My son is 11 months old and he has been sick for a few days. The usual cold, but he has kept a fever the whole time. Even with tylonol & motrin. It was 102.3 last night. We took him to the doctor friday and she said just give him the meds. So my question is when is a fever too high? And if anyone has suggestions, im open. Thanks!
Thank you all so much for your advice i really appriciated it. It took some of the panic away haha His fever is still here, but is not as high and his 2 minute of happiness is turning into 30 min-an hour at a time. He is also slowly getting his appitite back. So he seems to be getting a lil better. Thanks again!
I have always liked this article about fever - http://pediatrics.about.com/od/fever/a/08_fever_panic.htm
Our pediatrician always said that the actual temperature is less important than how fast it gets there. "Spiking" a fever really fast is more dangerous than having a high fever. I would look more at how he is behaving. Is he lethargic and seeming really ill? Then call the doctor again and say you want him seen. If he is acting OK, just sleepy but with bouts of his happy self in very short spurts, then increase the dose of Ibuprofin (MOtrin). CVS has their own generic Motrin in Ibuprofin liquid which is much cheaper. The dosage of Motrin is very conservative: the adult pills are 200 mg and they say to take only 2 max, but after surgery they gave me 400 mg pills and said I could take 3!!! I think kids dosing is similarly conservative, so I think you could give him the next higher dose (check with the doctor first though). Hope the fever breaks soon.
I think a fever in a child that is over 103 is considered serious, but if you really want to know for sure, call your pediatrician's office and ask them. This is what they are there for.
My Ped has always told me that if the fever stays up (more the 100) for 48 hours even with motrin and tylenol then they need to be seen again cause it could be something more then a cold. I'd call and talk to a nurse or a PA and see what they suggest.
My pediatrician doesn't get worried until it approaches 105/106. They are more focused on how the child is acting, if he is lethargic and it is 102 or higher they won't to see him immediately. If he is acting fine then don't call them until 105. Growing up my mom told me if we were running a 103 fever we would be brain dead, no so today.
Call the nurse at your pediatrican's office and ask that question. My pediatrician doesn't even consider it a fever until they are over 101.
Sofia (my 2 1/2 year old then) had 106 at the doctor clinic and they seen to think it was not a big deal. Of course I was freaking out (carryng my 1 year old )but they gave her motrin and that was it! We came home and the fever went down from there. I never heard of such high fever... I was getting ready to go to the hospital but it was not necessary. She is fine!
I think they say if it goes above 104 then it can get dangerous. My dd went through a phase of having a really high fever and then it was gone, and she developed a rash. Turns out it was roseola, which I've never heard of. Just some virus they can get. She was fine, we did take her to the er because her fever got close to 104 rectally and I of course panicked! Never did get in to see the dr because I guess they didn't feel we were enough of an emergency but did take her to her dr the following day. They suggested to me to give her cool baths and keep her hydrated. HTH and that he starts feeling better soon!
Hi!
I work for a medical call center. In a child over 3 months old, a fever is a NOT a 'STAT' call until the fever reaches 105.
Hope this helps!
you dont get a fever with colds, thats too high for a baby go to the er
Did they check his ears for an infection? Or is he cutting teeth and has a cold from that? Just be sure- If cutting teeth then the fever makes more since. But if it is running 102.3 with the tylenol then I would take him back in to a different Dr. :)
I actually just asked this question at our pediatrician visit this week (I have a 4 mo. old), and he said that unless the fever gets up to 106 or 107, it's not really a concern, and you only need to give meds if the child is in pain (aches, cutting teeth, whatever). The Dr. said that it is very untrue that a fever can cause brain damage. Even if it gets to 108, it will probably not cause any damage. Basically, the fever is the body's way of fighting off the infection and the fever won't get higher than what the body can handle. The Dr. said the only time he ever sees a fever around 107 or 108 is in heat stroke situations, not from infection.
Well after my experience with my then 11 month old son go for the ER once the fever reaches 103 + and the fever won't go down with fever reducing meds. By the time we took our son to the ER he was dehydrated and was listless. I had given him meds for about 2 days but nothing worked on the third day. Its better to get over excited then chance it in my opinion.
i just met with my pediatrician to talk to him about what is and isn't high enough to worry. he said anything over 100.4 you should call the dr for and anything over 101.0 you should go the er for. did your baby have the temp when you took him in? if so, i'm surprised the nurse didn't seem more concerned. the antibiotics (i'm assuming she gave him some) should help the fever go down, but as a parent, i would be concerned if it didn't get lower within a couple days. sorry if this post is too late, but i hope he gets to feeling better!!
My daughter had roseolla when she was 11 months. She ran a fever of 104 for 5 days with no harm. Both of my kids caught (confirmed H1N1 by duke) the flu in october. My 6 yr old daughter ran a temp of 103.5 for 2 days. My 3 yr old son ran a temp of 104.5 for 2 days. I am not sure what the danger point is - i thik 106, but kids are different. I am under the impression that if the temp gets to high or goes up to quick, kids will have seizures to bring there temp down. Its there natural body defense. My 3 yr old son had a febrile seizure when he was 18 months. We took him to the er and his temp - after the seizure - was 103. I am not sure what his temp was before, just that he was really hot and not sweating.
I normally look at how the kids act. My daughter acts normal until the temp reachs 103. Then she lays on the couch and becomes a tv veggie. My son becomes a tv veggie at a temp of 101. All kids are different. But, it is not abnormal for my kids to run temps for 7 days with viruses. There temps always go up at night. I give them a luke warm bath at bed to help prevent there temp from going up to high. I also let them run around in there undies during the day if they are having a temp. It helps to cool the body. I have also wet a wash cloth and wet my kids hair at night (when they are sleeping) to help keep the temp down.
Good luck.
L.
