My 2.8 yr old dd has a temperature of 40.2. How worried should I be?

[pepsi]

Ive given her calpol and there are no signs of illness other than shes looks worn out, off her food, is drinking which is good. Shes got no spots or rashes, although did have a runnyish poo this afternoon. Someone told me that when a temperature is over 40 you should worry. If it stays that way during the night should I call a doctor? She's not unhappy and is sitting up in our bed right now watching TV.

Have you got some children's Nurofen as well? That's better for reducing temperatures than Calpol and you can give it at the same time. If you haven't, can someone go and get you some? If she's not disorientated/groggy, and is taking some fluids I wouldn't be too worried - but you should really get her temperature down.

I would take her to the out of hours doc or at least call nhs direct with a temp of 40 or above

If you can't reduce the temperature with medicines or sponging her, I would definitely call the doctor. If you can reduce the temperature, leave her until tomorrow and see how she is then. HTH.

I would say if it stays that highcall NHS direct during the night. When my dd that high temp and I called NHS direct they insisted on me calling back if it didn't fall after a couple of hours of giving medicine (oh, and they suggested nurofen instead of calpol)
Also, my personal experience whenever I had high temp is that I always perked up if temp got over 39. So not a very good indicator IMO.
I don't want to worry you, but given it's nighttime, I would call the doctor or NHS direct to know what I should look for.
Hope she feels better very very soon...

I'd see if Calpol brings it down before you worry too much, especially if she seems ok in every other way. NHS Direct once told me that a high temp alone isn't necessarily something to always be alarmed about, sometimes it's just the body fighting something off. I'd keep her in not too many clothes though, and check her temp once the Calpol's had a chance to work. If she stays hot, sponge her down with tepid water too.

Just taken it again and its gone down to 39.9. DH is going to get me some nurofen on his way home. I'll take it again in half an hour and if its still the same or up I call Redoc which is our local out of hours doctors service.

Thanks all.

You're doing all the right things, pepsi - hope she feels better soon.

Pepsi, vinegar is supposed to be very good at bringing temperature down for some reason. Although it does stink. But apparently, if you dip the sponge in it, it helps bring the temperature down quicker. I've used it in the past, although I don't know if it was the effect of vinegar or calpol that was successful!

Good luck.

Hope she is okay. Has she got a cough as well? Asking as my DD (also 2y 8m) has had high temp since Saturday night, and by Sunday had a cough as well. She still isn't 100% but GP ruled out infection. DD is quite lethargic with it.

Hope you DD is better soon, and especially for Saturday.

No she hasnt got a cold at all. She just woke up this morning looking a bit pale and wouldnt eat her breakfast, I took her temperature then and it was 38.4. I thought she might sleep today but she didnt, she went straight to sleep when I put her to bed tonight though. Im hoping its just a 24 hour thing and that my ds doesnt get it. I guess its just a virus but its hard when theres nothing to physically see or a cough to give you clues.

Hope she's better this morning. Whether to worry or not depends on the child. Both of mine routinely run temps of over 40 when ill- DS1's often goes over 41- that's normal for him. High temp can mean they are being very efficient at fighting an infection.

OTOH my friend's children only ever run very sluggish temps when ill (she would count 39 as a temp whereas I don't really with my 2) and if they went over 40 it would be very unusual for them and she would probably need to see someone if they were ill with it as well.