what constitutes a fever?

[juleswa]

Hi Guys,

I'm trying to find out what a 'normal' temp range is for a baby. My DS os 3.5 months old, and I can't seem to find any concrete info on what a normal temp is.

He's got a rash around his cheeks going under his chin and onto his chest - don't know if it's a dribble rash and possibly part of teething? just took his temp and it's 37.4. Is this high ir ok do you think?

thanks

Jules

[Ozziehoffy]

37.4 is a little high. Not a fever, but is a temp. Oskar's normal temp is 35.7 or 35.8 so anything above 36.2 for him I keep track of as he tends to get throat infections. I'd give your DS some panadol and keep it up even if his temp comes down a bit cos they go up and down spiking every few hours or so. Hope he is ok.

[shellbell3]

37.4 isn't really a concern, over 37 is getting on the higher side. If he seems unhappy you can offer panadol.

[Schmickers]

For little babies, a normal temperature is between 36.5 and 37.5.

Once they get older, they usually stay around 37 or below.

A fever is 38 degrees or higher. Fever is almost always caused by infection. Over-wrapping or too many blankets might bring a temperature above 37, but only an infection will bring it above 38 degrees.

As long as his temperature remains below 38 degrees, I wouldn't worry. And even if he does get a fever, as long as he is behaving normally, try not to worry too much. Fevers by themselves won't hurt babies or children.

[krysalyss]

Fevers by themselves won't hurt babies or children

Really? I was under the impression that high fevers (say above 40) cause seizures and potentially organ damage. I remember the seizures from a fever happening with a bub orangutan and would have thought it would be very similar to a human bub? But I am not a vet so may remember it incorrectly.

[krysalyss]

Just googled it (for others info not Michael's LOL) and saw that seizures may result from high fever but they don't cause long-term damage and fevers do not cause organ damage. So that clears it up for me.

[Schmickers]

Prolonged fevers above 42 degrees in humans can cause damage to organs, but the human brain is designed not to let temperatures go that high. Only in rare cases where children have some sort of brain disorder or damage will they get temperatures that high. In all other cases, the brain regulates temperature and will assist in reducing it before any kind of damage can occur.

It is also worth noting that febrile convulsions (seizures or fits) are rare, and actually occur as a result of a sudden increase in temperature, as opposed to a consistently high one. Which means, if you check your little one's temperature and it is already 40, then you have probably made it through the danger period for a convulsion. Children can have febrile convulsions at 39 or even 38 degrees, if they are prone to them, especially if they have jumped up from 35 or 36 degrees over a short period of time.

No one really knows why we get fevers; it used to be viewed as a negative side effect of an infection that had to be controlled, but we now know that in itself, fever is not harmful, and certainly not as harmful as overdoses or prolonged of anti-fever medications such as panadol or nurofen; and that it may even have a benefit, in that some parts of the immune system work better at a higher than normal temperature, and most infections don't function as well at a higher temperature.