viral wouldn’t last this long. Trying hardest to no Google but struggling with lack of sleep also to stay sane!

Anecdotal and obviously I’m an adult but I started shivering at work, realised it was tonsillitis and they gave me penicillin, my temp was about 40
2 days later I remembered penicillin didn’t work for the last bout I had and they changed my antibiotics to clarithromycin, but it took a while to work as the tonsillitis had taken hold