How High Is to High of a Fever and How Long Is to Long to Have One?????!!!!!

B.,
I'd say it is better to be safe than sorry. I don't babies should have that high of a fever for too long it means the body is trying to fight off something regardless of attitude. She may just be teething but if it were me I'd be going to the doctors.

Good luck, I hope it breaks soon!
M. P

3 days with a high fever unless it looks serious. both my girls were like that and on the third day it went away and they got the rosela rash. Totally the easiest of the childhood maladies. Good luck, hope it is nothing serious, but take her to her dr tomorrow if she still has it.

Dear B.,

You are doing all the right things, but I would call the doctor and let him or her decide if more is needed. C. N.

Believe it or not, the fever is a good thing. It is her body's way of fighting off an infection. Giving her Tylenol or Motrin is hindering her body's own defenses. If her fever does go away after this, the infection will still be in her body because it was not properly cleared up by her immune system. She will likely have this illness again and again until her body is given a chance to heal itself.

My daughter has unusually high fevers (the last time it was 104.7) and our nurse says that is not a situation that requires ER care. She told me they recommend going to the ER when the parents are panicking, not because the pediatrician can do anything for it that you can't do at home.

I'll probably be the only person on here who does not recommend taking her to the doctor. Unless there is some serious complication you have not included in your question, there is no reason to take her to the ER. They are only going to give her Tylenol or Motrin anyway because their job is to get the fever down quickly so they can send you home. (We've done it several times.)

You mentioned the fever was lower on the second day. That shows improvement. Just give her plenty of fluids, no blankets and a lukewarm bath if she's uncomfortable. But if she's happy and eating and drinking, there is very little to worry about.

Don't listen to all these people who are screaming "HURRY! TAKE HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BEFORE HER LEGS FALL OFF!!!" That is just silly.

Hello, B.,

If you have a health food store nearby, get the homeopathic remedy for fever: Bella Donna. It works wonderfully without interfering with the body's process. It is much better and safer for supporting the body than Tylenol.

It takes enormous resources in the body to create a fever. It is a necessary process to allow the body to release heavy metals and other toxins that would otherwise stay in the body. Vaccines can create the metal burden in the body, processed foods contain many things we would not dream of putting into our systems if we understood what they were, the air we breathe contains much that our body must somehow release or pay a much greater price later on.

You may go to www.mercola.com and do a search on fever to learn more.

If you would like support with food, I am a nutrition coach and can help.

My very best,

T.

If she has another day of high fever, yes take her to Urgent Care!!!!

Hi B.,

I also live in Pacific Palisades! Have you called your pediatrician? That is the first thing to do - usually they have a nurse who will talk to you and ask you some questions and you can check in with them every day. Most pediatric offices won't charge you for these calls. They may want to take a look at her (check her ears, etc.) but the fact that she has a happy fever is always a good sign. They usually tell you if her mood changes that is when you should be concerned.

My son ran VERY high fevers - I won't even say how high because it is hard to believe. I always got worried when other moms would say, "my child has a high fever of 101" as for my son 101 was very, very low. It would worry me because if an illness was 'going around' when my son got it his fever would be at least 2 degrees higher than what the other kids had.

Has your daughter had any vaccinations within the past 3 weeks? If so that can cause a fever.

If her fever is going down (but only spiking in the afternoon which is typical with fevers) and she is happy - all is probably ok. But it is always important to check in with your pediatrician.

C. M.

Maybe a UTI. A lot of times when they are still running a temp while on Tylenol it can be a urinary tract infection. The only way to Rule this Out is to do a urine culture. Sometimes thay act fine, just a temp.

I'd take your daughter to the doctor because a fever lasting that long may well be a sign of an infection which may require antibiotics.

Hi B.,
I guess my first question would be does she have any other symptoms?? I'm glad she's eating and drinking well, but since she can't tell you yet if anything is hurting, I would probably take her into the doctor if she's still running a fever (>101)tomorrow. She very well may have an ear infection even without any symptoms. If her ears turn out ok, it's probably just viral and should go away in several more days or less. At that young of an age, I always felt better having my kids checked just to be sure I wasn't missing anything. If it is just viral, just keep giving her Tylenol and/or Motrin (or both if one isn't keeping the fever down by itself...you can rotate them.)
Good luck!!
C.

My pediatrician said if they still have a fever after 72 hours to bring them in. And if it gets to 104 I would take her in somewhere, esp. if it gets that high while you're giving her tylenol.

B., hopefully you got good advice. Call your doctor right away. My son had a seizure during a high fever, he was about 18 months old and we were camping and didn't know he had a fever. LUCKILY, WE WERE BY THE CLINIC.

My recommendation is go to the doc. 103 is way too high for a long period of time. I just experienced this myself with my (then) 10 month old and found out she had a kidney infection (which the only way they know is high fever for long period of time and to catheter your little one to check the urine). Hopefully that isn't the case, but for someone this small, I always go on the safe side and get it checked.

Just alternate Tylenol and Children's Motrine every 4 hrs. I would call your dr and ask about the length of time. My daughter had a high fever like this. She was also playing as if nothing was wrong. My dr told me that as long as she wasn't lethargic, she would be fine with the meds until the fever broke.

Because she's really sleepy, I'd run her to Urgent Care just to be on the safe side. Is this unusually sleepy?? That would be what would get me there. Also, usually you can call your pediatrician and talk to them or a pediatric nurse.

i would keep monitoring her. shes probably got this virus thats going around. if it hasnt calmed down in 3 days have her checked out. or if it gets worse. good luck!

take her in to see the doc!

I just went through this a month ago with my 14 month old daughter. She ran a fever off and on for almost a week. I did take her to the doctor just for peace of mind, but is wasn't necessary. My doctor told me that you don't need tylenol unless the fever is higher than 102. Her body is fighting whatever is going on on it's own. If she goes higher than 104, or has been running a fever for longer than 4 days, I would bring her to the doctor. She could have an infection, or it could just be a virus she is working through. It's so hard with little ones. Have you called and talked to someone at her ped's office? Maybe that would give you a little more peace of mind. Good luck and I hope she feels better soon.

my son had the same type of thing when it was small a fever for a week up and down just keep watching it is probably a virus that needs to run it's course just keep a close eye on the fever you can to tylenol then two hours later motrin and I bet it will run it's course

I had a friend this yr who's little girls temp got to 106. My son just had the same thing though. High temp for several days in a row. Then he broke out in a rash...all over. I didn't take him in because there is really nothing to do for this. There is a virus called Roseola going around. And sadly it's seen more in children under 2. It is some type of strand of Measles. I can't figure out were he contracted it. I use seat cover for shopping carts, and high chairs. Anyways hopefully yours in just a fever. But you can ask your Dr. how high he lets a temp get. My little guy is 10 months too. And it hard to see them like that. Good luck.

Hi B.,

If your little one still has a fever today... call your pediatricians office immediately. They should have a recording where you can leave a message and a doctor will return your phone call within an hour. My little one had a similar thing happen and we were told that if the fever is high enough and stays long enough it can do damage.
So call your pediatrician. Rather be safe then sorry.
Good Luck!

I'm not sure. But mine have gone, at the most 2 days. Has she gone poopy yet. Sometimes that will break the fever. If she hasn't, you can give her a suppository to help her go. Just follow box directions. Always works w/ my boys.
Also call your pediatrician and ask if you should take her in or just keep monitoring her. You can also switch between Tylenol and Motrin. Good luck!!

Hi! My name is A. and I have 3 sons. My youngest is 18 going through cancer. Anyway, I think you should take your child to be seen by a doctor. Her body is fighting off something. Just be on the safe side. I have learned that with my experience raising my sons. My kids use to scare me with asthma they all had. That was rough. But right now what my youngest son is going through is something I can't describe to you how it feels. Please pray for him. He's in the hospital and he has been getting so many fevers. I hope your daughter is better and God bless you and yours.PS. That's pretty high the fevers.

my daughter 18 months had some thing similar two weekes ago. She was in good spirits too. Some kids have a higher tolerance for pain. I would take her into the doctor office, ask them to do blood test. She might have a virus, mine did. I was a long two weeks, the fever was on and off but still in the 102.5-103.5's. But I would be concerned since she is really little. Call you on call doctor today, just get an opinion over the phone. Hopefully it will pass soon. good luck!!!!!!!

I would take her to either urgent care or schedule an appt. my sone had fevers that stayed and it turned out he had ear infections. He would still run around and play but had an infection. He also had fluid that wasn't drianing from his ears and was causing fevers as well. I would go see a doctor and make sure her ears are clear and then they can check for an infection or something
Good luck

We had a similar situation with my son last week. He had been clingy for about a week with no symptoms except teething. A fever of 101 started on Tuesday night. The doc said to bring him in if it got over 102. Of course it didn't until Wed. night (got up to 104.8). The Motrin brought it down to 103.7. I took him to the doc first thing Thursday morning. He had an ear infection. She said she normally doesn't prescribe antibiotics for ear infections but his was pretty bad. I would definitely take your daughter to the doctor.

I would say keep doing what your doing and call the doc first thing in the morning. Always good to see what the doc has to say. My daughter had a high fever of 103 - 104 from Friday to Sunday and we were out of town. I got an appt. on Monday (just when the fever broke). She developed a rash on Monday when the fever broke and it turned out to be Roseola. I also put my little girl into a cool bath to help break the fever, it worked really well.

Good luck!

Good luck

I would call the nurses hotline or your pediatrician and ask the advice of the professionals. I hope she feels better.

What is stopping you from taking her to the doctor?
Please do take her, why risk it?

Hi B.. My g-son when he was little had high fevers to.
He had ear infections one after another. Yes by all means take your little one to the doctor it could be her ears or her throat. Don't wait to much longer.
Good luck.
J.

That fever is pretty high. I would suggest using Motrin and you can also alternate every 3 hours or so between Motrin and Tylenol. I always think it does not hurt to take your baby to urgent care or the doctor to check for an infection.

I reference the askdrsears.com website when I have these types of questions. Here is the link for fever (I've read this several times when I've had sick kids.)

http://askdrsears.com/html/8/t082100.asp

If the link doesn't work, go to askdrsears.com and search for "fever". He has good advise!

Urgent Care now. This continuous fever means INFECTION, with out a doubt.(I'm a nurse).

Wendy

I would definitely call your pediatrician today. They will let you speak to the doctor on call and ask them if you should go to urgent care or wait until Monday to go to the doctor's office. You want to make sure it's not strep throat or an ear infection or something else that requires antibiotics. More than likely it's a virus and just has to run it's course. My 17 month old had roseola last month (fever for days and then when the rash came, she felt better). Motrin seems to work better to bring the high fevers down. And like someone mentioned, you can alternate Tylenol and Motrin because they are two different types of meds (Motrin is an ibuprofen and Tylenol is acetaminophen, your Pediatrician can tell you what to give her, how much and how often. Once you call and talk to them, you will feel better and relieved. That's why they get paid so much money so don't hesitate to call! Hang in there. K.

It can't hurt to call the doctor and see what he/she thinks.

My 9.5-month-old son had a sudden high fever of about 103.5 also, and of course I was very worried. I called the doctor and he said not to worry unless it hit 105! Turns out my little guy had roseola (baby measles, a very common and usually harmless virus). A sudden high fever (up to 104)lasting a few days is the first symptom, followed by a sudden break in the fever and then a rash on the torso. Here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseola.

I'm not saying your little girl has this; you should definitely call your doctor and speak to whoever's on call to get his/her opinion.
Good luck!

Well B.,

sound like she is coming down with an ear infection, those are well know for spiking up high fevers, since nothing is breaking the fever, your just masking it with the tylenal time to take her to urgent care, I would today if one is available, heres the thing you never know with each child the breaking point of febral (< SC ) seizures.. my son if he reaches 100.9 or over is prone to seizure.. you just don't know your daughters yet. She might be happy and playing but thats because the tylenal is working. Be safe than sorry take her in to urgent care today !!
Prayers sent

It could be Roseola or any other common virus but our ped always advises us to bring the kids in if a fever lasts 3 - 4 days so I would make an appointment for Monday.

You should take her to urgent care! Her fever is pretty high and a fever is usually an indication of an infection or other problem.

If you are not sure, call your doctor or the local emergency room. children can sustain higher temps than adults, but they can also go blind or deaf from high temps. Do not guess, go.

I am a mom of two, gramma of three. My youngest son had cancer when he was nine, and I learned a lot about temps,blood counts, and "stuff". He is fine, has a daughter nine years old, but "I speak of that which I am sure". I have worked in a hospital setting for almost 20 years.

This has been going on too long. She needs to be seen by a doctor.

take her in immediately - anything over 101 (under the arm) needs to be checked by a doc asap. they need to find the source of the fever.

Hi B.
I would call your peditrician and talk to her!Even on weekends they are on call!Hope your daughter feels better!!!

99-101 is called a low grade fever. Usually happens at that age related to teething, normal. A little above that give 1/2 tsp. tylenol, 4 hours later alternate with 1/2 tsp infant motrin, 4 hours later infant tylenol again. Water water water in a bottle with ice cubes as often as possible. If it continues after trying that for 48 hours take her to her pediatrician.

Hi B., When my kids were little anything that lasted for more than 48 hours, I took them in to see their ped, 103.4 is high, she may just be teething, but as least if you take her in you will have peace of mind. J. L.

You should call her pediatrition and see what they say. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

My son is 11 months old and there is something going around! He only had a fever also. Otherwise, seemed a bit on the tired side but nothing else to really speak of. He still ate.. etc... We went to the Ped Dr (which you should do to, it's best to checked out and have it be nothing than have there be something and not go). What we were told is to make sure we keep the fluids coming!! We are still nursing and were told to nurse, nurse, nurse. If your baby is not nursing... still... keep those fluids coming. The evening tends to bring higher fevers... and Tylenol didn't really help the fever for him. The Dr said to try Children Ibuprofen, as it's better for fever reducing. Also, one of the best things is a cool bath.

Definitely see the Dr though! It can't hurt... and like I always believe... I'd rather be safe than sorry, so I don't wait with my sons illnesses. Each Dr prefers different meds at different intervals, ie Tylenol vs Motrin vs Ibuprofen and every 4hrs vs 6hrs. So you'll want to see them to ask.

Hi B.,

Call your pediatrician for advice about going to urgent care. But my daughter had the same thing, and it took about 5 days, and ended up being roseola. Look it up, its pretty harmless, but when the fever breaks and they have a rash, they feel better. Good Luck!

Hi B.,
I would highly recommend taking your baby girl to the pediatrician right away. Don't ever assume it'll go away because it could be something when you think it's nothing. Very high fever is a sign of infection inside her body that she's fighting. So, please go right now. I'm mother of 2 boys, 1 is 4 years old and a 18 months and a stay at home mom.

Taker her to urgent care or to her pediatrician, just to be safe, it may be some type of infection that is causing the fever. Just my thoughts on it!! Good luck!

Mother of 2 girls, and 2 boys and just enjoying life with them!!

Take her to the ER, like right now !! High fever is a sign of infection somewhere in her body, and high fever can cause many other problems in a matter of seconds !! And go into conflausions

my doctor says a child with a fever of 103 should be taken to the hospital. once it hits 104, the child is definitely hospitalized because they might have a seizure.

When you give her the tylenol, does her temperature come down under 100? What my ped. has told me is that as long as baby is acting normal and the tylenol helps to manage her temperature, it's okay. Just be sure to keep to the dosing schedule. It's pretty normal for the temperature to rise later in the day. BUT if she's acting more clingy, whiny and sleepy and her temperature isn't controlled by the tylenol, you should probably give your dr. a call. Most important, trust your instincts. You know your baby better than anyone else.

Anytime a child has a fever of 100 or more, they must be seen by the doctor to determine the cause. Your child has had a fever for too long...take her to urgent care asap.

I always say that for your own peace of mind just go ahead and take her in. They may just send you home and say that it is a bad virus, but it isn't worth your worrying about it.

Good luck - I feel your pain - it is so awful when they get so sick!

Did you call the Dr. on Friday with the high of fever? I know my ped has me bring my baby's in with fever when they are less than a year old THAT day. At this point, it is already Sunday night, watch her closely and call your Ped first thing in the morning and have them see her. A high fever that is not responding to tylenol for 3 days is nothing to be playing with. She obviously has some type of infection/bug. I am glad she is eating and drinkin and is in good spirits. That is a positive sign.
Sorry she is sick and I hope you she makes a quick recovery.

If anything, just put in a call to your Pediatrician. On weekends and off hours, they should have a pager to call. At least that is what my Ped does.

103 degrees is high, to me. My Pediatrician says anything over 101 degrees and if more than 1 day to bring in the baby.

the thing is, you never know "why" the fever is there. Fever can be due to anything.

Using Tylenol does not get "rid" of the fever or the cause...it just temporarily reduces the fever to make the child more comfortable. Thus, if the child is still ill...the fever WILL return.

I would call your Pediatrician.

good luck,
Susan

Her fever is too high for her age. Do not take to ER...you'll end up spending lots of time and money. If the fever lasts more than 3 days or gets worse you should go to the doctor immediately. With our children we alternate between Motrin and Tylenol (After they are 6 months old...do not give Motrin before the age of 6 months...so your little girl is old enough). Example--- 2:00pm give dose of Tylenol, 6:00pm give dose of Motrin, 10:00pm give dose of Tylenol, 2:00am give dose of Motrin, Etc. We found with our little girl that Tylenol didn't really cut her fever at all, but Motrin did. Give it a try. We got this information after we went to the ER when she was a little younger with a high fever like you are describing. Good luck.

Hey B.-
If your daughter gets lethargic due to fever and is not taking fluids or eating well, then you need to take her in. Otherwise, she'll probably work through it on her own. I do agree that you should be giving her Infants Motrin. I have had better results with it as opposed to tylenol.

Good Luck- J.

B., Sounds like some kind of infection. Recommend urgent care. BB

Our pediatrician has told us when a fever reaches 103, it's time to go in and have him checked by her or a qualified medical professional, if she was unavailable. That's great that your baby is eating and drinking but you should definitely notify her doctor of the fever since its been lingering for a few days. She could have an infection that antibiotics might help with plus you want to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated. I think it's better to be safe....good luck to you and I hope your daughter feels better soon! :)

Our doctor always says she wants to see them after three days with a fever. I hope she's feeling better soon. :)

Did you call your pediatrician? We were advised to call for anything over 100.4. I would go to urgent care if open, or to ER.

I'm probably overly cautious, but i would have her checked out just to be sure she doesn't have an ear infecton etc. Although it could be just some kind of virus. It's good to hear that she is eating and drinking good. They use to feel that little ones will run a fever when teething, but i think that theory has changed over the years. I hope you getsome good advice and i'm sure you will, i'm now 73, so they have come a long way since i raised mine.

I would take her to see the doctor. The doctors actually say it is not a true fever until it is 100.7 which surprised me. Your daughter's fever is actually quite high and it is not uncommon to be fine then spike in fever in the late afternoon. It could be a virus your daughter is just fighting off, but could be a bacterial infection that can only be fixed with antibiotics. Go get a professional opinion. Good luck.

I would definately take her in to the urgent care or put the call into the pediatrician. Also, when I took my son to the urgent care they told me to give him motrin. It brings the fever down faster.

ROSEOLA VIRUS IS EXTREMELY COMMON AT THAT AGE. My son got it at the same age and his fever went as high as 105 at times, spiking up and down. Call your Ped. and see what they say, but generally, if no other symptoms are indicative ( like listlessness, constant screaming/crying in pain), then GOING TO THE ER CAN ACTUALLY BE MORE DANGEROUS because your small child will POTENTIALLY BE EXPOSED TO A WHOLE GAMUT OF BACTERIA AND VIRUSES WHILE HER NEWLY BUDDING IMMUNE SYSTEM AND BODY ARE ALREADY BEING VERY TAXED which can make her worse!! What worked best for us: when the fever spikes, get into the shower with your baby. hold her close in your arms, she will be slippery. Make the water lukewarm, not cool. The running of the water over the body allows the body to cool more than if you simply place her in sitting water in the tub. And fresh air is helpful, dont feel like you must keep her confined inside (unless youare in an area where it is cold or otherwise unfriendly outside). My doctor also told me that it is ok to alternate ibuprofen (advil/motrin) and acetominophen (tylenol). Make sure you get the infat kind, and better to have the DYE FREE version. And stay calm, you! You are doing great! Good Luck!

Our doctor has always said after three days of a fever, bring them in.

my daughter showed the same signs on the same days (always over the weekend!!), but fortunately i had just finished the chicken pox and the flu with her, so i was experienced to know - there is no benefit in sitting in urgent care or ER for hours (generally 3-6 hours) with a sick baby who's immune system is already compromised, when what the baby needs is hugs, water, rest, as much food as they are willing to eat and some light entertainment.
After the weekend was over, i took my daughter to the doctor, she diagnosed her with the flu, but in the end it was roseola, so there you have it. A doctor can't tell ya much either.
Nurses are fabulous for techniques to help your child get through illnesses.
Trust your instincts.

Hi B.,
I went through the same thing like about two weeks ago my daughter had a fever of 103.1 and i gave her tylenol and it went down but the next day it came back so me and her dad decided to take her to the er. and they told us to keep giveing her the tylenol every 4-6 hours and the motrin every 8 hours and i guess its something that the kids are getting some bug. but it doesnt go away unless you give them both. so take your daughter to the er a lot she shouldnt have that high of a fever. it causes brain damage so take her as soon as you can! good luck and let me know what happens.
F.

Hi B., first and foremost, if you are concerned, take her to the urgent care....peace of mide if nothing else...although my son, almost 3, started running 103-104 degree fevers at 11 months, but mainly thru the night...always acted alright, just sleepy, but that could have been from the late hour too. Anyway, I would put him in the sink, in luke warm water, just a little cool when tested, spray him with the sprayer, have him drink cold water, juice, whatever he would. The first time was Labor Day, so I would dry him wih a thin sheet, then rock him with that over him, and just a diaper on, with the ceiling fan on low. I did call the Doc the next day, and she saw him, no virus or anything, but to give him Motrin every 6 hours, then 2 hours later give Tylenol, 4 hours later do motrin..etc. The main thing for us was the fever did go down for 5-6 hours and stay low thru the day, but I kept up the motrin and tylenol just about 24 hours..after 3-4 days he was fine. He ran the fever every 3-4 months for a while, and then 1-2 times in a year, and just the past few days he had it, but not so high...100-100.5. SOmetimes babies just run a fever, just make sure it drops from time to time. I would probably tke her to see your regular Doc tomorrow, or call and leave a message for her...our Pediatrician checks the messages herself thru the weekend, and I have had her call me on Sunday morning before...Good luck!!

I'd call the doctor to be sure, but if they ask you to come in (which they probably will since you called and asked their opinion), I would not accept any antibiotics unless it's a bacterial infection. Have them do blood work and urinalysis to prove. More likely, it's a virual thing, so it will pass. Kids can run high fevers without it being as big a deal as if it were an adult.

My daughter last year had a mid to high range fever for 10 days. Did all the things you do at home, including good nuturiton, homeopathy, cool baths, etc. (remember, fevers are there to burn off the bad bugs in the system, so they are a good thing). The doc said there was a long-lasting virus going around, but 10 days was kind of long, so she decided to do the tests. OF course, the next day the fever was gone, and the tests came back NOT bacterial. (You don't want to get antibiotics for no reason--part of the cause of the super bugs now, plus not good for the body)

If she does end up requiring antibiotics, make sure you get her on probiotics. Kefir (like a liquid yogurt) is a good source of this and comes in all sorts of flavors.

Oh, also, you may want to look into a chiropractor or acupuncturist that specializes in ped's. They will help align the body properly so it can more efficiently cure itself. I know one in Long Beach if that's close to you. (Dr Shur, Advanced Wellness Center in Marketplace by Trader Joe's).

Don't worry too much, kids are pretty resiliant. I'd watch her behavior more than her temperature. But most importantly, use your mommy instincts...they're the best!

Call her pediatrician immediately.

My son had a fever for a few days, don't know why. But, by the 3rd day my pediatrician told me to take him to the ER just to make sure he was o.k. They advised me to take motrin and tylenol. The tylenol was not helping control his fever. He ended up being fine after a couple more days. Don't want to worry you but it's always better to be safe than sorry. The one thing pediatricians worry about is, when babies have fevers and they aren't controlled, they could end up having convulsions or seizures. The fever needs to be controlled and a lot of times, tylenol is not enough. Hope this helps.

Anything over 101 is a fever to be addressed by a Dr. or Urgent care. I would go right away!