6 yo, fever, headache on movement - what would you do?

[Gettingonabitnow]

My DP never sees the GP and takes the same approach for our children. I’m much more cautious but worry I go straight to worst case too quickly. Which is why I’m asking here.

6yo 2 day history of fever, bit of a sore throat, very slight sniffle today. Only thing worrying me is base of skull headache / top of neck pain which is her worst complaint - tried to do a jigsaw with her earlier and she said it was too painful to continue. She’s currently laid in bed watch tv. Is drinking, managed a Cornetto earlier. Was a bit brighter late morning when calpol kicked in, just waiting for more Nurofen to kick in. she looks and feels rough.

Ride it out or see GP? Thanks

Is she ok with light? And can she touch her chin to her chest without pain? If the answer to either of those is no then along with the fever that's a call to 111 as a minimum I think.

Any kind of neck stiffness/back of head pain with fever would worry me in a child or young adult. I think if you were to say that to a GP receptionist you would get a same day appointment or told to go to A&E

Get checked out today. I mean, it probably isn’t meningitis, but that’s not something to take any chances with. Please.

Yes She is fine with both of those.

Thank you everyone. I find it so hard not to seek GP advice with things like this, DP just holds out, we’ve had a huge argument about it tonight. I asked what his threshold would be for seeing the GP with daughter - he said a very high fever (she was 39.6 in the night), sweaty, lethargic. I’m not a pushover, it’s just hard when it’s implied you’re overreacting isn’t it.

Could the pain be in her neck as in tonsils? That also causes headaches

Yes it could be. She’s started with a dry cough in the past hour or so too so wondering if it’s croup coming

Neck pain plus fever needs medical attention. If your maternal instinct is that your child needs medical attention then you listen to yourself and do it regardless of DH. Call 111 at the very least or if your child's condition worsens then A&E.

If it turns out to be nothing wrong then that's good news but I'd put the child's wellbeing before your concern for DH's reaction.

I've learned to trust my gut instinct re my DD's health. Others thought I was just an over concerned mother but I was right and it was bloody lucky I had the confidence to trust my knowledge and instincts over and above everyone else's.

Go to the doctor! Why do you need his permission op? Is he controlling in other ways?

A&E. Stiff neck with high fever, headache, no appetite for solid food and lethargy are meningitis symptoms. Got to take it very seriously. You and your husband are not doctors. You have no idea if it’s serious or not. It is always better to play it safe when it is your child’s health on the line.

They should have out of hours GP on site, the A&E triage nurse should prioritise a child with these symptoms.

6yos do not get croup. That’s an illness that most kids have had by age 3.

What’s hard? Just take her!
You don’t need his permission. You don’t need him to agree. You don’t need to resolve the argument or have him apologise for saying you’re over reacting.

Well this is bollocks

Thanks all. Her fever has subsided today, she’s eaten, still got headache and a cough - on a waitlist for a gp appointment.

Re is DH controlling - not with everything, but we are poles apart on our children’s heath and how we deal with it. I’ve spotted things early with the kids in the past (anatomical, allergies, serious RSV) that he would have just left. He wouldn’t say to me ‘do not take DC to the gp’, it would be ‘I don’t understand why you’re dragging the poor kid out in the freezing cold when we can treat at home with calpol’. I can see it’s controlling and I need to be stronger with it. X