Toddler with High Temperature - how high til you need to seek medical advice???

[HellyBelly]

My ds has a temperature (first time!) and I can't remember what they say is too high (i.e. seek medical advice).

Just taken it and it's 102 C (38.9 F). He's fine in himself as in chatty and waiting for bedtime story but he's been very quiet today (very unlike him, even when poorly).

Off to give him some Medised and read his story but would love confirmation of when to worry!

Many Thanks :)

37.4 is normal body temp. (don't know 'F sorry!)

cheers :)

hmm, just realised it's not exactly the answer you were looking for. I found this excert from a website. (will i get told off for copying it?)

"Children whose temperatures are lower than 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) usually don't require medication, unless they're uncomfortable. There's one important exception to this rule: If you have an infant 3 months or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher, call your baby's doctor or go to the emergency department. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young infants."

I hope not, and hope this helps!

That's great thanks, nothing in my children's medical book about when to actually seek advice - he was 102.2 at the highest (slightly different in each ear) when I left him. Hopefully the Medised will help bring it down. Will keep checking it!

Thanks so much for your advice :)

I went to hospital with ds when he was 4 months - his temp was 41 C. Was only referred there as he was being sick and not drinking. Their advice was that children do get high temperatures, but as long as it comes down a bit when given calpol and that they keep drinking then there is no need to worry. I was also told that they can last for 3 or 4 days and not to worry about that either.

Great, that's all I needed to know! Only because it's the first time he's had a high temp. I didn't think I needed advice and he's sound asleep now - was just worried that I'd ignore it thinking he's fine and then regret it!

Thanks for reassuring me :)

My two boys both have a tendency to get high temps and act absolutely fine with them. I am now used to the nursery calling me up to collect them, because the nursery have to take them straight to hospital if it gets to 40C I think. But last time I called NHS Direct about one of them and got told exactly the same stuff, kids' temps can go pretty high and can also last for several days.

Having also read a little bit of human biology and some 'natural health' stuff I think it's just a sign that their bodies are fighting off infections. If there are no other symptoms then I don't tend to worry. If dp is around, however, he tends to give them Calpol as soon as it is 38C or higher.

Most people have answered your specific question however in terms of peaks... If they have an ear infection then their temps tend to spike. My dd1 once went up to 42. I went potty and took her to hospital where I was met with a very bored reaction and told to alternate calpol and neurofen and that if during the phases of neurofen it didn't drop slightly to come back. I've subsequently learnt that a sustained high temp that does not come down when given medicine is the thing that is dangerous. Well that's what I was told later.

This was when she was roughly 2.

just wanted to highlight what mumatucks said. NEVER IGNORE A TEMP OF 102+ in a young baby. I took my 3 week old baby to the gp with a temp of 104. He was not feeding and constantly crying. The gp said not to worry about temp as it can fluctuate a lot in a young baby, and to bring him back after 24 hours if he was no better. If we had followed the advice which was given, my baby would almost certainly not have survived. He was later admitted to hospital(by another GP) and we were told that he had Strep B Meningitis. I AM NOT TRYING TO SCARE ANY MUMS HERE AT ALL, PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT I AM, i just wanted to point out that you have to trust your own instincts sometimes, if you are not convinced by gp's

agree with that. My GP also tried to fob me off and told me to bring dd back in the morning. I decided to take her to A & E that evening and she was finally (after seeing 3 more doctors) admitted for lumbar puncture. She had menengitis. GP was very apologetic after the event - too little, too late.

Always check these things out. Doctors don't always know best.

wouldn't consider that that high tbh

I would be calpol / nurofening

but would only consult if it got to 40

The best advice I can give here is to say that a temp is only one indicator of a child being unweel,, It is not completely unthinkable that a child with a temp of 39 is other wise 'well;. Howeveer a child with a temp of 38 could seem very unwell indeed.

Let your instict guide you, it will give you better guidance on how your child is better than any instrament or thermometer. The wee chap has a temp atm it rubbish when they are not wee, hope things improve soon.

This thread is exactly why I don't have a thermometer in the house :)

My feeling is that you 'know' when your child is ill and when it isn't. I know if my girls have a temp just by touching them. There is a huge difference from sightly hot, to burning up. Personally I try not to meicate UNLESS the child is not well or miserable with other symptoms. Temperatures are the bodys way of killing infections, they are not always bad.

When i asked on another thread though hardly anyone else didn't have a thermometer.

See told you no-one else agrees with me!

i have a thermometer, but often can't find it and its only one of those strip ones for the forehead. But because i have very cold hands my children often feel hot to me its taken a while to know when hot is hot for them IYSWIM. i must admit i rarely drag it out these days but my children are 3 and 5 now.

My dd is a good example of a child who can tolerate a very high temp.
We got a braun ear scan thermometerwhen she was 6 mths - my ds used to convulse so I was a little paranoid.
Even once when she seemed quite unwell (13 mths old), I put the thermometer in and found her to 43 degrees
She had a cough, but mild, she was snotty but mild, she was off her food but breasfeeding well. So I let her sleep
Next day rash
Doctors
Bloody measles
Doctor was amazed she was so lucid at that temp.
Even now 2 yrs later temps do not faze her so if she is comfy and asleep I leave her.
My ds even now hes 12, he still flakes out at anything over 38 degrees!

I will always err on the side of caution as my 2 year old DS, who is prone to ear infections, had a febrile convulsion before Christmas, caused by high temp brought on by an ear infection. We are now obsessed with keeping his temp down, but like others have said, it's about knowing your own child.