Question about fever... « Back to Group Discussions

[MamaMash]

I had an awful cold at about 4 weeks along. It came with a fever that only lasted a day, maybe 2 and got to 101.5 before I realized it and took some Tylenol to reduce it. Of course I just randomly started thinking about it and turned to google. BAD IDEA. Fevers can cause neural tube defects 😕 the only thing that is making me feel a little better is I read the neural tube development starts at 20-28 days past conception and I was only 16 days past conception when I had the fever. Should I be worried?? 😔

[CookAMH]

I personally wouldn't worry. 

[chispita]

From the pregnancy book I was reading (was looking at this the other day, since I'd been feeling sick myself):

Quote:

Both animal experiments and studies in pregnant women have shown statistical increase in spinal column abnormalities in mothers who had prolonged, elevated temperatures above 102 F (39 C) in the first trimester, especially between the third and fifth week of pregnancy [this book counts weeks from time of conception - so that would be between weeks 5 and 7 if you count from LMP]. These studies looked at women whose body temperatures were elevated from extended hot tub exposure; the up-and-down fever pattern associated with most infections is less likely to harm baby. Nevertheless, it is prudent to treat a fever aggressively.

But, from the facts that your fever was at 2 weeks gestations - before neural tube development started - and it wasn't that high of a fever, and it didn't stay high for long, I think you should be fine.

[MamaMash]

Thanks ladies! I sure hope everything is ok.