taking temperatures

[Zerub]

My 14-month-old dd has a temperature; I tried taking her temp using one of those forehead strip things and it said 40C but dd was shaking her head violently trying to get it off at the time so I didn't hold it on for very long. We have the same problem trying to hold a digital thermometer under her arm - can't keep her still long enough. (well, I suppose two of us could pin her down but I hate doing that!).

So my questions are:

1. how high does a temperature have to be before you call a doctor and start panicking? I know the temperature is different depending how you take it too... How accurate are those forehead things?
   Complicated by the fact that dd seems fairly happy (very tired, not very hungry and a bit whingy but not in pain) and also it is sooo hot at the moment (more than 30 in our living room).

2. how on earth can you take a toddlers temperature accurately without a major fight?

Thanks!

Its not a very good idea if there really ill but could you do it when shes sleeping? Also why dont you ring NHS Direct and they willl advise you about calling a docter the no. is 0845 46 47 and there really helpful. Good Luck!

Zerub,

1. Over 38 is a temperature, over 39 is a high temperature but don't call doctor unless child is poorly in herself, over 40 is a definate call the doctor situation. I think the forehead things are fairly accurate but probably not on a screaming child whose making herself hot .
2. As far as taking her temperature is concerned you could invest in an ear thermometre (about £40 but well worth it for children). My dd was 3 before I got one and until then never took her temperature properly, if she was ill in herself we went to the doctors. But I do like knowing what the temps are. (Ear temperatures are higher)

Had strange situation with ds one day, he woke up in morning, raging temp (39.5) came down with Calpol and was fine all day. came in from work and dh said that he had been a bit hot when he went to bed but hadn't given him anything as he was otherwise fine. Ds woke up about 5 mins after I got in really hot, I took his temp it was 40.3 so I gave him Calpol and called dr. By the time dr called back 20 mins later temp hadn't gone down even with sponging so he advised Neurofen and 10 mins later ds was fine. I put him in bed with me for the night in case of fitting etc (relegated dh to ds's bed!) but from that moment on he was absolutely fine.

ear thermometers are quick and easy. Temps depend on the child. ds1 gets loads of temps over 40, so I don't worry much when he does. ds2 doesn't get high temps very often so I worry sooner with him iyswim

btw does anyone know how to give a child paracetamol without it containing sorbitol. I avoid gving ds1 calpol or anything similar as it contains sorbitol and he is simply dreaful for the next couple of days if he has it. I haven't had any luck finding an alternative.

Jimjams - Nurofen for Children doesn't have it.

DD has new tooth today... Could be that. Still has a bit of a temp but seems ok!

Another vote for ear thermometers. Or you could stick the digital one up the bum!

Thanks zerub- but I think it's got saccharine (or another sweetner, aspartame maybe) He can't have those either.... I 'll have a look next time I'm in Tesco though.

Ear themometers are by far the best, expensive but are easy and quick. My doctor told me as rule of thumb if a child has a temperature of over 40 degrees for more than an hour and sponging and paracetamol make no difference call a doctor. Some kids just get very high fevers though its they're way of dealing with illness so don't worry.

Jimjams - re finding medicines for children without artificial sweeteners, have you thought of using Junior Disprol? A friend of mine uses it dissolved in something that her ds will drink happily (usually milk I think) because he won't take any of the oral liquids for children like Calpol or Nurofen. I presume you have checked other types of paracetamol (e.g. Boots own brand, or Calpol with sugar)?

I looked at disprol last time I was in tescos but it seemed to be flavoured and had sweetners so I thought they'd jazzed it up. I'll have another look. The only non-flavoured thing I could find was aspirin and of course they can't have that.

Oh, sorry - didn't realise Disprol had sweeteners too, seems like you can't get away from them. I suppose you could just grind up an ordinary paracetamol tablet and put a portion in a drink but that would taste revolting (probably why they use so many sweeteners in junior paracetamol, it tastes so bitter).

I've been thinking of doing that. I'd have to get my chemistry brain out of hiding and work out the dosage as well. I doubt he'd take it though. I'll probably just carry on as I have been and give it when his temp goes above 40, stick with homeoptahy before then, then just try and ignore the miserable couple of days that follow.

I used to think that disprol was sweetner free as well- I'll have another look.

Well, an ordinary paracetamol tablet is 500 mg and Calpol (3 months +) is 120 mg per 5 ml. So a 5 ml dose of Calpol is equivalent to 120/500 ths of a tablet which is 0.24 so 1/4 of a tablet would be near enough.

I think that's right anyway, you'd better check my maths!

1/4 of a tablet would be near enough a 5 ml dose of Calpol that is.

That looks right to me. Might have to try that one next time. When his temp goes over 40 high he could do with two doses anyway and 1/2 would be easy to give. Just need to find something to crush it and mix it with now.

Thanks ever so much! It would be great to be able to give him something without having to worry about a hideous couple of days afterwards.

bought some great sticker thermometers from superdrug a while ago - heart-shaped stickers with a temperature chart on that you stick to your child's skin under their arm. They stay on for a day or so and you can check their temp without bothering them. They were quite cheap, I think. Particularly good for sticker-mad children!

Jimjams - try crushing it between the bowls of 2 spoons, IYSWIM. If you wanted to try the same with ibuprofen, a quarter of a standard 200 mg tablet would be equivalent to a 2.5 ml dose of Nurofen for children (so again, half a tab for the top 5 ml dose) (Nurofen for children is 100 mg per 5 ml). This probably wouldn't be as bitter as paracetamol.

Hope it works.

I don't keep a thermometer in the house, if I have one I tend to check my childrens temperatures at the slightest sign of illness.

I've been using the kiss test. It's where you put your lips to your childs forehead and if it's hot then you'r child is hot, if it's not then your child is not.

I know it doesn't sound very exact but it does work because the temperature of your lips should be your body temperature.

I've got a 16 month old ds and he is always ill, he's been like it since birth and to save lots of unnecessary drs visits the kiss test is what I do. I've cleared it with the health visitor and she tells me that it's one of the best ways to get the temperature of a wriggly child.

Remember that you only need to gently kiss their forehead for about 2-3 seconds to get an idear of how hot they are.

The other thing to do is to give them lots of drinks, the hot weather does knock them about and it's a good idear to have a cool drink where your children can reach it.

Jenie, what about if you are ill too so your lips are hot. would that not give a false reading?

I shouldn't think so, the temperature of your lips is a constant temperature as the blood is so close to the surface of the skin...... I think would have to get that checked out. Although it's not a position I've ever been in.

My mum always used - still uses - the kiss to decide whether she needs to get the thermometer out, but I've never known anyone else do it.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one, although that does make me feel a bit old!

The kiss test sounds perfect - just what both of you need, test the temp and a little bit of love. What a fantastic idea, I will definitely try it next time before I whip out the ear thermometer.

I do the cheek test, if I touch my dd's forehead with my cheek I just know when it's high (I know her by now).

I don't want to scare you but be careful with high temperatures as sometimes children can be ill and still look well (my dd for example), DD was ill for a week last year before someone finally realised she had an infection, a UTI, and we're lucky she didn't have any kindney problems as a consequience as we don't know how long the infection went on!!

She had this temperature which was never too high to start with, but kept coming back after calpol had worn off...no other symptoms and dd extremely cheerful at GPs as she had just had a dose of calpol, so GP didn't think much of it. We ended up at A&E a few days later with DD with a temp over 40, her lips were blu and she was shaking all over...

I really don't want to scare anyone, but after 24 hirs of a temperature that keeps coming back I go straight to the GP and so far she always had some kind of infection or other.

Hi All

I would just like to say that having an ear thermometer is very handy, I got used to using one in the Neo natal unit so decided to invest in one. Cost Co's do the Braun one (White with case) at about £30 which I know is the cheepest place I have seen it.

Also I have found that NHS Direct are extremely helpful so if you do have any query then give them a call however significant you think it may be