My son has been acting irratible and more fussy than his usual self over the last 3-4 days. Just tonite he started running a low grade fever (99.9). I have him an appointment with the doc tomorrow, but I am concerned his fever will go up over night. He's been really fussy, he actually wants me to hold him (he usually is too active to want to be held), and he's been reaching around the right side of his head. His temp was 99.4 an hour and a half ago and when I last took it, half an hour ago, it's up to 99.9. I gave him some motrin right before I layed him down for bed and dressed him lightly for bed and covered him with a lighter fleece blanket. Do you think his fever will go up over night or will the motrin work? I hate to see him feel bad.
2007-01-11 13:26:43 · 9 answers · asked by d4cav_dragoons_wife84 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
By fussy I mean he is crying more, like he truly doesn't feel well. He's also had a little bit of a runny nose and sneezing some.
2007-01-11 13:36:07 · update #1
Motrin usually works better than Tylenol to control fever and it lasts longer.
However, unless a child is really miserable, many pediatricians recommend not even treating a fever under 102 (as long as your child is older than six months).
And a fever of up to 105 can be safely monitored and treated at home until you can consult with a doctor.
You have the right instincts:
Give Motrin or Tylenol. If the fever doesn't seem to be coming down, you can give a dose of Tylenol and Motrin together, or alternate them (Tylenol at 12, Motrin at 3, Tylenol at 6, etc.) until you get it under control. Remember that Tylenol/Motrin will not bring a temperature completely down to normal unless it was a very low-grade fever in the first place.
Offer plenty of fluids. Popsicles, Jell-o, etc., may be good options if your child isn't interested in drinking. (But don't make your child drink Pedialyte unless he/she likes it. Have you tasted the stuff? It's gross. And in most cases water is sufficient. Or you can give small quantities of Gatorade or some other sports drink.
Dress your child lightly, in layers, so you can make him comfortable if he's chilled, but strip him down when he's roasting.
And if you need to get the temperature down quickly, put your son in the tub, in a few inches of warm (not cold! you don't want to induce shivering) water and make sure you get his head wet.
A cool cloth on the forehead or the back of the neck might help, too.
Beyond that, there's not much you can do besides offer lots of love.
If he has an ear infection, the Motrin/Tylenol will help control the pain and the temperature. (And there's no problem with waiting to have it seen; the AAP now recommends "watchful waiting" for most ear infections, since many will clear on their own, without the use of antibiotics.) The other common cause for a high fever (which you are NOT describing) is a virus. And there's not much you can do for that besides the above to try and keep your baby comfy while his body fights off the infection.
If you ever suspect that a high fever is accompanied by a stiff neck or a severe headache, all the bets are off and you should call the Nurseline or your pediatrician-on-call right away to have the situation assessed.
2007-01-11 13:42:19 · answer #1 · answered by Yarro Pilz 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pay attention to his ears, see if he is pulling on them. It's possible he may have an ear infection. My son has had 2 and sometimes it does take a while for the fever to go away. Motrin is a very good choice. It works better than Tylenol. It will kock the fever down, but if it is an ear infection, it will come back. Give another dose of Motrin at the recommended times and that will keep his fever down until the doctor can determine what the problem is. Usually a fever means some sort of infection or he could just have a cold.
2007-01-11 21:40:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
His fever will likely go down with the help of the motrin within the next hour (1.5 - 2 hours after you have given him the motrin). Do not give him a bath or over-dress him which can give you false results when taking his temperature. If he allows you, put a cool compress on his head. Give him as much as he wants to drink and make sure the drink is cold.
If you HAVE to give him a bath, you are really only suppose to wipe him down.
From your description, sounds like he could possibly have an ear infection :-( And as you likely know, that is very common in children under 2.
And remember, infants normal body temperature is 99.
Relax, take a deep breath and comfort him. I am sure he will be fine.
2007-01-11 21:56:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A low grade fever is good! That means that your babies body has an infection or virus. When someone gets a fever it is making the body an unpleasant for the infection or virus helping the body to push it out. I would just watch him, check up on him a few times during the night to make sure that the fever doesn't go to high. Seriously 99.9 is a very low fever. If it gets to 103 I would call the Doctor and bring the baby to th ER. Good luck!!
2007-01-11 21:36:47 · answer #4 · answered by Charity D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My son is the same age with the exact same thing right now and hè`s really crabby,I find that tempra or tylenol is better at controling fevers and chances are the fever will go up in the night they always do for some reason! Just give him another dose in the night and keep him warm so he doesn`t get a chill and he will be fine.
2007-01-11 21:42:17 · answer #5 · answered by Erin W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, my baby is only 4 months so he's not taking medicine at this moment. But i've heard motrin is good for babies or tynenol for infants is good. Just keep comforting him and play with him. Also make sure if there are any other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea. Hopefully, he's not coming down with a virus. But see what the doctor says.
2007-01-11 21:35:41 · answer #6 · answered by Natasha O 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You say that he is reaching for the side of his head, he may have an ear infection. Fevers usually go up at night and in the morning. You could dampen some wash clothes so that they are cool (not ice cold) and wrap them around his calves. Other than that the only thing you could do is take him to the ER.
2007-01-11 21:36:49 · answer #7 · answered by suz' 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Pediatrician right away.
Low grade fevers are very dangerous.
I can't tell you what happened to my friend's previous grandaughter,
need I say more. They picked her up when daycare called immediately, but didn't take her to the hospital right away.
GOD bless
2007-01-11 21:37:42 · answer #8 · answered by May I help You? 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
give him motrin, i would think he has an ear infection
2007-01-11 21:34:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋