Toddler has 103.8 Temperature.?

Question

My son is 2.5 years old and he has a temperature of 103.8 with no other symptoms. I called the doctor just waiting on a return call i figured i would see if anyone has any ideas what it could be.

Answer 1

When i saw all the answers i wasnt going to respond until I began to read them. At 2 and a half years of age many doctors will not freak at a fever below 104, in fact most advice nurses will tell you just to give the child motrin as it "shocks' the system and gets high fevers down faster than tylenol. you use the motrin to get it down and use tylenol 4-6 hours later (if necesary) to regulate it. And to use a sponge bath or put him in a tub with lukewarm water to cool him off, then bring him into the ER if it rises above 104. So the idiots screaming at you are trying to be helpful but in fact are probably panicking you unnecesarily. It is 105 at which your brain has seizures and enzymes break down etc. I have 4 children and have gone through this MULTIPLE times. Including the first time my first daughter had a 103.7 fever and the advice nurse said not to come in to the ER unless it reached 104.4 and I freaked and took my daughter in anyway and they SENT ME HOME. apparently the advice nurse station connects to the ER. so never call the advice nurse in cases like this if you plan on ignoring their advice. Good luck with your son. I hope he feels better soon.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Running a temperature is one of the human body's responses to an infection of some type... Most bacteria and viruses are very sensitive to temperature changes and don't do too well at high temps...100 degrees is not a problem... In fact temperatures up to 103 for a short time will not cause any damage and may hasten the bugs departure... If the temperature goes to 104, call the Dr. If your child develops any loss of consciousness, delirium or has a convulsion, go to the ER immediately... Your child will be miserable Motrin is a good choice of pain reliever fever reducer but in my opinion letting a fever run it's course is a good course of action. Also do not use cold packs to try to reduce the fever... It will only cause your child to shiver and be more miserable... Motrin, and lots of fluids is the best treatment...

Answer 4

Don't hold him. your body temp will keep his fever up.
strip him down to his diaper or underwear and apply Cool washcloths to his forehead, armpits, and feet. rinse and replace them often because they will get warm pretty quickly from his hot skin. (Don't use ice or Cold water...it's unnecessary and very uncomfortable) Children's Tylenol would be a good idea if he hasn't had any in the last 4 hours.

Anything could be going on right now....but, for certain, it is a virus or bacterial infection. If you're lucky, it'll be bacterial and they can treat it with antibiotics. Viruses you'll have to ride out with fluids, rest, and fever management.

Just remember, tylenol and advil suppress the fever....but the underlying cause will still be there. So, good move calling your doc. I'm sure they'll want to see him.
Hope he's feeling better soon.

Answer 5

probably just a virus, i took my son to the ER for a 103 fever and they sent us home, went back the next day for a fever of 105 and they finally ran tests. they say its not serious unless it goes above 105. They also say go by to the way your son acts more then the temp he has, he acts fine then you can wait it out at home, if he is fussy, lethargic, sleeping alot then he should be seen. Give him some ibuprofen right now and see what that does. If that doesnt bring it down, then take him in. When my son was in the ER, the fever reducers werent helping. Can him hydrated though. Best of luck.

Answer 6

103.8 Fever In Toddler

Answer 7

Could be a flu, could be teething, could be lots of things.

Most important - get his temp down fast.

Give him some Children's Tylenol or Motrin, then strip him down and wipe him all over with a cool, wet cloth. He'll probably hate that cloth! :)

The cloth will help bring his fever down in a hurry, thanks to the evaporation. This is the method used by paramedics/firemedics when they respond to a 911 call to give rapid intervention to a high fever...it is much more effective than a cool bath.

Young children and babies can suffer febrile seizures with high fevers, so it is important to get that down as soon as you can.

Answer 8

things have changed since 10 years ago... the docters told my parents if the tempature exceds 102 then its best to go to the emergency room... now my son hit 104 and we freeked out and took the ambulance ride to the hospital just to have the doctor tell us its not as much of a emergency as they once made it.... just make sure that you keep giving fluids and if the temp goes past 105 then rush to the hospital cause brain damage could take effect.... do not put kid in a cold bath to lower tempature cause you will indoce shock! use a cool rag on the back of the neck to bring the temp down along with some childrens fever reducer...the doctor told us that the body will regulate temp. to stay below 105 unless its a reaction to something. check for rash to find if its a adverse reaction and follow with benadrill... dont panic thats the worst thing that could happen.

Answer 9

That is a very high temperature and you shouldn't wait around.
It sounds like he has an infection of some sort, but you should take him to the closest hospital immediately.

Answer 10

I would give him infant Tylenol for now, to see if the fever will reduce some. There is the flu going around. I would call the doctor and see what can be done. Personally I would give him the infant Tylenol measured exact for his age and put him to bed for rest. It could be a bug going around. Are his shots up to date? There could be numerous reasons why he has a temperature without any cold or flu symptoms.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html