first fever and first real sickness - need some reassurance from experienced mamas!

[sunwise]

Hi all,

my DS (7.5 months) is currently having his first fever and the first sickness he's ever had that's really made him significantly cranky during the day and night. I think this is all part of a cold, because his symptoms started with a slight cough last Thursday - now he has a mucousy cough and a runny nose. He got feverish on Friday night and has had some kind of a fever ever since (usually under 101 in the morning, but it has gotten up to 103.6 in the evening. I don't know if it's gotten higher because I am only willing to take a rectal temp a few times a day!). The fever is what really bothers me - I'd be ok dealing with the cold if I weren't so worried about the fever! He's been nursing ok, but his sleep is horrible (won't nurse down like he usually does, wants to sleep with a paci but starts wailing if it falls out of his mouth, waking every 30 minutes or so unless we are holding him, etc.).

Can anyone tell me if these symptoms are common? Have any of your LOs had fevers that spiked so high in the evenings for several days straight? I don't want to over-react to this sickness - I just feel horrible because he feels bad and there's not much I can do to help. (We have been treating the fever when it is high or when he is fussy - that usually means he gets about 2-3 doses of medication per day, either acetiminophen or ibuprofen. I also worry because I don't like giving him meds for this many days in a row!)

I am going to take him in to see his pediatrician today just to make sure there isn't anything more serious than a cold. But in the meantime, can any other mamas out there give me some reassurance? I just want my happy, smiling baby back!

[KempsMama]

With the length and duration of the higher fever in the evening I would get him checked out to rule out an ear infection. 

[desertgirl01]

I'm glad you're getting him checked out today.  It's probably nothing but a cold, though the fever has been lingering (which would also concern me) and he may have an ear infection or something else that may need to be treated.   Poor babe, hope he's feeling better soon! 

[rlee*]

here is a good article about fevers

http://drtenpenny.com/fever.aspx

[rlee*]

also check out this article from mothering from a while ago about fevers and illness in children

http://mothering.com/health/healing-crisis-dont-worry-mom-im-just-growing

[Chicky2]

The fever itself doesn't worry me, but the fact that he's waking so often and wanting to suck more does indicate that he might have an ear infection.  I would start garlic oil immediately (just take a clove of garlic and slightly crush it and remove the skin and then put it in olive oil in a pan for about 30 seconds--you don't want it to burn--then cool and put in his ear.  You want it warm when you put it in--I let it cool and then warm the back of a metal spoon under warm water.  put the oil in that and then quickly into his ear before it cools..Do NOT put it in while it's hot!).  Anytime my kids have been sick w/mucous I do garlic oil to prevent.  Also, I'd invest in an otoscope.  You can get one for $60 or so.  Take it to your ped. and ask her/him to show you how to use it.  Also look into your partner's ear or a friend to see what a healthy one looks like.  Baby's ear can look somewhat red if he's crying.  Try sleeping him at an incline (if he's in a crib, elevate the head by putting a book or towel under the mattress).  When my kids had an ear infection, we weren't sleeping unless Baby was in a ring sling and we were in my recliner.

I wanted to add a bit about fever patterns here.  A typical fever pattern for a virus:  fever will be at its worst in the morning and the evening.  A typical fever patterns for a bacterial infection is that the fever will be pretty constant and consistent.  This of course does not always apply to every case.  Just most of them.  A viral ear infection *can* end up a bacterial one if not assisted.  Antibiotics will not help a viral infection, but may be necessary for a bacterial one.  About mucous:  mucous that is green or yellow upon waking doesn't indicate an infection.  That just means that it sat in the back of the nasal passages/throat long enough to grow some stuff.  If it is still yellow/green after several hours up and awake it *could* be an infection.  Ear infections are really common after a cold w/mucous.  They almost always come after most of the other symptoms are gone/on their way out.

And yes, I've had kids run fevers for quite awhile (a week).  Kids run fevers more easily than adults because their little bodies usually work well!  Fevers are a good thing!  I've even seen a fever as high as 104 w/teething and ped. said that was normal as long as it comes down w/Tylenol, which I do give if they are that high and/or kid seems miserable.

[sunwise]

Well, I do have an update - it's not an ear infection, it is actually pneumonia! I cannot believe it. They did confirm it on a chest x- ray though. They gave him a shot of antibiotics today and we go back in 24 hours for a checkup and another shot of antibiotics. We also got a nebulizer to use on him.

The poor guy hasn't nursed much today, although he did eagerly latch on after his shot and ate until I unlatched him so we could go home. I tried to nurse him once we got home, but he just fell asleep in my lap. I'm hoping he responds to the antibiotics and starts to feel better soon.

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!  That's awful.  I hope he feels better soon.

[sunwise]

Hi all - thought I would give another update. DS is actually doing MUCH better now. His pneumonia was in the early stages when they caught it and has responded very well to treatment. After his first shot of antibiotics on Tuesday, we took him in for a follow-up the next day. They could hardly hear anything in his lungs anymore at that time (yea!), and he only had a tiny bit of wheezing left. They actually decided not to give him a second shot of antibiotics because he responded so well to the first.

By Wednesday morning , his fever was also down into the low-grade territory (under 100) and he was playing and acting like his normal self. By Thursday, the fever was definitely gone and he was breathing like a normal (albeit congested) baby again. He is still fussy in the mornings - I think it's because he wakes up with a lot of mucus and needs to cough, but he perks up after he works that out.

Our continued treatment is a nebulizer 3-4 times a day (we are supposed to do every 4 hours, but only when he is awake. We won't give it overnight, and some days we've only managed to do the neb 3 times because it is a two-person job, and sometimes only one of us is home). We will do every 4 hours until his wheezing is gone, then 3 times/day until his cough goes away. He really hates the neb, and I hate doing it - the CPNP who diagnosed him wasn't even going to make us do it, but then our regular ped stopped in and told her to give us the neb anyway. Sigh. He is also on oral antibiotics for 10 days to knock out the rest of the pneumonia. (He also hates taking that! - so all these treatments basically feel like torture to all of us.) The antibiotics are also causing diarrhea, so on the advice of my pharmacist I got him some probiotics that you mix into food. I am going to try to give him some today, which will be a test since we are doing BLW and I've never tried to feed him before! :)

Now I just caught the cold that gave him pneumonia, and I feel pretty crappy myself. But at least we all have several days at home to recover. On Monday, it will likely be back to daycare for him and back to work for me!

[Chicky2]

Awww, poor li'l guy!  Take care of yourself, Mama!