Concerns About High Fevers

Hello...I don't think you are being overly concerned, a temp that high is cause for concern. I read that a temp of 104 for more than 5 days is unhealthy and you should be taken to the emergency room. Any normal Mom would take their child way before then although it is not necessary. Having a temp of 103 to 105 for a day and a half isn't long enough to have a long term effect down the road. If you are concerned about her CBC count, it won't hurt to question your Dr. to see if a test is necessary. My healthcare provider has a medical advice hotline and I use it for any and every little question I have...that's what it is there for. And since you pay your Dr. you should be able to ask any question about anything at any time. Exercise that right!!

My son spiked 104.5 one night a couple weeks ago and when I called the pediatrician they weren't terribly concerned. Obviously I was told to watch for the normal things (dehydration, make sure the fever can be lowered by meds & cool baths..etc). And he'd had a febrile seizure before so I asked about that - again, unconcerned unless he ended up having one for more than a minute or more than a couple in a short amount of time (ended up not having one). Anyway, his "normal" fever of 101-102+ lasted and we found his flu had progressed to a sinus infection, so we got antibiotics & alls well:)

i would take her to the doc it could be stye

I totally understand your concern. It's amazing, though, how resiliant kids are. I would just keep an eye on her for a few days. If you don't see anything out of the ordinary, then I wouldn't worry. If you do, call the doctor.

K.,

The neat things about young ones is that they are resilient. They can bounce back better and faster than us adults. Infants and young children can maintain a temperature higher than adults for longer periods of time without any adverse effects. You did a wonderful job in taking care of your daughter with the meds and the baths to do what you could to keep the fever from getting out of control. Keep in mind that a fever is there to fight off the cause of the fever be it viral or bacterial. The body tends to increase temperatures to make the inner environment hostile to the bad invaders. You have every right to be concerned. If you don't feel comfortable taking her out, then don't. It's your perogative and don't let anyone tell you different. As long as your daughter is resuming her normal activities you shouldn't be too worried :) (I have 3 girls of my own - 12, 5 and 9 weeks)

I would take her back to the ER. My son was admitted to the hospital with a fever of 103.6. They did a spinal tap among other things. We were unable to leave until he was no longer running a fever. This took about 3 days. Did they tell you what her wbc was? I would call your doctor and express your concerns.

Sounds like you followed your instincts to see a doctor already. Certainly keep in touch and ask him / her as many questions as you have. I don't know about more 'dangerous' side effects like killing off white blood cells, but my son (5 1/2)has some interesting dental problems that several dentists and pediatricians said could have been caused by high fevers during pregnancy or infancy. (He has slightly dark spots on his front teeth and no enamel formed on two of his molars.) I don't know if teeth can still be affected at 21 months--her teeth may already be fully developed. But definitely a good question to ask a doctor!

Hi, K..

As long as your daughter is fine now, I wouldn't worry. Body temperature itself doesn't cause any damage unless it is over 107. Infections don't usually cause temperatures over 106 or so--body temperatures high enough to cause permanent damage are usually the result of something else, like sitting in a hot car with the windows up. Fever is a sign of infection and it is the infection that is a cause for concern, not the fever itself. It sounds like your daughter's infection has passed, though, yes sometimes it takes a few days to rev back up to 100%. In other words, don't panic if you need to take her out somewhere, but if you need to keep her at home to feel secure about her health, no one will judge you negatively either.

Hi K.,

Take your baby to your pediatrician and see what is causing the fevers. Maybe a stool culture is in order.

Good luck. D.

K.- from what I know, it is common for kids fevers to spike at night. And you should not see any repercussions from the fever for a few days as long as nothing else came with it (i.e. seizures, etc.)