5 Month Old W/ 102.5 Fever

Babies can take a higher fever than adults can. In fact, many times Drs. will just suggest keeping them comfortable. If she is "feeling" ok, then let it ride out. It's normal to panic, but in babies, this is actually a good thing.

Now, if you or I got a 102 fever, then you need to go in and see an dr. right away.

Motrin is better to get a fever down quickly. Try not to stress too much as babies can cope with a fever that sounds really high for adults.

I know how you feel, a couple of months ago, my then 18 month old, got a fever of 105.9, I freaked, called the doctor at 3 am, she said to take a towel and run it under cool water and wrap him in it. It brought it down by 2 whole degrees. I was going to run to the E.R. he turned out fine. I also alternated between tylenol and mortrin, that works. Good luck.

Our nurse told us that anything under 103 is considered "low grade" and tylonal and a cool bath is enough to keep it down. If she gets a rash after the fever breaks, it's probably roseola and there's nothing you can do about it, just wait it out. Keep her away from other babies for a few days just in case :)
Good Luck!

My kids have had fevers in this range as well, that I agree are very scary. I have always been advised that if they are playing normally or acting normally that everything is fine. Fevers are a good thing because the body is raising its internal temperature to try to basically burn the impending infection away. If she becomes lethargic, that is definitely when you need to worry. Hope this helps!

I just called the Dr the other night about my girls having a fever. He told me that they really don't get concerned unless the temp gets to 104 (103 under the arm). My girls were running about 102. He told me to try and strip them down to a onesie and give them a luke-warm bath. He also told me to make sure they were still drinking plenty of fluids. That's about it...I felt the same way you feel..but the temps are gone and the girls are fine! Good luck!

A bath in room temperature water along with the tylenol should help bring the temperature down.

My son, now 2 has always run really high fevers whenever he's fighting an infection. It still worries me, but I am now more comfortable with it since I know that's just how he is. I've taken to the ER a number of times for it, nothing was wrong. When he was about a year it got to 104. I freaked, brought him tot he ER and they did all kinds of test and brought the fever down with Motrin amd Tylenol. I had to alternate this every 2 hours for a few days. The docs told me he just may be a child who runs high fevers when ill. He still gets them high, but is controlable. If the fever doesn't go down with tylenol or motrin, then I would definitely take your baby in.

You are the best judge of your daughter's behavior. If she seems to be in a decent mood and is playing, then it's not bothering her too much. If she was behaving differently, that would be a big red flag for you.
Also, different docs see "high fever" as a relative thing. Our pediatrician didn't want to see our kids unless they were 105+.. originally I worried about that, but he was right. Treating them with Tylenol and Motrin at home worked fine and saved me the office copays.
Not sure if your doctor recommends it, but when my kids had fevers on the high end, he had us doing Motrin every 8 hours with a Tylenol "booster" at the four hour intervals. That seemed to keep my kids comfortable. It's a real learning experience - good luck!

I noticed that you have been advised to give motrin I dont know if you have heard but motrin and advil in young children can have adverse side affects. There was a big article about it causing even blindness. Since I have read the article I stick strictly to tylenol. When a child has a fever tylenol is the first we all grab for but there are other things to try...make sure the child is stripped down to either a onsie or their diaper...and if you want more put them in a bath of luke warm water this will bring down the temp. faster than you think.

Give the baby a lukewarm bath. Dress in loose clothing. Put a cold rag on his/her head. Give tylenol. Call doctor. Hope she is feeling better.

alternate tylenol and advil for infants every 4 to 6 hours and dress her in light weight clothes and keep her in the house. Babies handle fevers pretty well. Time to worry when she starts ACTING like she does not feel well. Sounds like she is doing fine.

Children have a much higher fever threshold than adults. According to my ped, 104 is a problem. The best thing to do for them otherwise is Tylenol and keep them comfortable and hydrated. I know it seems scary but lots of children run low-grade fevers when they teeth and the like and it is just a bodies natural reaction.

A child under 6 months old with a fever that high could be a problem but in general 102 isn't as bad as it sounds in kids. A fever in infants/kids that's at or under 103 is fairly common and not usually a reason to panic. I would still not like seeing a temp that high so I would put her in a tepid/lukewarm bath and try to get her body temp down a bit. If she's behaving normally I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's when they become listless, unresponsive, excessive crying or have other symptoms like diarreah or vomiting that I would get a little more concerned.

Also, make sure you are taking a rectal temp. It's truly the only way to get an accurate reading in infants.

Hi A....

How old is she? When my son had a fever that high I put him in the sink in luke warm water and just used a washcloth to cool him down...it seemed to comfort him and lower his fever for a little bit.

Just make sure to keep her hydrated...make sure she's drinking...

Kim

hi! - we just survived a 103.5 fever - it was scary. Here's what I learned, room temperature baths were really helpful when the fever spiked - I could tell it was spiking b/c she would get really fussy. So, we'd put her in the bath and pour the water on her arms and down her back. She hated this - but after awhile, relaxed. Be sure to have room temp water - not too cold. Otherwise the fever will rise as her body tries to address the cold water. I also gave her children's tylenol - alternating every 4 hrs w/ children's motrin. I've recently heard that's not a good thing to do - so do some research to determine what you feel comfortable with. Of course, lot of fluids are really good - just have liquid around all the time for sips. I also gave her rice cereal and applesauce - the dr. recommended this type of diet. While 103.5 seemed quite high (and still does) I guess 105 is considered high/dangerous for a child (that's when it affects the brain). So don't be too alarmed/scared at the 103 mark - just keep close tabs on it. one more thing - I slept in her room while she had this fever - so I could hear her get fussy when the fever spiked - a couple of times I caught a 'spike' and put her in the tub in the middle of the night.. also, keep her head, hands and feet uncovered (so the heat can escape) it's really stressful and scary - but it will work out - peace and blessings to you!

It's tough when they're little and not feeling well. As long as you've given her Tylenol and she's not complaining, just keep an eye on her temperature. If she's eating and playing like normal then she's fine. I wouldn't give her Motrin or Ibuprofen because those pain relievers can sometimes mask other symptoms. Stick to the Tylenol and don't overmedicate her. Her fever is her way of fighting/protecting her from a cold/flu/virus, etc. Hopefully the doctor will be able to ease your concerns as well. Hope she feels better soon.

My pediatrician said that babies and toddlers often have higher fevers to simple viruses than older children and adults. If you took the temp rectally, it is probably of less concern, too, since it is acurate or even a little high that way. If you took it under the arm, you may need to add a degree and then it is a little higher than comfortable (it would be 103 or so.) I've been told by my pediatrician if the fever is high for a long time, to alternate Tylenol and Motrin so that you don't have to wait as long in-between doses (i.e., Tylenol is usually every 4-6 hours and Motrin is usually every 6-8 hours...but if the fever persists after 2 hours of giving Tylenol, you can give your child Motrin after that) check with your health-care provider since your baby is still very young and under 6 months. I've also made the mistake of putting my infant in a cool bath...which will make the fever rise higher sometimes instead of lower. They say if you bathe them, put them in lukewarm water, never cold or hot with fevers. Anyway, good luck. If you don't feel like your doctor is responding, use your best judgement and take them to the ER. I think it's better to be safe than sorry and mother's intuition is worth something. Also, if the baby winds up having an ear ache, I found out the hard way that sometimes the first antibiotic prescribed is not powerful enough and the baby will still continue to fuss. It's good not to give kids too many drugs and weaker antibiotics are better to start with, but do be persistent with your pediatrician...they are there for you, and you will eventually get more comfortable with knowing what's important and what's not. If they say call back or bring the child in again in a few days if they aren't better, do it. You are your child's best advocate.

I'm super concerned with idea one person suggested of waiting until it hits 105...organs will shut down and fail at that temperature.

I always judge a fever by where a temperature normally runs; not everyone is 98.6. Personally I normally run at 97.2 so when I'm around 101 I know I'm pretty sick, and it rarely gets that high so when I have a fever at all I'm concerned. My sister normally runs at 99.4, her average, so she doesn't worry until she's around 103 or so. My son can generally handle 102 fine but rarely goes over that so if it were 102.5 or 103 I would be concerned; point being it just depends on the person, we all "tick" differently.

Alternating doses of Tylenol and Ibuprofen/Motrin is the best way to bring it down, though as another mother said fevers are natural occurrences in the body and happen for a reason. If she seems ok, just keep her comfy. Maybe she is teething. If so she may also get a runny nose and diarrhea, it'll go away. If its a virus it'll just have to run its course, however if the fever persists for more than a couple days you should suspect infection and take her to see the doctor.

Best wishes for he speedy recovery :)

If she's not uncomfortable, just ride it out. The fever is there for a reason and if you keep giving meds to break it, you're preventing the body from doing what it needs to do.

When my kids get fevers, I give them lukewarm baths, use cool compresses on the forehead and just have them run around in t-shirts and undies (or diapers). If it's during the night and the bath isn't helping, I will give a dose of tylenol to help them sleep a bit better. Once they are up for the day, though, I don't give them anything and just ride the fever out...although I do take their temps every 1-2 hours to be sure it's stable or going down (not up).

Other than that, just make sure she's getting plenty of fluids and give her lots of cuddles.

My first son got a fever that hit 105.5. I was scared to death. I called the doctor (this was at midnight) and they said to put him in a warm bath (not cool, not too warm) and give him tylenol and motrin alternating. He was fine.

The fever isn't a problem from what I understand. It's the bodies way of fighting off infection. My little sister (19 years younger than me) used to get seizures from the fever because they would come on so quickly. But, she out grew that and even those aren't TOO much of a concern after the first one.

So, don't worry too much and keep your little one hydrated.

T.