What is a high temperature for a three year old?

Answer 1

Depends on the situation and how you are checking the temp (mouth, ear, armpit or bottom). Does the child have a known illness, such as an ear infection, sore throat or cold? A fever is the body responding to an infection and it is an appropriate response (the body is doing what it is supposed to) to fight off an illness. If your child has been diagnosed with a bacterial infection and placed on an antibiotic, it will take several days for the medicine to kick in and in the meantime, the body will keep spiking fevers to fight off the bug.

A viral infection is not treated by an antibiotic and the body just needs time, rest and hydration to fight it off on its own. The point of all this is to reassure you not to be too alarmed by a temp. The problem occurs when you can't get it to come down.

If the fever is over 102.5 and the child has had no tylenol or motrin in the last six hours, give them both (age/weight appropriate doses) at the same time ONCE. Also, if the temp is over 102.5, you give double the dose of MOTRIN. This is safe, as you cannot overdose on motrin - it will upset your stomach but it is not metabolized in the liver like tylenol, which is why too much tylenol can be dangerous, even deadly.

You can also place the child in a "tepid" bath, which is not hot and not cold but lukewarm. Use a washcloth and squeeze water all over the child, including the head (the head is easiest place for heat to dissipate and water helps) for at least 15 minutes. Your ill feeling child will mostly not like it, but it will help. An hour later, recheck the temp and if it has not gone down you can call your pediatrician (answering service if after hours) or your local ER. Our ER will not give medical advice over the phone (as it is against the law) but it will connect you to or page your pediatrician.

If the child has not been recently diagnosed with some sort of illness, it is a good idea to go to the doctor to find a source or to rule out the ears and strep throat. If you have a known infection, treat the temp with tylenol and motrin. You can alternate the two every three hours and give the motrin and tylenol together the first time, as stated above, if no medicine has been given in the past six hours. Three hours later it the temp continues, give motrin, three hours later if temp continues, give tylenol so something is in the system and peaking every three hours.

Most of all, trust your instincts. You know your child. If he/she is lethargic or floppy, difficult to arouse or not making urine or doing anything else that alarms you, just go to the ER.

In my mommy opinion, if the temp was over 102.5 does not go down at all or goes up an hour after the tylenol, motrin and tepid bath, and you don't have known illness, I would call the doctor or just go to the ER.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Call your doctor or healthcare provider if your child:

Is younger than 6 months and has a fever
Is older than 6 months and has a fever of 102° F or higher
Is younger than 2 years and has a fever for more than 12 hours
Is older than 2 years and has a fever that lasts longer than 2-3 days.

From childrens hosptial in boston. If the kid is hitting 104 you need to go to the doctor now. Thats when your brains starts to cook.

By the way its not just a matter of getting it down. Its also a matter of finding out if there is some sort of runaway bacterial infection. The sooner you start treating infection if it is bacterial the better.

Answer 3

Anything over 101 degrees...call your doctor and he'll tell you what to do. Hey and I had my first 104 degree temperature when I was two weeks old (stupid nurse!) and i turned out fine (but yes if your child has a fever that high, take them to the hospital right away).

Answer 4

100 - 101 above this point get your child to a physician or medical services a.s.a.p. for diagnosis and/or treatment it may be wise to see how quickly the temperature rises. however anything above 101 can cause other problems and damage. it's quite common for children to have a raised temperature occasionally as their immune systems kick into gear. their immune system is still in developement, and won't mature enough until they are about 12 yrs old.

Answer 5

It really depends on the child, My daughter ran temps of close to 104 - 105 and my doctors said that was ok for her, because she was a hot baby. It scared me because I heard at 108 your body shuts down. If you take the temp under the arm it is going to be slightly higher, but I would say anything over 101 to call. I did my sons under his arm and it always comes out 100.3. My daughters is 100.9 normally.

Answer 6

anything temp over 100 is high, if its over 104 you should get to a doctor. the higher the temperature the more prone to infections.

Answer 7

Anything over 101 they should not be at school ( daycare) but once it gets higher than that you should probably get them to a Dr pretty quickly. Sometimes kids do get high fevers and they are ok but other times it can be serious.

Answer 8

As a nanny, I would say anything over 101 is something to pay attention to...over 102 or 102.5 is high

Answer 9

Anything above 100 is cause for worry. But try to bring it down yourself before going to the e.r. trust me they are not going to do anything you can't do at home. Get tylenol and motrin. Do the dosage accordingly but change one and then the other, that is what they do at the e.r. Also wet washcloths and put them on his/her brow. It helps.

Answer 10

100 and above. If it is 103 or higher he or she needs to go to the emergency room.