8 weeks old temperature 37.9

[san2018]

For the last week my LO temperature has bern going from 36 degrees to 37.9 degrees. I measure it every hour and it’s never the same. We took him to hospital and they did a blood test and a urine test which were both fine. Than the doctor said it’s fine, it can be normal unless it reaches 38 degrees celsius. But in my opinion its not much of a difference between 37.9 and 38. He’s 8 weeks.
Has anyone had any similar experience? Please need some help here

Redsky are you medically qualified?

O/p has been to a&e twice and been told he’s ok. I’d go with that rather than internet advice.

If you must take his temp constantly try and plot a graph- you may see a pattern where he’s hotter in the evenings- that is completely normal.

Have to say i never took a temp unless i thought mine were unwell. I did learn they naturally run warm, and were much more comfortable in a layer ot two less than recommended...

Really - I have also been to a and e and know they can get it wrong.
A mum’s instinct is usually right.

Ok, so you have been to a&e. That makes you qualified over the staff?

It wasn’t a one off. Two visits over a week, a temp that isn’t over 38, and a well baby. No new symptoms or deterioration since his last visit. Tests run, including blood tests which are quite invasive so would suggest dr’s have been reasonably thorough.

Dragging an 8w baby who has been cleared twice, presumably by two different dr’s, probably isn’t in his best interest. He likely will catch a virus in there!

There are parental instincts and there is over-cautiousness. O/p has acted on her instincts twice and been reassurred.

Babies' temperatures fluctuate because they can't control it yet. Keep an eye on the temp of your baby's tummy and back of the neck. That's a good way to tell.

How is the baby dressed? Have you taken a layer off to help them cool?

Really - no I’m not medically qualified and never pretended to be. Fact is drs go on numbers - chances are things are most likely to be fine. Blunt rules of thumbs. They see the baby for 15 mins - sometimes observe by numbers for a few hours and then discharge or admit. A mum knows her baby and knows the little detail and behaviours. Drs start by doing basic test and then get more invasive.
If this baby has something rare wrong with it - it will not be picked up at the first a and e visit. Drs only investigate for rare things after the basic/obvious/common things have been ruled out. How is that rare condition going to get diagnosed? The parent has to keep taking the child back and pushing for answers.

I only speak from experience that I was pushed to have a nervous breakdown before my child was diagnosed and we (I actually - it’s never the dads) were taken seriously. Mum is assumed to be over anxious rather than baby have an uncommon aliment. I know my story is common.

A brilliant dr said to me - if you as Mum are telling me there is something wrong with your child it is my job to assume you are right and find out what’s wrong. That’s what made him a brilliant dr. Others take a blunt approach - basic test, measure numbers - nothing obvious go home and come back when they are worse (if you can face being ridiculed).

If you are a paedatric dr I urge you to listen and respect a mums instinct a bit more rather than just quickly label mums anxious when you don’t know them or their babies.

But Redsky the OP doesn't think there is anything wrong with her baby she is afraid she is going to miss it if something does become wrong with them in the future and is therefore obsessively taking his temperature every hour with four different devices. So far the temperature has never actually been outside normal ranges and he has no other symptoms.

Surely you can see that's problematic and nothing at all like your situation? You are projecting massively and whilst I know you are trying to be helpful you are basically goading someone who clearly has fairly extreme health anxiety in relation to their new baby to not trust the reassurance she has been given by actual real life medical professionals that her baby's temperature is within the normal range and that everything is fine.

OP needs to go and speak to her GP face to face and explain how things are for herself. It must be absolutely draining doing what she is doing and that's on top of all the normal exhaustion that comes with newborns.

OP I hope you are okay and taking some care of yourself tonight Do you have a partner you can talk things through with?

Pasta - she’s not making it up! Her baby has a temperature! Why would they do blood tests if they weren’t concerned?

Stop patronizing women

You have consulted the doctor, he already gave you the result so it is fine now but monitor your baby from time to time. To monitor the baby is the best action as of the moment.

I am interested in what you are seeing in my previous posts that gives you that impression I'm patronising and sexist given that you have now accused me of it twice?

But hey you carry on telling someone that's checking temperature for no reason every hour to continue to do so because she needs to trust her instincts, and ignore the doctors she's seen because her child probably has something rare because that's what happened to you

But don't try and make the rest of us agree with you, because frankly it's silly advice and the OP needs to seek real life support from her GP.

Your baby is fine. The docs have told you. Calm down.
If temp goes over 38 then you seek advice but even then, it isn't unusual for little kids to get colds and things which push their temperature up and they don't need medical treatment. Just try and keep the baby cooler.

By now I expect he or she is OK. x

So, it came out that my instinct was right, because I know my baby. They did a urine test again yesterday and they gave antibiotics for him. The Paediatrician said that he has an infection and she thinks is on his kidneys. So an 8 weeks old baby with an kidney infection..

Ask for a referral to a renal paediatrician.
And be strong! As you’ve seen you need to fight your baby’s corner as drs do like to discount mums.
Hope your baby gets better soon xx

@Redskyandrainbows67 thank you so much! And yeah, I think that's the best thing to do now xx

Glad you managed to get another urine test done OP. What a shame it didn't show up in the previous urine and blood tests.

A kidney infection at that age must be terrifying. Is he tolerating the antibiotics ok?

Well lets be thankfull that they the antibots still work.

Just one other matter are these thermometers that accurate?, do they come with a cabibration certificate it seems to me the differences in temps are possiblely within the tolerance of the measurents they are capable of giving?.

Pasta - probably the first urine test will eventually show something as presumably a culture has been sent off.

Just a boy - I’m sure the thermometers were accurate. If you are medical then you surely know that babies under 3 months can’t regulate their temperature well and fevers aren’t therefore reliable - they come and go and sometimes a baby can be sick with no fever at all.

www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/fever-newborn

Normal temp range where I work (but that’s adults don’t know if babies different) is 36.6 - 37.9 so he’s at top end of normal. Have you got him overdressed? If your inside with heating blasting out at 24c (like mine is ) probs only needs one layer on and blanket. Try this if u still concerned instead of a n e maybe ring your gp and get emergency appt.

Sorry that is meant to be 36.1 - 37.9

Ooo sorry just realised you’ve resolved your problem glad you got sorted

Redskyandrainbows67

Wasn't so much about the effects of temp just the measurment thereoff.

Had a look in one of our industrial suppliers catalouges and their quoting around +/- 1.2 deg

The more expensive ones are spec'd at +/- 0.3 % cheaperones are +/- 2 deg c

Details! hope the little one is better:)

san2018 Glad to hear you finally got the help for your baby boy. How is he doing?