My 5 yr. old daughter has been sick since Sunday with a very low fever. It keeps vaccilating between 99 and 100.6. During the day she seems to feel good enough to go to school (she has no trouble playing) but she says her tummy hurts a little and she has a sore throat and a runny nose. My sister-in-law, a preschool teacher, said her school doesn't consider it a fever if it's under 100.5. I don't want to get other kids sick, and I actually enjoy having her at home, so I'm not in hurry to send her back to school, but I don't want to keep her out of school when it's not necessary either. I also don't want to make her get sicker by sending her back too early. But... 99/100 seems so low. What would you do?
BTW I took her to the doctor on Monday (because she had just gotten over a 5 week cough a few days prior) and he said she could go back to school on Tues. if she had no fever Monday night. I think he was very confident that she would be all better by Monday night. But, she still has 100 every night.
Hmmm... Thank you for all your advice. I agree with what most of you said, but...
The doctor called back and gave me this advice "Stop taking her temperature and send her back to school." He said children often come in for well visits and aren't sick but have a low fever like that and if she seems to feel ok (except for the minor cold symptoms) to send her to school.
I consider 99/100 a fever. Agreed it's low grade, but a fever nonetheless. I keep my kids home even with a low grade fever. She's still fighting off a bug of some sort. If she isn't fever free by tomorrow, call her Dr. back. Hope she feels better soon!!
IMO regardless of how high the fever is, I would keep her home, as she sounds sick. She could use the rest.
Has she had a strep test, Mom? Sometimes strep hits the stomach instead of a terrible sore throat and high fever. This has happened to my own kids. One of them had a sore throat (like your child) and I asked my ped for a strep test. She didn't really want to give him one because she said his throat didn't look like a "strep throat" and he didn't even have a fever. But she did it to placate me.
She walked out into the waiting room and apologized to me in front of all the people out there - she said to her shock he DID have strep. So I would take your child back to the doctor and have this checked. If he tested her but the strep wasn't strong enough to show up, I'd have him check again.
I am SO careful with strep because my sister got scarlet fever because her strep was misdiagnosed as a virus. What she went through with scarlet fever was scary. You should ALWAYS get strep treated, which means you need to know if strep is present.
As far as your question of whether up to 100.6 is a fever? Absolutely. Her body is fighting something. Whatever the temp is that higher than a normal temp is a fever.
Dawn
Technically, a fever is a temperature of 100.4 or higher. And everyone's temp is different at different times of the day. It tends to be a little higher at night than it does during the day.
D.
My doctor considers 100.4 to be a fever and I will not send to day care until fever free for 24 hours. If it 99 - 100.4 the body is fighting something, i may or may not give tyelonol but still send them, unless there are other issues. good luck!
It is a low grade fever so her body if fighting something. It's not high enough to warrant keeping her home but, she' been running a fever for 3 days now so I think you should call her doctor. Since he just saw her Monday, he may be willing to call her in an antibotic or he may want to see her. From your description, my first thought is strep throat. When myself or my son had it, we would run a low temp, have a sore throat, and otherwise feel fine...I would often feel a bit achy but my son did not. My doctor would call penicillin (sp?) in for me...he said if it was strep, I would get better, if not I would either get better or I would call him (and penicillin wouldn't hurt me).
It's so low grade I'd keep sending her to school.
If it gets worse then she can stay home, and it might just as well get better and she won't have missed any days.
Our doctor won't even suggest coming in to the office till a fever was > 103.
Maybe 100 is her regular body temperature? My body temp is low as is my kids...all varying from 96 to 97...
if she is NOT herself - i would NOT send her to school. I would find out what is going on - ask the doctor for blood work to be done to see what is going on inside her little body!!
Has she been tested for strep? My son had strep last week - urgh.
GOOD LUCK!!
No SCHOOL this is why healthy kids get sick if it is not 98.6 temp its a temp you can low grade fever temp or high. 99 to 100.6 is a temp. She sounds like shes fighting a virus the golden rule for schools that i know of is your child has to be 24 hr free of a temp before going back to school. I don't know what school district your friends in but sounds like there encouraging others to get sick she is contagious with having a temp. virus's don't go away with out being washed with bleach and water i tsp or table spoon of bleach to one bottle depending on size of bottle will depend on about of bleach to water to wash thins and spray bedding n furniture down. But bleach kills virus's everything else puts a bandaid on it it sits and waits to represent itself. So if she has a sour throught and tummy ache she may either be back up needing to go potty or she may have a virus. I know rsv is going around and so is pink eye and strpp in the school!! Good luck on having the temo go away I would treat one dose of tylenol and motrin tylenoil 4 hrs later motrin and so forth.
yes , according to my child's school 100 or higher the child stays home.
We have low body temp so that is a fever for us. I agree with Cheryl, if she is still running a low fever, I would take her back to the doctor and ask for blood work to be done and a strep test. My son always puked when he had strep.
Depends on how you took it (under arm, mouth, forehead, etc.) and her normal body temp. My normal body temp is low so that is a fever for me. Hope she feels better soon.
My children seem to run fevers at night but not during the day. At 100 I would send her to school if she seems to be acting ok, not listless or laying around. These virisus are going around right now and they do seem to last longer. Believe me the school does not want a really ill child there and they will call you if she starts getting a higher temp.
Our doctor says 100.4 for a fever.
As soon as a temperature reaches 100.5 it's a high enough fever to keep a child home from school. Once a child is fever-free for 24 or more hours then they can go to school.
99/100* is a very low grade fever but what's more important is how she's behaving and additional symptoms.
I wouldn't send her to school (it sounds like an infection, and she could get other kids sick), but it's so low, I wouldn't give her a fever reducer. Also, it sounds like she could use some rest, to help kick this thing for good.
I'd keep sending her to school. She is not going to be getting other kids sick and she is within the school's policy.
i'd call the doc back. She may have a secondary infection brewing.
My kids' school has a no fever above 99.5 policy and they have to be fever free for 24 hours before returning. A fever generally means they are contagious and their body is fighting an illness of some kind. Also, I run an in-home daycare and have the same policy. My opinion, if she's had a fever off and on for 3 days then she's sick and contagious. Keep her home and let her rest so she can fight off whatever she has and not spread it to her class. If she's not better in a day or two, call the doctor. She shouldn't have a fever for this long, it could end up being strep or something that needs medication.
It's a low-grade fever. I suggest letting it run its course before sending her to school.
A fever means you're sick...even a low-grade fever. If she still has a fever, she's still contagious and should stay home and rest.
My son's daycare only restricts attendance if the fever is 101 or higher. I'd still take her back to the doctor to check for strep.
In child care if the temperature hits 101.0 it is a fever. Before then not so much. Send her to school after giving her some Tylenol. I seriously doubt she is contagious, especially if she has been to the doc and he said she's okay.
