Confused About Fevers!!!! Need Help!!!

My son was just running what I thought was a high fever too this week--103-104 and too called my pediatrician and was told the same thing.
I also researched it online and found many articles backing this info up.
Here's what I found about when you should call a Dr.:
* If a child under the age of three months develops a fever
* If your child is convulsing or hallucinating
* If your child’s fever has not changed in over three days
* If your child is complaining of stiff neck
* If your child has repeated vomiting and/or diarrhea
* If your child’s fever is 104 F or over orally or 103 F in the armpit

And here is where I got that info:
http://www.truestarhealth.com/members/cm_archives05ML4P1A...

I hope that helps--I too was concerned, but a fever is just their bodies way of fighting the infection and it's actually not dangerous until over 106F! (Though they start acting very uncomfortable and sick in the 103/104 range)--and tell you to take them to the ER if it's over 105 (because they don't want it to get in the danger zone)

As far as treatment, you can give them Tylenol and Motrin but ask you Dr if you can give Motrin, since I know they have changed the age range on that (It used to be 6 months--but I think it was raised). Anyways--if she is old enough you can give her both at the same time to reduce the fever...

My 14 month old recently had a 102 fever, and my husband is a physician. He told me we didn't need to do anything for it. A fever is the body's way of fighting sickness. My son's fever lasted about a day, and then he was fine. He slept most of the day, and I made sure to give him water to keep him hydrated, but he just worked through it. It sounds crazy to us because 102 would be really high for an adult, but its not high for infants.

Hey C.,

I agree with you, this seems really high to me. You can call some hospitals and they have a nurse help line. I would try that, or try calling another pediatrician.

Best to you!
T.

Get a new doc! First you give a dose of tylenol. If that doesn't bring it down you can follow with a dose of infant motrin an hour or two later. You can continue this flip floping of dosages for a couple of days, but if the fever doesn't break at all with both meds, the doc needs to see them, if your childs appetite drops they need to be seen, and if they are not making wet diapers they need to be seen right away. One of the dangers with fevers is dehydration. Make sure to follow the dosing on the infant motrin as it is not every four hours as the tylenol is. If the fever continues into a third day, the child needs to be seen.

My kids get high fevers all the time, even up to 105! But I usually don't worry because they still act fine once the motrin kicks in. And my doctor confirmed. She said that if they aren't acting out of the norm, like not eating or listless, then it is okay.

Hope this helps

I have had experience with fevers in my son, who is now five and a half. Children can sustain higher tepmeratures than adults. You only need to worry if the fever will not come down after giving medicine or lasts longer than 48 hours. Remember that the Tylenol/Motrin do not get rid of the cause of the fever, only make the child more comfortable. You also need to be aware of the possibility of febrile seizures in an infant w/ high fevers. My son had his first febrile seizure at 11 months, the fever spiked so fast that the brain could not handle it. It is scary when it happens, but does not harm them, yet I would not wish anyone to have to go through it. He had two more seizures after that, one at 18 months and then one at 2 1/2. He went through all kinds of tests, CAT scan, 2 MRI's and three EEG's and nothing was found. I was told he would grow out of it and it appears that he has. We still have issues w/ fevers, even at 5 1/2 years old. He had a 104 over the summer, and still gets them at least once a month, but not that high. They last two days and then disappear. The key is to control the fever and if it lasts more than two days, call the doctor. Ask your doctor about managing fevers and if they recommend switching between Motrin and Tylenol every couple of hours when your child does have a fever. How are you taking your child's temp? I do not like the ear thermometer, it reads much higher if your child has an ear infection, I once had a reading of 107 on that thing. I prefer a rectal on an infant and have used an Exergen Thermoscan for the past four years. It scans across the forehead, no need to wake the child if they are sleeping. I love it and always carry it in my purse. You can get it at Walgreens or CVS.
Hope that helps and Good Luck!

My sister got 105 temps all the time as a child. Its quite normal for children. Don't worry until 105/106. Always remember, fevers are a good thing and they help the immune system get stronger so dont try to break them. Let the body take its natural course. It knows what its doing.

IT doesn't seem crazy to me. It seems logical. If you can't control the fever with Motrin or Tylenol when it's that high then it's best to take them in, but if it's a low grade unless your child is miserable fever meds aren't needed anyway. Use your best judgement always. You are responsible for your own. We're had viruses where the kids would run fevers for a week that high...coxsackie actually...but there isn't anything you can do but watch and wait.
Good luck.

Hi C.,

The others that have posted already are correct.

While none of us are doctors, there is so much information out there to be studied. I know from not only my personal experience as a child who ran high fevers - but my children and their fevers.

99 - 102 I do not even blink at, if they are grouchy with the fever or seem very agitated I give them Tylenol or Motrin ( I actaully prefer Motrin). Once it reaches 102.5 - 103. I keep them very close and watch for other symptoms - if it continues for more than a day or so - I take them to the doctor.

I would not use an emergency room unless I thought my child was in real trouble & the fever could not be brought down with motrin and a cool sponge bath. Fevers are not as bad for kids as adults, they are just so much better at tollerating than we are. You would also be amazed at how sucking on a popsicle can reduce a fever. My littlest one Madison was really sick one time with some non-descript virus that the doctor said would just have to run its course. Her fever was hovering right around 104 - 104.5 - and letting her suck on a popsicle reduced it to 100 in no time - cooling the mouth and head is great for fever reduction.

However, you know your child, do not let anyone ever talk you out of going to a doctor or clinic or anything else if you feel your child is really sick and the fever is really getting to them. Safer is always better.

Happy Mothering,

We were told the same thing by our DR, we ended up taking her to the ER anyways, and they were able to get the fever down. Basically they double the dose of Tylenol. Still scary, good luck!

They are correct. Unless there are other symptoms to be alarmed about, you should treat the fever at home with cool baths, fever reducer (we use bubble gum flavor Motrin b/c the kids like it), and rest.

When I asked my daughters doctor how high was too high he said its not the temp that really matters it is how she is acting if she is playing and acting ok with a high fever (which she usually does) then just due tylenol and monitor it. But if she is acting really lethargic then it would be cause for concern.

its scary but you need to let temps run sometimes cause its the body fighting off an infection. you can do a wet wash cloth, baby tylenol and alternate with baby motrin(NO ASPIRIN )to make her comfortable...but yeah high temps are not as scary for babies as it is for adults!

My experience confirms what your doctor told you; don't worry until her temperature is above 104. All three of my kids (6,8,12) have historically high temperatures... regularly at 103. Our first high fever was 104.5 when my first child was 10 months old... she had double ear infections. I did take her to the ER because of her rapid heart rate. After that she continued to have high fevers for all sick occasions and I got used to it and no longer worry.

Her siblings came along with the same high fever tendencies. After about 5 years I even stopped using a thermomater and instead used the child's behavior to gauge temperature and severity of sickness: Feeling bad enough to stop playing usually means temp= 101; eyes burning and nausea at 103. If I have not medicated by then, then the temp will go to 104. The nausea comes if it's a rapid rising fever. I only worry if medication does not help. Because my kids all tend to have high fevers I HAVE to use Motrin (Ibuprofen) and as often as allowable. Often it also means using Tylenol in between doses of Motrin. (Your doctor will advise as this is commonly done.) If this combo does not work, then I know I need to see the doctor... but this has fortunately not happened since that first incident 13 years ago. Sponge baths, etc, have never been effective for us. I have learned to medicate early and as necessary so that the fever does not escalate. I have even been know to wake kids at night to medicate. I found this to be very important with my high fever kids because fever rise quickly for them when the medicine wears out.

I have heard of febrile seizures from very high fevers but my kids have not experienced that.

You will soon get the hang of these high fevers. The biggest challenge is keeping the fever down so they are comfortable.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

C.,

Alot of the information here is good. My pediatrician has told me to never let my boys fever get over 103 before bringing them in. There have been times on Sunday morning that one of my boys would be running a fever of 103.7 and I would call and run them over to the doctors office right away because my doctor would want to know what is going on that anything over that could possibly cause seizures.

I wouldn't take chance with my childs life, find another pediatrian tomorrow.

S.
35 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
13, 6 and 3

Hi C.,
All children will get high fevers. My doctor said to give them Tylenol then Ibuprofen then Tylenol. Even though it says every four hours, you can do it sooner (when the fever rises) because they are made out of different ingredients. Just check the dosage because of the young age. I got a medicine chart on how much to give on every kind of medicine by weight of child at my peditrician office. If you like I can email/fax it to you. Also do the sponge baths and if it get to 105 (which my kids have) place them in the tub with cool/warm not cold water. This does work. Don't worry, you'll do fine. They also have these cool ( cools them down)sticky things that you can put on their forehead or back of neck, check at the pharmacy isle. Also no shirt or sleeveless. Good luck, L.

After reading other peoples responses I can just say this, if you give the medicine and the baths you should be able to keep it under control, just keep checking on the child every two hours or so. I think people that let their childs fever get over 106 haven't been providing their child with the correct care. I have seven children total, so I think I know what I am talking about.

My son has had a couple high fevers in the past few months. He is 10 mo old, so not sure if the range is different for a 12 mo old, but probably not? My pedi told me that anything over 101 (rectal) is considered a fever, and 103+ is high. If it gets to 105, we are to take him to the ER. When he gets a fever of 103+, we give him Tylenol & Motrin, alternating every 4 hrs to keep the fever down. Tylenol can be given every 4 hrs & Motrin every 8, so for example: 8am, Tylenol; noon, Motrin; 4pm, Tylenol; 8pm Motrin. They also make "fever cloths" (I think the brand 'Little Colds' makes them) which you can place on the forehead to help cool a fever. HTH.

YOur doctor is right. All of my children have had high fevers even above 103 from the time they were 6mths old until now. It is very common in children. You strip them down and rup them with a wet cold wash cloth, they hate it but it helps. My eldest daughter had a fever of 104 for 2 days, her heart was beating so fast. We were scared. I called the doctor and she said it was normal for their heart to beat that fast. We did a luke warm bath and stayed up with her all night keeping her cool until her fever broke. Children are different from adults. Good luck

Fevers are our bodies way of trying to rid it of something like a virus. Children can handle much higher temperatures than adults. The main thing you need to do is keep her hydrated. Make sure she is drinking, eating popsicles or whatever you can get in her. If you feel the fever is too high and she seems uncomfortable give her a cool bath or use cool washcloths. I have 3 little girls and they have all had really high fevers before (105). We use alternative medicine and believe fevers are good so we just let them run their course. Remember the most important thing is keep her hydrated.

With three children of my own and having had my share of fever experiences, a fever is NOT considered a fever in a baby as young as yours unless it's above 101. Your doctor is correct: babies can sustain very high temperatures but you must take necessary steps to manage the fever. Never put a feverish baby in cold or cool water. Find out from your pediatrician how much Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen you can give to your baby. It's usually determined by the baby's weight so have a good idea how much your baby weighs before you call. With that said, you CAN give Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen together...following the recommended dosing schedule. I have found that Ibuprofen reduces fevers quicker, but if giving the very first dose, both medications given together will drastically cut down the fever. I wouldn't recommend rushing to the ER for a fever unless there are other serious symptoms present...like if your baby is not responsive, not breathing right, and if diahrea and vomiting are present. IT's critical to manage the fever but if your baby seems fine otherwise, just keep him / her comfortable. If in doubt, alwasy call your ped first before going to the hospital. I know fevers can be scary, but trust, me they can get fairly high on a baby and it doesn't necessarily mean the worst.

You should get a new pediatrician before something serious happens to your child. A fever of 104 is serious and anything at 105-106 can cause convulsions and even death...

it seems to me like your Dr. is not cautious enough. I would get a second opinion if I were you. My daughter has had several scary high fevers, and was in the hospital as an infant for fever. Yes, 103 is high, and you don't want them to sustain them too long if you don't have to. Were you able to get it down with Motrin or Tylenol or both?

I agree with the previous posts. I actually don't usually use a thermometer at all. Fevers are the body's way of fighting an infection, so I just do my best to keep my kids comfortable so the virus can run it's course. I only take them to the doctor if it lasts more than a couple of days, if they have pain, or if there are other more serious symptoms I'm having trouble controlling, like throwing up (though 9 times out of 10 the doctor doesn't do anything other than give me more advice on how to keep them comfortable and hydrated). Popsicles are amazing for helping sick kids-- the sugar helps their electrolites and the coolness helps the fever, plus they love them so it brings their spirits up

C.,
First in my opinion, I would look for another doctor! Fevers to me (my kids are grown 29 & 35) over 102 aren't a good thing for any child or baby. Both of my kids as babies ran fevers. I would place them in a slightly warm tub for about 15 minutes to bring the fever down and gave them doses of children's Tylenol every 4-6 hours or whatever the dosage is on the package now. But 106? Its NOT their baby suffering. And we mothers are the FIRST line of defense for our children. Hope this helps! dry~

I am not a doctor or nurse. But I always went by the rule of thumb that if their temp was 101.9 or below I just watched it, unless it was bedtime or naptime, when I might give them tylenol to help them be more comfortable so they could rest. Fevers are the body's way of fighting infection. But at 102, I called the doc to see if they wanted me to bring them in.. usually it would end up something simple like an ear infection. But generally, I never "treated" the fever until I saw how high it was going to go first. As that can be a sign of how seriously they are ill. Low grade fevers are probably mild illness like a cold or ear infection just starting vs. spiking high fevers could be something more serious, progressing severity of ear infection, meningitis, or whatever else.. again, I'm no doctor. With ear infections, something like baby Motrin works better than tylenol because it ALSO reduces swelling, and therefore helped any fluid to drain easier, and so had a two-fold way to reduce pain. Once they have seen the doc, then I would follow their instructions on when to call or be worried further. If the tylenol or motrin isn't keeping the fever down at all, you can try alternating them (under physician instructions on how to do it), and also cool compresses, light clothing, baths with lukewarm water (not cold as this induces the body to heat itself further) and do NOT add anything like alcohol to the water.. it can be absorbed by the skin. And keep them sipping fluids to stay hydrated. They will need it if they are running a fever.
If you are not comfortable with your doctor's advice, you might consider switching to another one.

Hi C.,

I know a lot about fevers. I have 3 children, 2 of which have had serious illnesses that required hopitalization. Both started with high fevers. When my oldest was 10 mos. she started having a high fever of 103. When her fever went to 104 is when I took her to the emergency room. She was treated with Infant's Motrin (which is THE BEST for high fevers). Her fever went down and we were sent home. The high fever continued which sent us back to the ER the next day. She was treated and we were sent home. She then became dehydrated and developed a rash. It tuned out to her being diagnosed with Kawasaki's Disease which she had to be hospitalized and treated with IVIG's. Her fever started on a Monday, she wasn't hopitalized until Thursday and we went home on Monday. That was in 2000. On May 20, 2007 my 5yr old daughter started complaining about a headache. I checked her and she had a slight fever, nothing major. I gave her some Children's Motrin. In about 15 min. she was feeling better and her fever was gone. Around 6pm that night she came to me with another headache and fever. I gave her more Motrin and she felt better. Then, at about 4:30 in the morning my oldest woke my husband up and said something was wrong. He went and checked and came to wake me. When I went into my daughter's room, she was convulsing and foaming at the mouth. I immediately called the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived and checked her temp. it was 106! Needless to say she was hospitalized and in ICU from May 21 to June 10. She then went to SCU from June 10 to June 14. She then had to go to a rehab hospital in Jacksonville and stayed until June 29. She was supposed to be in rehab for 4-6 weeks but was only there for 2 weeks. She ended up having a stroke and kidney failure. This was all brought on by something called HUS. HUS is usually caused by e.coli but there was no e.coli found in her system. To this day we dont know what caused her to have HUS. The stroke paralyzed her left side. She was also on 24 hr. dialysis for about 2 weeks until her kidneys started working again. Today it is almost as if she was never sick. There are a few things she is still working on in regards to her learning abilities and her coordination but basically she is ok.
I told you all of that to tell you this...Dont wait until your baby's fever gets to 106. That is too high and can cause seizures. I would say 104 or 103.5 is a danger zone and requires immediate attention. Treat high fevers with Motrin and chilled Pedialyte. Pedialyte is awesome for hydrating and cooling from the inside out. I make a slushi out of Pedialyte and feed it to my kids. Also, keep in mind that a fever is a sign that the body is trying to fight some type of infection.