6 weeks old temperature??

[celeryeater]

Hi, my 6 week old daughter has a temperature of about 37.6-37.8 is that bad? Does it count as a fever? Panicking a bit because the thermometer seems to give a different reading each time. It's one of those digital ones you stick in their ear.

Take no chances with a newborn. If there is an all night pharmacy ,you can call and speak to the pharmacist re temp etc. That is what I did last week. She was lovely and got me to fill my antibiotic prescription and take 2 right there in the store.

Call the hospital or an all night pharmacy and get advice .

I would phone 111 asap for a baby that little with a temperature.
Anything about 37.5 is classed as a high temperature, the in ear thermometers aren't very reliable for tiny ears as they don't fit well enough into the ear canal.

My DD was admitted to hospital at a week old wit a temperature of over 38. They told me that anything above 37.5 is a fever but they would only really worry about a temperature under 38 if they were displaying other signs of infection like rapid breathing, sleepy, not feeding, floppy.

Having said that u would still get her checked as they really take no handed with newborns. We were in for 2 nights, DD pumped full of antibiotics through an IV and had all manner of tests including the dreaded lumbar puncture. Turns out it was a little bit of nothing or a little viral infection but I was shocked at how seriously they take illness in small babies. Which is the right thing to do but scary from a parent POV.

They also said those digital ear thins are crap and actually a bit dangerous as sometimes they show lower than what the temp is and to get a digital under arm one for a fiver at the pharmacy.