Toddler with High Fever

HI,

It's Monday already now that I've got this. Is she better? My guess is yes because that sounds so normal. Kids get fevers with viruses so much more than we do. It's scary, but probably fine? Yes?

Is she teething? Mabe soak a wash cloth in ice cold water for her to suck on. Does she pull at her ear? Teething would cauae thay as well. I wish you luck, and try not to worry, the doctor will get to the bottom of it.

Yes...this was my world last winter. We were in the emergency room 3 nights in a row with my son who had temps. up to 106 degrees. The doctors could never find anything wrong at first and thought it was viral.

We just kept him on doses of Motrin and Tylenol (given together at the same time) and never let them wear off for the first few days. When they did wear off and the fever spiked we put him in a cool bath or took him outside in his diaper to let the cool air get to him (this was usually in the middle of the night).

After about 5-6 days we went back to his doctor and he eventually developed an ear infection. When he finally developed the infection the fever stopped. They said when the infection finally developed the fever stopped, because his body was no longer fighting the infection.

It's scary I know...hang in there.

Okay, yes - I've been through this, but I don't think my answer is going to provide you any comfort. Without going into ALL the things that happened, that I am STILL so upset about... This last spring my 3 year old son had a fever that was 105, I could get it "managed" with Ibuprofen and Tylenol - but as soon as they wore off - his fever was spiking again. I called our pediatrician and spoke to the nurse several times. At first my son had mild diarreah, then with the fevers he would vomit. (He has always been one to throw-up with high fever). SO - - long story short - the nurses kept telling me to me "tis the season" for the little ones to be sick. Keep him hydrated. It's just a virus. Well, he had horrible pneumonia. And ended up spending 2 1/2 weeks in Children's Hospital. He was SO sick, and I was trying to manage the situation from home - and they just kept telling me the same thing - hydrate him. Fevers are normal. All this began on a Wednesday, and by Monday - in the middle of the night I finally took him to the ER and insisted on help - something, anything. Hydrate him via IV - since he could keep nothing down! The fabulous ER doc said to me, "I don't think anything is really wrong, but you strike me as a very level headed mom, whose instincts are telling you that this is something bigger." Thank God he listened to me!! He is my hero, because he took me seriously and took those chest xrays - and within 30 minutes we were being transported in an ambulance to Children's Hospital. I don't say this to alarm you - but more to drive home: LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCTS! In 5 days my son deteriorated so quickly; they weren't sure if it was a bacterial infection or MRSA, or any number of scary things. My pediatric nurses had kept saying "simple virus, hang in there" I'm so glad I stopped listening to them. If your child becomes listless, or delirious and isn't sleeping. Please take her in - and make yourself heard!! Best of luck, and please keep us updated! I'm sure my story is rare, but further proof mom's instincts cannot be discounted.

K.,

My mother in law has a degree in early childhood education, and the advice she has always given me is this: if the fever in 104 or higher get thee to an ER. 104 or higher can wreak havoc with your little one's internal organs and even cause brain damage.

When my now 5 year old son was younger we took him to the ER a couple of times for sudden high fevers without hesitation. In his case it was that he had ear infections and the fever was the only symptom that manifested. The doc tried to shrug it off, but both my husband and I wouldn't leave until they told us what was wrong. I've never regretted that insistence and persistence.

At this point I wouldn't wait for Monday to roll around, and I wouldn't take no for an answer either. Something is wrong with your daughter, and they need to figure out what it is. Try to stay calm and not get hysterical, but be insistent and persistent. YOU are her superhero and need to make sure she gets the treatment she needs. Be her advocate, voice, and protector.

Otherwise give her lots of loves and cuddles and let her know that you are there if she needs you. Often when my kids are not feeling well I will let them sleep with me in bed for at least part of the night if not the whole night. I do this so that they have to comfort of Mommy right there close where they can smell me, or roll over and cuddle into me. I get crappy sleep, but it's a sacrifice I willingly make for the comfort of my kids.

Best Wishes,
Melissa

I remember when my 1 year old got Salmanella.He had a fever of 102 to 105 for over a week.We alternated between baby motrin and tylenol.I'd give him tylenol and then 3 hours later,motrin then 3 hours later more tylenol etc.On top of that he was pooping blood for days and it took 4 days for the drs to find out what was wrong.It was agonoizing. As much as youlove your pediatrician If it goes on much longer you may need other advice.We finally took our boy to Childrens Hospital in Seattle because his dr kept saying it was a nasty virus.We love his dr but we knew he had to be missing something.Oh and keep your little one hydrated.Childrens told us that what saved our boy was the fact that we followed him around with juice and pedialite constantly.Good luck

Have her tested for a UTI (urinary tract infection). My daughter ran a high fever for 6 days with the doctors saying it was just a virus and it turned out to be a UTI. She was only 6 months old. Because it took so long to diagnose, she ended up with a bit of kidney scarring. Nothing that will cause her trouble but it didnt need to happen at all.

Most doctors will do a catheter to catch the urine. It is not fun to watch but it is the cleanest way to make sure there is no other bacteria that contaminates the sample. so make sure that she is very hydrated and ready to pee when she gets there.

I was very frustrated cause she had never been sick and I knew in my heart it was not a virus. Listen to your gut and make sure you get all the tests done you think are necessary, not your doctor. (only 18% of doctors will check for a UTI when fever is present for a few days- but there are changes coming from the APA about checking for it earlier)

from another mom who has been there! I ended up changing pediatricians over this one!

I would take your daughter in and throw a fit to get some help. Be warned though, with high fevers can follow Febrile Seizures. My son had one when he was 2. It was the most horrible thing I had to go through. I wouldn't want you to go through this either. As a child that is under 2, I would definitely take her in and push the issue to get her checked out for anything else. Hope you get this issue resolved. Hug the wee one for me. :D

Now that you know it was a UTI, this is good. My daughter kept getting them. We had to stop giving her baths where there was soap left in the water. When she was still a baby we would wash her rinse her off and then let her splash in clear non-soapy water. Now that she is older we have a hand held shower she can wash herself with and she does not take baths. Sitting in the soapy/dirty water can make a UTI happen fast. Glad you were able to figure out what was wrong. It is tough not knowing.

My son is one and he too gets really high fevers whenever he's sick. The way to look at it is that at least her immune system is responding to fight the bug. As long as the fever continues to respond to medicine, no need to worry too much. good luck!

I always freak whenever my daughter gets a high fever too. I found that the best way to keep her cool is to use ROOM TEMP water (never cold or ice cold) with a wash cloth and drape it on the back of her neck and under her armpits. I just take her top off and do this, let it sit for a few minutes and then re-wet the wash cloths and put it back on. Fevers are actually good for kids because that is the bodies way of killing the virus. And little ones tend to fever alot higher than we do. I was told to put the cloths on their neck and under the arm pits because it cools off the blood that is going to their brain. Which is when fevers can be dangerous, if the blood going to their brain gets too hot. I found that after a half and hour or so of doing this, her fever will drop significantly. Especially after you've already given them so much Tylenol. I've also heard Ibuprofen is really not good to give during a fever. But I have done so to keep it under control. I usually let my daughter watch her fav. DVD or have my husband read her a story while we do this because she really doesn't like to have the cloths on her. This really works to get the fever down, I was surprised and have done it ever since I found out about it, including giving Tylonel. Supposedly if it is a really bad virus they can fever for up to 5 days. Oh the other major thing is to keep them hydrated. I usually give my daughter gatorade or popsicles. The pedialyte stuff is so gross, she won't take it. Or even 7 up is good too. Good luck and I hope your daugther feels better soon! P.S. I think the main thing with fevers is that you want to try to keep them at a more even temp, not to let them spike if possible. So as soon as you even feel their temp rising again give them more Tylenol or do the wash cloths. I think the real danger is when it spikes. I've had friends whose kids fevers spiked and their child had small seizures. Nothing detrimetal thank goodness.

Has your doctor looked into a possible Bladder Infection? My daughter was 9 months old and they said the same thing to me 2 times... I went back the third and we saw a nurse practitioner and she felt around in her belly and noticed her kind of curl up a little and she ended up having a bladder infection... which if left untreated can go to the kidneys and cause pretty bad damage. It may be something to look into.. before it goes to long. The original doctor said that they can be kind of hard to detect and was surprised that the nurse had diagnosed her so quickly. Good luck and hang in there.. there is nothing worse then having a sick baby!
Cori

While my girls were little and a high fever came about, we would take them in the car in a diaper and onesie and drive with the windows down to cool them. I know it's cold so don't do it with the windows all the way down. Of course I use the meds always. My daughter rotates the meds every 3 hours. Ask you Dr. about doing this too! Good Luck!

Dear K.: Anyone with a toddler deserves respect, admiration and a huge amount of support. It's a man's world (still) but MOMs do all the hard work.

My toddler, a million years ago, had a similar bout with a high fever. It always spiked at night when no one was around to see (feel?) it, then during the day she would be fine. This went on for several days, leaving me sleepless in Colby, Kansas where I had gone to my mother's bedside and eventually, her funeral....hence the sharp, sharp memories of those nights and days. When we went back to California, there was a rash on her tummy, a visit to the Doc told us it was Roseola....and that's how this form of baby measles works, high fever spikes, finally a rash, then all is well.

The other thing to take notice of, if no one has mentioned it...every SINGLE time my toddler got some random disease, first Roseola, then Chicken Pox, then some other thing, it was always at the same time she was having some tooth erupt in her mouth...she never cried or had any symptoms related to the teeth, just another fever and disease.

good luck, W. Hake

My son (1yr) just got over his high fever bought of four days. As you, I was worried and had taken him to our doctor.
In my case, the doctor(s) told me it was a virus my baby's body had to fight through. I was advised to NOT bring down the fever unless he became uncomfortable, and wasn't able to rest.

I trusted my gut instinct in observing my boy. As long as he interacted with those around him, was kept hydrated, and kept comfortable, and reassured he'd be o.k...we rode it through.

He's back to normal, spunky self. I hope your daughter feels better soon!

Somewhere between 1.5 years and 2.5 years, my son got sick with a fever that was that high twice. Once it last 2-3 days and the other it lasted about 4 days. Tylenol or Ibuprofen always brought it down though. One time he broke out in hives because the fever was so high and we did take him to the ER that time. They assured me that the most important thing was to just make sure the fever stayed down with Tylenol or Ibuprofen. My son did have an ear infection the the time that he had hives so if the fever continues in your baby I would make sure they check for either an ear infection or sinus infection. However, I do think some nasty viruses out there can cause high temps that last slightly longer than 3 days since it was the case with my son at least once. Hope your baby is feeling better by the time you read this message.

Ugh, dealing with the first illness is so hard and scary!

When both my kids spiked high fevers and in their cases were EXTREMELY cranky, it turned out to be roseola. I too took my daughter in twice, in one week. Well about day 3 or 4 she got a rash all over her forehead, abdomen and back. The most frustrating part of roseola is they run a fever and you think they have an infection, but turns out to be something you can't control. It is harmless, just takes about a week or so to clear up. I am definitely not a doctor, but have been through it twice. Just be on the lookout for a rash... Hang in there...

Hi K.,
Has your doctor checked for a kidney infection? My son was 18 months old when he had a high fever for a few days with no other symptoms. He ended up having a kidney infection. Of course if your daughter has symptoms of a cold, then I'm sure it's a nasty virus rather than infection. I hope she gets better soon.

R.

Did she by any chance just gets shots at her one year checkup? Some kids get a fever afterward. Either way that's a high fever and I'd get into that doctor asap on monday, three days is a long time to have a fever that high!

Hi K.,

We just went through this with our granddaughter. She also had spiking fevers, was restless, develped a rash on her trunk area and was diagnosed with Roseola (sp?). She then went straight into another virus which had fevers that would spike and only Tylenol would help her feel better. She ultimately developed an ear infection in both ears. One day they were just pink with no signs of infection (we too were at the doctors 3-4 times) and then her ear drums ruptured and drained. Scared the pants off her parents and us. Her fevers have continued on and off, even on medication, but she is mending. Her doctor said there were multiple viruses going around and she was just getting the one-two-three punch. She's 12 months old and this was the first time she's been ill.

What also scared us was the swelling of her lymph nodes on her head, neck and groin. We had blood drawn and lots of tests done, but everything came back normal. The lymph nodes can take up to 6 weeks to go down too.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Even us grandmothers get worried when our little ones are miserable and we too are uncertain what to do - when to call the doctor, when to wait, etc. If you are in doubt, call your doctor or nurse for suggestions on what to do and if your gut tells you something is really wrong, go to the doctor. A good pediatrician will gladly see you to put your mind at rest or educate you on what to do or look for. If they mind, you need to find a new doctor.

Hi K.! I remember with my first, she would spike fevers up to 104 and turned out it was teething! It doesn't seem like they should get fevers that high for teething, but I guess every child is different in how their body responds to pain. So, maybe she is teething? Or a combination of teething and a virus?

Cool sponge baths, light clothing, call the doctor because at that age a high fever is serious and should be seen by doctor, or at least consulted by a doctor. When my sister had a high fever, my mother took her to the doctor, but she had to walk a couple of blocks after parking. By the time we got to the doctor (it was winter in Seattle) the fever had cooled. You could take your daughter outside for a brief time, lightly bundled. Just some thoughts.

Homeopathic remedies are stellar in getting the body to heal/balance the reason for the fever so the fever response can go away. Other treatments only suppress the fever itself, which is dangerous to the whole body and do not cure the cause.

When suppressive methods do 'work' for fever there is unseen damage to the immune system and other areas. So you're actually fortunate that your child's vitality is still strong enough to insist on trying to help itself with this symptom, and trying to indicate there is something to cure behind it.

You can write me for help.
:)
Liz

Try to leave the thermometer in the medicine cabinet. A fever is a symptom, and not an illness. It really doesn't matter what her fever is because every child responds a little differently to each virus, and the number will not really tell you anything. As you will learn over the years, sometimes kids have a fever of 104 and run around like nothing's wrong while other times their temp will only be 99, and they act like they are dying. Try to look at her other symptoms and do what is necessary to make her feel better.

FYI... the best way to keep a fever down is to alternate Tylenol and Motrin every four hours.

And as it always goes, now that you asked for help, your daughter will probably start feeling better.

I so clearly remember the first ''real'' illness - the symptoms were different ( diahreha - yikes -- turned out to be an allergic reaction to a new food - SO scarey) . Keep your common sense firmly in hand - and how wonderful to have a pediatrician you love- that's fantastic. There is a nasty virus going around - ( aren't there always?) - Keep her fluids up as best you can- and YOURS, too-- you need to be really mindful of your own health so you can be the excellent Mommy you are-

blessings,
J.,
aka Old Mom ( mom, grandmom-who-helps-raise a 9 and a 3, AND a preschool teacher )

keep us posted, please - do want to hear how you and baby are doing

Hi K.,
My son had a high fever for 3 days when he was 10 months old. He was refusing food & liquids. I was only able to get 10-12 oz of formula in per day. Then on day 4 the fever subsided & he got pink rash all over his body. I've looked it up & it turned out he had roseola (one of the Herpes family viruses). He was so dehydrated we were close to taking him to the hospital for IV fluids. We avoided the hospital by force-feeding fluids every 1-2 hours. Just make sure your daughter gets fluids (breast milk, formula, water, juice - anything) frequently. Keep track of her wet diapers. I was also alternating Ibuprofen & Tylenol every 4 hours. This was helpful to me: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t082100.asp. Hang in there, you are probably sick with worry. Good luck!

Hi, Just be sure that she gets LOTS of fluids and don't let her get dehydrated. These can be in any form; juice pops, puddings, fruit, soups, etc. Listen closely to your intuition. If you feel that something is really not right follow up on it, maybe even getting a second opinion from another pediatrician. If you are still breastfeeding, keep it up! It will be comforting to both of you and good for her.
Best of luck with this, I know it's scary, follow your intuition.

When my daughter was 7 months old, she had this fever that I just could not get rid of. We spent almost every night for two weeks in the urgent care office. Every time they told us a nasty URI (upper respitory infection). Then one night one of the doctor's decided to run a UA on her. Turns out she a UTI and we also found out that night that she had a somewhat rare (I had never heard of it) kidney problem VUR (which is when the tubes from your kindneys to your bladder do not function properly and the urine goes back into your kidneys) so the infected urine was going back into her kidneys and inturn gave her a kidney infection as well.

So if they have not run a UA on her yet, I would ask them to just to rule it out.

When my now 9-year-old was a toddler he experienced the same thing, along with vomiting. It was a rotten few days - he couldn't keep anything down, so he became listless and droopy, and the fever stayed up there to boot! We reached a point where he didn't want to even try to drink anything, so we had to squirt a small syringe of fluid in his mouth every 20 minutes. He was gradually able to keep the fluid in, and thankfully all the symptoms started to subside. Perhaps your daughter is dehydrated, along with having a virus? Good luck to you - there's nothing scarier than when your child is ill!

My 4 year old daughter has had a fever for 72 hours. It's gotten as high as 101.7F I've given her Tylenol and it breaks it, but then she spikes again with chills in about 5-6 hours. I've brought her to the doctor twice. The first time everything was normal, and the pediatrician also checked if she had a urine infection, and that was normal. The second time I brought her to the doctor, he checked if she had the flu by doing a nasal swab, and thank God that was normal. The pediatrician said it was just a nasty virus, and he wouldn't be able to prescribe antibiotics. He told me if it last more than 5days with new symptoms to bring her back. I am counting, and continuing to give my dtr Tylenol, and of course continuing to pray for her. I hope this helps.

If the fever is going that high, I would not let the Tylenol/Ibuprofin wear off. Since they are different meds, you can alternate them so that there is always meds in her body. I know it is hard (I never sleep when my kids have fevers) but hang in there! My older son would get high fevers and we would have to give him cool baths. This is not a fun option, but you do what you have to do. Hope this helps! S.

I don't have any great advice, other than to trust your mommy instincts and do what you feel you need to do. I'm a mommy who will take my kids to the doctor a million times for the same thing and I've decided not to feel bad about it...it's your job to take care of your sweet girl. I hope she feels better soon, I'm sure everything will be ok. You're a great mommy! ~Hugs!~

hi I'm sorry to hear what you are going thru is hard but you need to be strong for you baby , what I do is giving her a bath or shower wherever you do with a warm more cold that hot until you feel the fever is gone , do it as many times she need it ...dont you let the fever goes higher that 102 please can be really dangerous.....even if she is sleeping wake her up ...I dont want to be negative but I had a family member that hight fever when she was a baby went wrong and I didnt end it to good...
sorry to tell you this I just got scared with high fevers...
I'm a mom too and I know how it feel seem them sick ...
I hope you find that answer soon
God Bless your family

It's entirely possible your child has Fifth's Disease (AKA Slapped Cheek). It's contagious in small chilren. Syptoms are high fever for 4 days. On the fifth day they get a lacy rash all over - with their cheeks getting rosy red (looks like a slapped cheek)... My son got it and noone knew why he had such a high fever. It was, and is, still the only time my son has sat quietly through a movie. *grin* I didn't give him any medicine other than lots of sugar free popsicles and fluids to keep him hydrated....

Has your baby gotten better yet? I send a prayer that she has. If not, she is probably getting tests. Let me know how that goes - I might be able to lend you some support. Our daughter had a several week period of extremely high fevers and it was a huge unfolding of unbelievable and extremely challenging life circumstances. Again, I hope your baby is doing better. K. B(also a K.)

Sorry to hear that your little one is under the weather. My son gets a high fever everytime he gets sick. He never gets little fevers its always up to 105. We just kept up with the Tylenol and Motrin and cool baths and my son did not like to drink a lot of water so we went and got caffeine and sugar free flavored seltzer so that we could keep him hydrated with clear liquid and then also did popsicles and gatorade. My son really fought us on any of the pediasure stuff and we wanted to keep him hydrated. We felt that when he was not feeling well was not the time for a struggle on what he was having as long as it was helping him.

The high fevers started with my son when he was only 5 months old and now he is 5 years old and we still use the same methods today as he still gets the really high fevers or nothing.

Hope this helps and I hope your little one is feeling better soon.