waiting on ambulance for 17 month old. Handhold please.

[whiskersonkittenss]

baby woke screaming and red hot, wouldn't settle or take a drink. Doesn't like the light being on. Called 111 and they went through the symptoms and have requested an ambulance attend but it could take another hour from now
Currently keeping him cool with the electric fan. I'm shitting myself so scared.

@Franklyfrost

I’m a bit confused. Infant woke up unwell with a temperature, didn’t settle, want the light on or anything to drink... the next step is to take their temperature, medicate appropriately and see if they settle. Why was an ambulance called? The op didn’t mention anything unusual that I missed?

OP called 101 and based on that call 101 decided the best course of action was to send an ambulance. OP didn't 'call an ambulance' she called 101. It's not confusing at all.

You have done the right thing throughout OP. You and your partner are the best parents your little boy could wish for! The paramedics would much rather see a child who is getting better than gave to blue light them, trust me!
Have a lovely weekend!

111 not 101, obviously!

@youvegottenminuteslynn

111 not 101, obviously!

Exactly. You only call 101 to log things!

Not a fan- fans cool the skin and drive core temp up. Much like cold baths etc. Why you always use tepid water to cool, not cold.

In the future if you have a walk in gp service, it's usually quicker to go there, ours shares a reception with a&e so particularly handy if things are more serious, you can just go next door

@PurpleDaisies

Or to tell the police that your neighbour is parked half an inch closer to your drive than usual, according to MN sometimes

NCT does baby and child first aid courses, online and maybe in person again now. I’ve done them a few times and found it really helpful to know the basics.

Calling 111 is good but as it can be very difficult to assess a patient on the phone they tend to act as if it’s worst case scenario. This makes sense because sometimes it is the worst case but it also means that if you call them every time your kid wakes up sick life is going to be stressful.

Hello @whiskersonkittenss. I'm pleased to read that your baby is better now. You trusted your instincts and did exactly the right thing. Don't let anyone tell you that you didn't.

You've received a lot of conflicting advice, as is often the case on Mumsnet. Advice on how to best manage fever in babies and children has changed a lot over the years and not everyone (including some health professionals) is aware of the latest evidence-based advice.

Have a look at this up to date guidance from the NHS.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/
I'd also suggest you buy a thermometer and practice using it, so that you know how to do it right.

Never be afraid to call 111, it's what they are for.

@whiskersonkittenss

I feel like once I called 111 he started perking up and I'll look like such an idiot when they get here

I can see you've updated since OP snd paramedics have been, checked him over and give advice/ pleased he is peeking up....

But to your above feeling- paramedics and doctors will always tell you it's better they check them out and have 95 % of the children be fine/ nothing to worry about than to miss that 5% that aren't.

Hello again everyone. I have enquired about an NCT baby and child first aid course, and my sister is going to let me know which is the best thermometer (nhs worker). Now I see how quickly they go downhill I'll be better prepared next time

Glad little one ok @whiskersonkittenss, we had similar issue when dc was 1- initially called nhs24, advised to take to a&e as both dh and l there and live 5 miles away- felt an idiot once there as dc perked up and was all smiles, docs insisted we stay just to make sure ok, and l felt like a dramatic pfb case, till they collapsed and started fitting. The speed at which the situation changed still floors me today, as so many have said, medics will always much rather be too cautious and check out all to find 95% ok just to catch that 5% that needs the medical care.

Glad he’s ok, OP!

On Tuesday afternoon I put my 15 month old down for her afternoon nap. She was absolutely fine. It got to dinner time and she was still snoring away! So unlike her. I went up to
Check and she was absolutely boiling hot and floppy and just not right. Like you say, you know when they aren’t right.

I phoned 111 and they sent an ambulance. I’m usually quite relaxed about her (she’s my second) but I was in panic mode purely because she’d turned so quickly from being fine. We have an under arm thermometer and it was reading 39.3, I gave her calpol but it was still 38.6 by the time the paramedics came. Her heart rate was too fast so they said to be on the safe side I should go in. They said if I preferred I could drive in and they could follow behind and ‘check me in’ with triage at a&e, as my 3 y/o was in bed and my husband would have to wake her up to pick us back up later.

Any way, in hospital her temp continued to spike back up to 39.4, and her heart rate wouldn’t calm even when she was dozing or breastfeeding, she also wouldn’t drink any water or bottled milk. I had the fun experience of trying to catch wee in a pot at 3am with a cranky confused very poorly one year old, and then had to syringe her some rehydration fluid every 5 minutes for an hour 🙈 it was a bad night! They still couldn’t work it out the next morning, she was so, so poorly. Until...at lunchtime the doctor came to our room looked in her throat and found pus there! Tonsillitis! Out of nowhere. She was so, so unwell from it.

She’s on antibiotics now but is still a bit under the weather.

Hope your little boy is fully recovered now, it is terrifying how quickly they go downhill!

Also in hospital in our room they turned a fan on her cot, so the NHS obviously use that method to cool down hot babies.

Also in hospital in our room they turned a fan on her cot, so the NHS obviously use that method to cool down hot babies

They did exactly the opposite with me! Told me off for having her close to a fan, for the reason i mentioned above. Same as with the cold flannel thing I think, used to done but not any more.

Depends in hospital and staff, and which research they’ve read, and what their protocols are probably.

Great news - also worth getting one of those finger oxygen monitors. Just make sure its OK for babies.

Am glad that baby is ok . Definitely if even remotely concerned just do what you did ! You are a fabulous mummy.💐

It’s so strange isn’t it @reallyreallyborednow how much treatment can vary! I ended up putting a very thin blanket on her (she was in a nappy) as I could see her shivering and I hate that feeling myself when I’m feverish. The biggest difference made was getting some fluid in her by syringe. Apart from the antibiotics obviously!

Glad he has bounced back OP.
Trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to call for advice and help.

This is another example of shockingly bad healthcare advice from armchair medics. The OP stared that the baby was experiencing a degree of photophobia in her OPENING post. That is an immediate warning sign for meningitis so there is no question that the ambulance was called.

NEVER hesitate to call an ambulance if you are in doubt.

There would also be no question of 111 telling OP to go to A and E with a sick baby who is photophobic, if that is faster than an ambulance - I have been in that situation.

A and E were waiting for us as we turned up. We went straight in. All this 'an ambulance will be quicker' is total bollocks.

ChristmasFluff I agree. I have had it twice now where have been told to just go to A&E rather than waiting for an ambulance. First time was a GP referral when my baby was coming up as red flag for sepsis and we were admitted straight to paediatrics. Second time was example earlier when 1yo was spiking at 41.5 with Calpol and v unhappy. They gave me explicit instructions that if she got worse in the car to pull over and call an ambulance at that point if needed assistance but otherwise to go straight to A&E. They were expecting us and we went straight up to paeds again.

Hi again all just an update
I called 111 on Monday morning to get a walk in clinic appointment and they sent another ambulance. Did their tests on him and couldn't figure out what was going on but he had a temp, chesty cough and was irritable. Got to children's a&e and were seen quickly. Turns out he has tonsillitis

Good to know the cause mine used to feel terrible with it and I've ended up at the walk a few times. Hopefully he'll start feeling better soon

Poor wee boy, well done on getting to the bottom of it so quickly and hope he is feeling less miserable soon. This is what soup and ice cream were invented for!