My two-year old baby has a temperature of 103 degrees ...?

Question

My question is now, what to do next? Should I go to the Hospital? Give her a cool bath? Continue to douse her with Children's Tylenol? What's your suggestion? A prompt answer would be much appreciated?

Answer 1

Call your pediatrician- there should always be a doctor on call to help. They will ask you other questions to make sure you don't need to take your child to the hospital ER.

Answer 2

Put a cool wash cloth on her abdomen and head. NO COOL BATH!
Call doc.

If temp starts going down, ok, if it goes up. May need to take to ER.

DO NOT use alcohol! It can be absorbed by skin! Can be very harmful. Call ER and ask. DO NOT listen to these people, will hurt your baby.


How Can I Make My Child Feel Better?
Again, not all fevers need to be treated. And, in most cases, a fever should be treated only if it's causing your child discomfort. Here are some things you can do to alleviate the symptoms that often accompany a fever:

If your child is fussy or appears uncomfortable, you can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen based on the package recommendations for age or weight. If you don't know the recommended dose or your child is younger than 2 years, call your child's doctor to find out how much you should give. Remember that fever medication will usually temporarily bring a temperature down, but it will not return it to normal - and it won't treat the underlying reason for the fever. (Never give aspirin to a child under 12 due to its association with Reye syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.)
Give your child a sponge bath to make him or her more comfortable and help bring the fever down. Use only lukewarm water; cool water may cause shivering, which actually raises body temperature. Never use rubbing alcohol (it can cause poisoning when absorbed through the skin) or ice packs/cold baths (they can cause chills that may raise body temperature).
Dress your child in lightweight clothing and cover him or her with a light sheet or blanket. Overdressing and overbundling can prevent body heat from escaping and can cause a temperature to rise.
Make sure your child's room is a comfortable temperature - not too hot or too cold.
Offer your child plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration - a fever will cause a child to lose fluids more rapidly. Water, soup, ice pops, and flavored gelatin are all good choices. Avoid drinks containing caffeine, including colas and tea, because they can cause your child to pee more.
If your baby or child also has vomiting and/or diarrhea, ask your child's doctor if you should give him or her an electrolyte (rehydration) solution made especially for children. You can find these solutions at pharmacies and supermarkets. Don't offer sports drinks - they're not designed for younger children, and the added sugars may make diarrhea worse. Also, limit your child's intake of fruits and apple juice.
In general, let your child eat what he or she wants (in reasonable amounts) but don't force eating if your child doesn't feel like it.
Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. Staying in bed all day isn't necessary, but a sick child should take it easy.
It's best to keep your child home from school or child care if he or she has a fever. Most doctors feel that it's safe to return when temperature has been normal for 24 hours.
When Should I Call My Child's Doctor?
The exact temperature that should trigger a call to the doctor depends on the age of the child, the illness, and whether the child has other symptoms with the fever.

Call your child's doctor if you have an:

infant younger than 3 months with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius)
older child with a temperature of higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius)
If an older child has a fever of less than 104 degrees, call the doctor if the child also:

refuses fluids or seems too ill to drink adequately
has persistent diarrhea or repeated vomiting
has any signs of dehydration
has a specific complaint (i.e., sore throat or earache)
still has a fever after 24 hours in a child younger than 2 years or 72 hours in a child 2 years or older
has recurrent fevers, even if they only last a few hours each night
Seek emergency care if your child shows any of the following signs along with a fever:

inconsolable crying for several hours
extreme irritability
lethargy and difficulty waking
rash or purple spots that look like bruises on the skin (that were not there before the child got sick)
blue lips, tongue, and nails
infant's soft spot on the head seems to be bulging outward
stiff neck
severe headache
limpness and refusal to move
difficulty breathing that doesn't get better when the nose is cleared
leaning forward and drooling
seizure

Answer 3

I would call the DR and ask him but I also don't give meds until temp is 103 so I may not be able to help. You see a fever is a natural way for the body to rid itself from infection or viruses. Usually the fever comes with viruses with my children and the only way to fight them off is by letting the fever run it's course. If and when the fever raises past 103 i give a little motrin and watch it. (take temp every 30 mins) if it continues to raise then i contact the dr and see what they say.

I lay with them and snuggle them and understand that they don't feel good. I give them plenty of water, pedilite ect. and when the mrning come I would take the child in to have an exam to make sure it isn't an infection.

good luck.

Answer 4

Call your pediatrician ASAP! Usually he/she will ask you how long the fever has lasted, if it goes down after taking the Tylenol, and if she is eating/drinking and if she seems more lethargic (tired) than usual. A cool bath couldn't hurt, or patting damp cool towels on her head and on her back (just make sure she doesn't get a chill). If you feel that she should go to the ER - just go. You wouldn't be the first mom to do so, even if it ended up being an overreaction. Hope she feels better soon!

Answer 5

Honey, right now go and run a LUKEWARM bath for your child and dunk her in. Get her in there and just bathe her with the water till her fever goes down.

Make sure while she's sitting there that you give her some Motrin or Tylenol and continue to monitor her fever till it stays down for the night.

Call the doc in the morning, she's got an infection, most likely an ear infection.

Answer 6

no need to give a cool bath or go to the hospital. give childrens tylenol and wait an hour. if the temperature is the same go to hospital. my 8 month old had temp of 105 and all they gave him was childrens tylenol and the temp went down fast. no worries!!!

ya and no alcohol!!!!!!

Answer 7

Have you given her the tylenol?
If so, has it changed any (might take up to 30 minutes).
If there is no change after the tylenol, I would consider the cool bath to see if you can reduce the fever, if not then definitely take her to a dr's or call the on-call dr.

Answer 8

Tylenol is good! A bath in alcohol--cool water Get her to the Dr. in the morning... Mayhaps she will only catch something much worse in the Emergency room!!

Answer 9

I'd say Dr. But they told me that you can alternate Tylenol and Motrin or Advil. It can be given every two hours. I found that Advil fever works well. Try cool rags under armpits and on head

Answer 10

Go to the hospital