fevers

[rootietootie]

Ds2 (just turned 1 last month) has a fever. Accompanied by general grumpiness, not eating. No rash so not too worried. Just took his underarm temperature and its 39.3. Has been getting calpol throughout the day but fever is going up (was 38.1 earlier). Im of the mind just to make him comfy etc but dh has just read the net and it says temps of over 39 to contact gp. This is dh's pfb and Im telling him to relax, its just a fever that will pass. He's adamant that we need to take him to the out of hours. Is dh being pfb or am i being too laid back wrt a fever?

I'm not saying your DH is wrong, but I wouldn't contact the GP. What I would do is alternate the Calpol with Nurofen (check the label - dosage is different), and if that didn't work take off his clothes and sponge him down with lukewarm water. If that didn't work, then I'd consider contacting the GP.

Then again, your DS is very young - I hadn't realised until I checked what you'd written. I might call NHS Direct and see what they'd suggest.

Dont worry about saying dh is wrong, im already telling him that (in a nice way of course :)) ds is toddling about in his vest, hopefully that'll cool him down a wee bit too. Hopefully it will pass in the next 24 hours.

My gp told me once that fever in children does increase during the day and can often be at the highest in the evening for some reason. This is why there are so many out of hours phone calls about fever in children.
It is certainly something I have noticed with my dcs though.

How is he in himself, other than generally grumpy? Alert, not excessively sleepy, able to play? Temperature alone is not always much of an indicator, and I am generally of the opinion that sleep will be more use to an ill child than anything as long as there is no major cause for concern (and a trip to out of hours might mean that he is very late to bed). My DS2 had meningitis as quite a young baby - no rash and his temp wasn't particularly high (38.5) but I just knew that he wasn't right, he was alternating between dreadful crying and very drowsy, and had no hesitation about a midnight trip to out of hours (I have a fair amount of experience of sick babies / small children, and this time was just completely different from your average toddler bug). You could always keep a close eye on him / check him regularly during the night and take him in if he seems to deteriorate or if you are at all worried?

have sent dh out to get some baby nurofen, since we only have calpol. They have taken all the sedatives out of baby medicine now haven't they? ds2 has so far been unable to make the transition from grumpy sleepy baby to actual sleeping baby.

ntn he's toddling about happy enough the now, in fact got a smile off him just a sec ago! Not really slept today tho and was up a fair bit of last night so should be really tired. I think a good sleep would prob do him a world of good.

Your husband has not got exactly correct information.

According to the NHS website, you contact a dr for temps of 39 degrees for babies 3 -6 months.

It goes on to say (and note bit at the bottom re. specific temperature):

How to treat a fever

It?s important to keep your child hydrated. Even if your child isn?t thirsty try to get them to drink little and often to keep their fluid levels up. Don?t give them food unless they want it.

Treat discomfort and fever with paracetamol or ibuprofen (always follow the dosage instructions carefully).

The following suggestions may help your child feel more comfortable:

?Give your child plenty of cool clear fluids.
?Undress them to their nappy or vest and pants.
?Cover them with a sheet if necessary.
?Keep the room well aired and at a comfortable temperature (about 18°C (65°F)) by adjusting the heating or opening a window.
?If your child is distressed and uncomfortable, try giving them paracetamol or ibuprofen. You can?t give them both at the same time, but if one doesn?t work you may want to try the other later. Always check the instructions on the bottle or packet to find out the correct dose and frequency for your child?s age.
If you have a thermometer, take your child?s temperature under their armpit. If it?s above 40-41°C (104-105°F), or if your child still feels feverish, contact your GP or GP out-of-hours service or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

We went to A&E once when DS' temp hit 41.2.

Turned out he has a chest infection. Temp went down as colpol and nurofen kicked in, and next day I got antibiotics for him

Hope all well
x