How long do you let a fever go for?

[Indadhanu]

jazz woke up yesterdeay with a fever, 38.5, I let it go to give her body some time to fight it, but she got pretty hot and irritated by it and lukewarm baths and fluids etc didn't bring it down so we gave her some paracetamol just before her first morning sleep. It brought it down and she had a good 90 minute sleep.

By lunchtime it had gone back up to 38.5, again we let her try and fight it off, but nope nothing worked again and she got herself so worked up that mid-afternoon she had another dose of paracetamol and got in another 90 minutes sleep.

At bedtime her tmp was back up to 38, but she didn't seem bothed by it so we left it, by midnight it was 39.8, she seemed to be horribley uncomfortable so paracetamol again.

She woke up at 6am fine, 36.5, happy, I thought maybe we'd seen the last of it. But by 7.30 it was back up to 38.3. She had a half hour sleep, woke up distraught, and I just gave her some paracetamol about half an hour ago...

Shes not off her food, I am trying to get her to take more milk and water so she doesnt dehydrate. Her wees and poos are good. Regular and nothing unusual. She doesnt seem to have pain when she wees. No vomiting. Shes not pulling at her ear, and neither ear is red. No rashes or redness or stiffness, not even a runny nose! She just has a fever, is irritated and clingy and is extremely hot to touch.

How long do I let this go on before I take her to a dr? Is it 48 hours? I'm just not sure, she has no other symptoms except being irritated, which is probably more of a side-effect than a co-symptom... She hasnt been in contact with anyone who is sick, I just have no idea what this could be.

[sneakysparkle]

If it has been over 38, and certainly over 39 I would say take her to a dr asap hun. Hope shes ok!

[sweetpea678]

if it goes over 39 again i would take her, but if she is happy and in the low to mid 38 see how she goes.....but if she gets realy lethargic or off her food and fluid then take her then.....my eldest had a low grade 38 to 38.5 fever when she was young for 5 days had her at doc 3 times and they did nothing except told me to give her panadol and sponge her if needed come back if got to 39

[Jahzara]

My Dr always said " anything from 39 onwards - go to Dr or Hospital "

You can never be too careful !!!

[skybie]

is she teething hun? my DD used to get a temp when her teeth were coming through.
I'd take her to the docs, he'll probably tell u to just keep doing what ur doing but its better to be safe

[SweetPea]

If it was 39 or over I would take them to the dr's or hospital if dr's weren't open. My ds1 recently had a temp of 39.3 and was showing no signs of being sick but I took up to the local medical centre just in case and it turns out he had a middle ear infection, and he wasn't pulling at his ears or anything! If the temp is going down with the panadol and then going up as it wears off for over 24 hours I would be going to the dr's, you just never know with little ones as they obviously can't tell you when they don't feel well. Hope all is ok!

[Snacks]

I'd take her, just to check the ears and the throat. If they are clear then you're already doing all you need to but at least you'll know for sure, KWIM? The other thing to do is keep her fluids up. With the fever she'll have increased risk of getting a bit dehydrated (I know you said the nappies are fine, so this is probably irrelevant but JIC!) so fluids are pretty important.
Natty had a mystery virus last year that was 4 days (and 4 horrible, horrible nights) of high temps. She was miserable too, so I kept the neurofen up to her. The Dr told me her ears were clear so there was nothing we could do but wait it out. She said if she didn't seem responsive and didn't have any "spark" to her at all, then to bring her back. (Possible dehydration.)
After 4 days she was maybe a little tiny bit snotty, but that was it! Nothing else wrong with her. Still don't know what that bug was about.
I hope Jazz is much better soon.

[Visitor8]

I always give panadol when they are uncomfortable. And definitely when it goes over 39. That is way too high.
If panadol is working keep giving it to her, and if she still has a fever after panadol then take her to the dr asap.
Chase had a febrile convulsion (sp?) so I am very careful with over 39 temps.

[*becstar*]

Hope she is better by tomorrow too The runny poos could also be from the panadol, mine usually get a bit loose in the bowels when you are giving them constant doses. GL

[*becstar*]

Seeing as you seem to be able to control it with just paracetamol I wouldn't be too worried yet. It's when the paracetamol won't help or if it's consistently around the high 38-39 I'd be off the the drs or ER. As you said all seems to be well otherwise and if she's not off her food. Not teething??

I'd give it 48 hrs then I'd take her in, don't wanna really give paracetemol end-on-end for that long without checking it I don't think.

hope she gets better soon!!

xxx

[kawazuki]

as a rule of thumb once a temp gets to 39 its straight to the dr or hospital as once babies get close to 40 there is a chance of fitting.

panadol is good, but masks alot of things and will last longer the more doses she has.

there has been alot of bugs going around with babies lately, my DD has foot hand and mouth and nothing shows up till after the high temps runny poo and vomiting then they get better andbam blisters and rash.
its great being a parent lol..

[Michelle71]

as a rule of thumb once a temp gets to 39 its straight to the dr or hospital as once babies get close to 40 there is a chance of fitting.

panadol is good, but masks alot of things and will last longer the more doses she has.

there has been alot of bugs going around with babies lately, my DD has foot hand and mouth and nothing shows up till after the high temps runny poo and vomiting then they get better andbam blisters and rash.
its great being a parent lol..

This is not quite true. The height of the fever is not the issue, it is the rate of change that can cause convulsion / fitting in those children who are sensitive. Not all babies will have febrile convulsions with high fevers (or rapidly changing ones) but a family history can make you more susceptible. The sensitive and still developing brain is unable to manage the rapid temperature change and they tend to grow out of it.

Paracetamol has a definitive half life and does not have a cumulative effect. It will not have a greater effect with additional doses. Long term use can cause liver damage so it is important to only use when required.

A fever for longer than 48 hours should be checked out for a cause and a fever at any time when you are worried should too. UTI's can be a problem in this age group too so I would suggest getting Jaz checked.

[Rachel]

Hi Leasha,

your daughter sounds like my daughter recently! Here is the info from the Royal Children's hospital in melbourne on how to treat a fever and what to do. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Hope it resolves soon and hope this may help.

FEVER IN CHILDREN
'Fever is when the temperature of the body rises to above 38?C. A normal temperature range for a child is usually up to 38?C.
Fever is a sign of infection in the body. Fever is often caused by a virus and sometimes by bacteria. Viral infections are far more common and do not need antibiotics. Antibiotics do not cure viruses. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.
A high fever does not necessarily mean your child has a serious illness. Fever itself is not harmful until it reaches 42.0?.
There is no advantage to lowering your child's fever except for comfort.
Treat your child by making them more comfortable; give clear fluids (eg. water, diluted fruit juice) and paracetamol if the fever is making your child miserable.
Fever is a way the body fights infection, and your child's temperature will return to normal when the infection has completely gone.


See your doctor if your child has the following symptoms with their fever.
Complaining of a stiff neck or light hurting their eyes.
Vomiting and refusing to drink much.
Rash.
More sleepy than usual.
Problems with breathing.
If your child is in pain.
Also see your doctor if:
Your child is under three months and has a fever.
Your child's fever is above 40?C.

Treat your child at home by making them more comfortable.

Dress your child in enough clothing so that they are not shivering.
Tepid sponging (sponging with slightly warm water) and fanning children with fevers is not recommended.
Give your child frequent small drinks of clear fluid (eg. water, diluted fruit juice or cordial). If your child is less than six months old give extra cooled boiled water, breast feeds, or bottles.
Do not worry if your child refuses to eat at this time.
Watch your child for signs that their illness is getting worse.
About paracetamol
Paracetamol is also known as Panadol, Tempra, Dymadon and Tylenol.
If your child seems well and is happy, there is no need to treat a fever with paracetamol.
If the fever is above 38.5?C and your child is miserable or has other symptoms such as a sore throat, they may be given paracetamol. Follow the correct dose on the medicine instructions.
Panadol may not make the fever go away but the aid is to make the child feel better.
Paracetamol is a common ingredient in a number of medicines for illnesses such as colds and flu. Make sure that when giving paracetamol for fever that your child has not had one of these cold and flu medicines in the last 4 hours.
Paracetamol can be given every four hours as directed on the bottle. No more than four doses should be given in each 24 hours. Do not give for more than 2 days without seeing your doctor.

Also take them to the dr if they:
- look more sick than before
- have not improved in 48 hours

Febrile convulsions
A few children can have convulsions ('a fit') when they have a fever. This may happen if your child?s temperature goes up suddenly. Sometimes a convulsion happens when parents don't actually know their child has a fever. Febrile convulsions are not common and do not usually cause any long term health effects. (it's not what the temperature is but how quickly it gets there - just thought i'd add this as there was a few references to febrile convulsions given).

[Floweryfields]

as a rule of thumb once a temp gets to 39 its straight to the dr or hospital as once babies get close to 40 there is a chance of fitting.

panadol is good, but masks alot of things and will last longer the more doses she has.

there has been alot of bugs going around with babies lately, my DD has foot hand and mouth and nothing shows up till after the high temps runny poo and vomiting then they get better andbam blisters and rash.
its great being a parent lol..

This is one of the reasons many childcare and kindys will not give panadol anylonger - it can hide the symptoms of much worse things.
That said, it would be far worse to have a child fit because of a temp, get her checked for peace of mind - the doc will probably say give her panadol!

[raindrops]

michelle71...have you ever wittnessed your baby having a fit from a high fever?
I have and its HORRIBLE. my 2 year old a FC with a temp of 40 degrees and only had a temp for a couple of hours.

and it is true that babies with high fevers are at high risk of fitting and the ambos and emergency staff will immediately try and get paracetomol and ibruprfin (for kids) into the baby. thats why we are supposed to give them panadol to get thier fever down. then address the underlying health concern of the fever.


you dont let it ride out. you try to get it down cause babies can deteriorate very quickly. you monitor them and if you are in doubt at all, go to your GP. Ed or call the ambos in an emergency.

[Michelle71]

michelle71...have you ever wittnessed your baby having a fit from a high fever?
I have and its HORRIBLE. my 2 year old a FC with a temp of 40 degrees and only had a temp for a couple of hours.

and it is true that babies with high fevers are at high risk of fitting and the ambos and emergency staff will immediately try and get paracetomol and ibruprfin (for kids) into the baby. thats why we are supposed to give them panadol to get thier fever down. then address the underlying health concern of the fever.


you dont let it ride out. you try to get it down cause babies can deteriorate very quickly. you monitor them and if you are in doubt at all, go to your GP. Ed or call the ambos in an emergency.

Raindrops - I am one of those emergency staff. I have witnessed (and managed) many febrile convulsions. I am not saying not to treat the fever. What I said was the height of the fever is not the reason for the febrile convulsions - it is the rate of change of the temperature. As for the management of fever - there are a number of conflicting opinions on when to give paracetamol / ibuprofen. Even within health professionals there is debate on when to give medication but the fever is a positive indication the body is working to fight the infection or virus. I can find references for you on febrile convulsions and treatment of fevers if you like.

As a parent you need to do whatever makes you feel comfortable to manage fever in your child. However, the misconceptions about febrile convulsions also need to be addressed. Personally, I don't give paracetamol / ibuprofen until the fever exceeds 39 degrees but that is my personal management and not one I would suggest to others.

[Indadhanu]

Hi all, thanks for the info/discussion. Took Jazz to the dr, nothng visibley wrong, no ear, throat, urainry infection, still got the temps but didnt need paracetamol overnight. Dr reckons just a virus.

Thanks Michelle, I am a bit like you, I generally like to see if the temp will go down on its own, but definately give panadol at the 39ish mark, or if its consistently higher than 38 and making her really uncomfy. Thats what my GP told me anyway? Better to let them try to fight it, he said that fevers are important