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101.7 fever ?!

post #1 of 8
7/5/05 at 9:58pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all,
I am getting quite worried about my DS. He has had a fever for the last 48 hours. It goes down with motrin, but then pops right back up 4 hours later to a range of 100 to its current high, 101.7 F. DS is very clingy and cranky, but no other symptoms of any illness or teething. I am afraid to call the ped. answering service, cus they tend to say "Go to the ER" for every little thing, and i cant afford another ER copay. The national nurse line never calls me back. I am exhausted and concerned.
He is having trouble sleeping and is very very clingy. What could this be?
Should i just keep on the Motrin until it breaks? he is very hot to to touch, so i decided to not let the fever break on its own. DS seems miserable when the fever spikes back up. Poor baby

Lisa

PS to Mods - sorry if this is in the wrong forum. Please move if needed.
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post #2 of 8
7/5/05 at 10:48pm
Doesn't your ped service have a doc call you back? Mine does, all the answering service does is take your #. I have a feeling I know what mine would say "alternate if you want every 3 hours Motrin and Tylenol, call us if it's still coming back in the morning and we will get you in." (You can do the alternating like that because it's 2 different meds, and sometimes that works better than either one alone, you could try that...)
That's what they said to me with Z's first fever and it was 102.8 But it also wasn't going away and coming back at that point. They said if I couldn't get it down to call in the AM and they would see him.
My friend's baby's fever was 103-something at 2 months old and they told her to watch him at home and if it didn't go down in a couple hours w/Motrin to take him to the ER. (you usually wouldn't give motrin to a 2 mo old, but because of the high fever, they said to.)

I basically consider your ds's fever to be 102, and that's the point where I would start using some Tylenol/Motrin too. There may be something to leaving the fever alone to do its germ-killing job, but 102 is where my comfort zone ends for that. I definently used Tylenol for DS when he was 103. I left him alone at between 100-101 other than a bath.


Have you tried a lukewarm bath? That might help too.

Other than that, I would see what it does tonight. If it goes up despite the meds, I would take him to the ER. Ditto for any unconsolable screaming, extreme vomiting/diarrhea, if he appears dehydrated at all. Other than that, I would wait till in the AM and call for a dr's appt.

Good luck! Hope he feels better soon!!
post #3 of 8
7/5/05 at 10:50pm
Are there any other symptoms?? My ds had a fever last week up to 102.7. I was a bit nervous but I just kept nursing him and keeping an eye on him. He was a bit cranky but showed no other symptoms other than gas. It went away within 48 hours however. I alternated tylenol/motrin and then did nothing. If your infant becomes lethargic at any point, I would probably give the ped a call. You don't have to go to the ER. Can you visit their office tomorrow?? If there are no other symptoms, they may want a urine or blood count so be prepared for what you are willing to do. For us, it turned out to be nothing.... probably just a viral illness!

We must have cross-posted. Good luck. Keep us updated. I know fevers can be worrisome! I'll check in again to see how you are doing!
post #4 of 8
7/5/05 at 11:35pm
Stay calm...that's first. You're right to be concerned, because his behaviour indicates that he really is fighting off something, not just 'teething' as the story can go.

The book I've used tons for my kids is called 'How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor". It says that a fever in children 9 - 24 months is very common, because their bodies are usually still getting some help fighting off disease from mom's milk. The fever should be left un-treated until 102.5 - 103. At that temp (or maybe a bit before or after, depending on your babe) children generally show signs of discomfort, such as flushed cheeks and lack of energy. Use cold towels (put them into a clean garbage bag and pop them into the freezer) and exchange them often. Lukewarm baths, as mentioned pp. As a last resort, homeopathic or otc fever meds can help reduce the fever. HOWEVER - the fever is DOING something useful, and reducing it isn't helping kill off the infection (usually viral, docs can't really help, but once it's in their hands, you have to TELL them if you only want help if they can identify it as a bacterial or fungal infection). So use the drugs sparingly.

Clingy behaviour is ok and normal for a sick child, especially one who hasn't experienced illness within their own memory. Nurse a lot or push fluids if you're not nursing. Cuddle and snoozle and get them to sleep as much as possible. Save the meds for nighttime, if you're going to give them, when it's hardest to sleep. They do get miserable when the fever is high, but as long as they don't get too zoned out, it's really ok to let them fight off the illness. Stay close, read books, listen to music, watch a vid. Illness, according to Rahima Baldwin (you are your child's first teacher author) is a time of exceptional learning and growth, partly because you DO spend so much time together.

Just for comfort, I had my daughter at about 16 months with a fever that ranged from 101 to 105 for 5 days before going to the doctor. I wanted to rule out some serious illnesses, but otherwise we were fine. It takes a lot of love, time, and attention to avoid intervention. That's why everyone ELSE goes there so quickly!

Hang in there mama! Sounds like he's going to be A-OK. Healthy Vibes... andy
post #5 of 8
7/5/05 at 11:43pm
In a baby or young child that is not a high fever. I wouldn't worry until 103 unless the child was acting very sick. I also would NOT give fever reducers. The fever needs to do its job and fight off whatever is going on.



-Angela
post #6 of 8
7/5/05 at 11:58pm
Ditto the moms who say don't try to reduce the fever til it goes up. Fever is not pathological, but a sign that the body is functioning as it's supposed to. If you go to the hospital, the first thing they will do is give him an alcohol bath, then try to reduce the fever with Tylenol or some such. Nothing you can't do at home. I know it's not easy, but try to relax, mama. Just keep nursing.
post #7 of 8
7/6/05 at 12:02am
Quote:
In a baby or young child that is not a high fever. I wouldn't worry until 103 unless the child was acting very sick. I also would NOT give fever reducers. The fever needs to do its job and fight off whatever is going on.
Fever is good- it is an indicator that the baby's immune system is functioning as it should! Sometimes Niall gets a fever in the evening for no apparent reason, and wakes up without one- it's like the fever just burns out whatever is attacking him.

If he seems more comfortable after having a bit of fever reducer, use your judgment. If you can maintain where he's at with the higher fever, let it run its course.

Above all else, trust your instincts. If you feel like he should be seen, then take him in. If you are feeling fearful of the fever, try letting it go on for a while and see what happens. You can always call the consulting nurse- they're usually pretty good about helping out over the phone with things to look for that might be warning signs, and at least you'll have the opportunity to ask those questions. It might ease your mind.
post #8 of 8
8/8/05 at 10:53pm
My 10 mos old ds has a 102.7 under the arm temp. He has been super clingy inarms and refusing food and nursing all day. All my instincts tell me to let him go through it but it is so hard when you are over-tired and on-demand 24/7. I have his well dr visit in the morning so this should be interesting. This thread helped calm me down a lot.