3 Month Old with a Temperature

I have always been told if you have a child with a fever that wont break, you should alternate every dose of tylenol with motrin or ibuprofen. I have always had really good luck with this. I actually think that ibuprofen works better on my kids anyway. You can also give warm baths and a cool towel on there head. Hope this helps.

I would call and try to get her in the office tomorrow if she still has a fever. Does she have any other symptoms? Sunday would be too long for my baby to have a fever. She might have an ear infection and need medication. It may be a wasted trip to the doctor, but I would take her if it was me. And I know our pediatrician would have recommended seeing her since shes so young. They know me well there. =)

Check with the doctor if its ok to give Motrin, we gave motrin and tylenol, did tylenol then a few hours later u can give motrin, u can always give her a luke warm bath or do cool washcloths rubdowns you can also take a cool cloth and put it on her head and in the back of her neck. It always brought my sons temp down. If her temp isnt going down, I would be concerned that possibly she could have an infection somewhere.

WOW I have not known any DR to dismiss a fever even a small grade fever without seeing the child first.Where are you taking her temp.?If your not doing it rectally it won't be accurate,so if you are and it is still going up and down call the office again she may be teething yes even at 3 months or an ear infection does she have any other symptoms beside the temp if so let the nurse or DR know when they call you back.But a fever in a child so young in age deserves a visit to the DR.

Our doctor always tells us that if the temp goes above 101 they want to see us. My son has a history of ear infections so I am always worried when he starts in with the temp and other symptoms. I would take her in since her temp has gone over 101. You'll feel a lot better. If she does have an ear infection you can get some medication for her and she will feel better in a day. Good luck!

The baby has had a fever since Sunday??? Call your pedi back today to have your baby seen "today". If they will not see your baby, take the baby to urgent care and get yourself a new pediatrician.

Hi Jody-
I can't help you with the diagnosis - probably just a virus or something, but at only 3 months, you should definitely take her in to be seen by the doctor today. Our pediatrician will usually want to see them same day, especially at that age. Just to be sure. If your doctor is that lax about your baby, you also might want to change doctors! Good luck, and hope she feels better soon!

When my kids were little, the doctor said not to worry so much about a fever, that it shows that the body is fighting off something. But, if it was over 101 for over 24 hours, he wanted to see them. Dr. Spock also recommended that. His book was invaluable, for me! My mom moved 5 1/2 hours away when my first was one week old. So, I depended on good old Dr. Spock.

If you think you would feel better by taking him to the doctor just do it. I have had the dr. say I could probably wait to bring him in, but if we are approaching the weekend or I just don't feel comfortable I will say I would like you to see him anyway. You are the mom it's your call. Good luck.

Yes, parents panic too readily about fevers and some get angry if the doc doesn't prescribe something. What parents need is better information. They panic because they don't understand what a fever is and how to respond at different temps.

First, the book I recommend to all parents is Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child. It is a great reference book. You can look up any condition from belly aches to bee stings and it will explain medical, alternative, and natural approaches so you can better decide which approach is best under the circumstances. http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Medicine-Healthier-Child-Conv...

Hydration and electrolytes are important, but I would avoid pedialite. When I saw aspartame was one of the ingredients and that many docs warn about the neuro-toxic dangers of aspartame (nutra-sweet), I was shocked they would put that in a child's supplement. We need to be far more vigilent about protecting children's developing nerve tissue!! Smart water is an electrolyte balanced water you can mix with juice. You can also get a safe packet of electrolyte powder to mix with water or juice from the company that makes Emergen-C. They have started a children's product line. If you call the company, they will likely be able to tell you how to mix small amounts of electrolytes for smaller people. http://www.emergenc.com/?gclid=CJy9uqX5wpgCFQrFGgodsiII0w

The body creates a fever to make itself inhospitable to infecting agents, such as viruses and bacterium. Most often, if the fever is supported by keeping the body warm, it will not feel the need to spike to higher temps that can cause harm. If the child is over 2 months and there is no reason to suspect a heat-sensitive siezure disorder, occasional temps up to 104 are common in young children.

Keep in mind that even the doc's advice is general. I love the doc who said that asking a mother what her instincts are about her child's condition provides 80% of what he needs for an accurate diagnosis and prescription. I could always sense if my child's condition was nearing a danger zone. Otherwise, I respected the immune system to do the right thing and I supported it as best I could. He is an extraordinarily healthy 22 y/o today. He did experience high fevers from time to time. There was no harm and his immune system is excellent.

The best way to support a moderate fever so the baby will develop a healthy immune response is to keep the body warm so it doesn't have to work so hard to create the heat all by itself. That is hard work and wears it out. So, turn up the heat in the house and dress the baby warmly. Give warm baths. Use a warming balm on the feet, such as Vick's, and cover quickly with 2 pair of socks. The blood in the feet is furthest from the heart and will cool down there. Then the body has to work even harder to warm it back up.

Efforts to cool the body or break the fever will challenge the body's natural inclination to turn up the heat and encourage the spiking. It also makes the fever inefective and then the child will need other remedies, such as antibiotics that can harm the digestive system. Keep in mind that you want your child to develop a strong and independent immune system, not one that expects intervention. Children have to get sick in order for the immune system to develop itself.

Generally, if a fever rises to 104 or above, it is important to keep the base of the head and the abdomen cool, as there are less protected nerve tissues in these areas that are subject to febrile siezures. But, I would still keep those tootsies warm. Most kids are not in the danger zone until temps reach 105-107. Adults cannot take such high temps. But remember, each child is different. These rules are not hard rules they are general rules. Listen to your instincts and be observant. At the least sign of a siezure, cool that brain down, but don't panic. I would definately call the doc, however.

The real danger sign is discoloration of skin, especially the lips. If anything starts looking blue, I would head straight to the emergency room, even if a call to the doctor advises against it. I've known doctors to be very wrong about this. Docs are human too. They don't always think the best when called at midnight after a long shift at the hospital.

There are several medical websites that explain how to respond to fevers. I feel the pediatrician should teach this to every new parent. If you Google the words "Fever Care Baby" you should find several helpful sites.

Hope this helps you and your little one is feeling better soon!

Is she fussy, crying a lot? She may have an ear infection.
Make sure she is drinking water so she doesnt get dehydrated. If the fever gets higher, take her in.

I would say watch her close, and keep giving the tylenol. As long as she is having enough wet diapers, is consolable, her breathing isn't labored, and the tylenol helps, it probably just needs to pass. I would say if the fever persists by the third day, she definitely needs to be seen by someone. Most ear infections are viral and pass without antibiotics. Flus will pass. If she can't keep food down, watch her soft spot, if it more than slightly indented, then she needs fluids. If you press on her hand and it doesn't bouce back up, then she is starting to get dehydrated, if not already so.

Now, I know RSV is going around, and with how small she is, if she does ANY wheezing, rapid breathing (usually over 40 breaths per minute while asleep), or retracting around the ribs and at the neck, you need to get her in ASAP!!! Little babies can go fast, so I would worry a lot more about her breathing than a fever. If she starts the rapid breathing, it can go from okay to distress in a matter of a few hours.

I would def. call your Dr. again and ask to come in if you aren't 100% comfortable with what they tell you. They shoudl understand that you are first time parents and shoudl be more than happy to see your daughter if for no other reason than to calm your fears. When my first son got his first fever it really freaked me out and my Dr. saw me that day. With my second son I knew to wait and not get so freaked out, but they did see me the next day at my request.

I did not read through all the responces. I do know that my dr. says that after 4 days with a fever over 100.1 they want to see my child. If the fever gets to 105.0 then I am to take them to the ER if the dr office is closed. Now I take my children's temp under the arm and my dr. does not want me adding the degree to it when I am talking to them or to the nurses. However they do want me to tell them where I take the temp. at. I talked to my dr. just last week about this because my son ran a temp from about midnight on Saturday till early Wend. On Saturday when the fever started it was 103.7 under the arm. I told the dr. what the nurse hotline told me was that if the thermomitor (sp?) reads 105 then take him to the ER. My dr. said that with me taking it under his arm she would have been fine with me taking him to the ER right then but if it gets to 104 then I am to take him to the ER. I would say in a three month old that if it is over 100 for more than two days she should be seen by her dr. She is too little to run a high fever for too long. My son is 2 years old. Only due to the weather in St. Louis did I wait till Thursday to take him in to his Dr. I was glad that I did he has RSV.

get to the doctor now. 3 days of fever is not normal. Especially if it is still 101.5.

Warning! Do not put vicks on a child that is younger than 2 years old. This is what I have been told. At least look into it more first. A fever does fight off an infection in the body. That means your baby is ill. If my child had a fever of 101 or higher for more than 24 hours I took him in. It would do two things for me. It would tell me if my child needed antibiotics or I found out it was a virus and we would just have to wait it out. Give lots of liquids and use a cool towel on her head. Do what you feel comfortable doing. Fevers rise VERY quickly at times. I did not feel comfortable waiting until the fever gets to 104. By the time you get to the doctors office it could be higer at that point. Plus, this could happen at 2am instead of making an appointment when it is more convenient. The tylenol/motrin rotatation also helped us. Yes, and nurse a lot because you have natural antibodies in your milk that help your child fight off bugs. You will be in my prayers.

Bathing a baby with a temp can reduce the fever and calm the baby. It will make them sleepier. Massage too the head, neck,chest and back. AND their little feet and hands. Touch is crutial. If you are nursing, make sure to go on "nursing marathon mode" because this is by far the best thing you can do for baby and Momma.Nursing always would calm ME down :O). Then the thing we always did/and still continue to do is offer massage and then have my husband work on the girls. He is a chiropractor. As for ME; as the girl's mother and not raised on chiropractic, even " I " am simply amazed how anyone would raise kids differently. Not sure what my mom did with all seven of us. But that is just what we do and what I would suggest. Even now our girls ask for Daddy to work on their spine because they KNOW it works to help them feel better immediately with ALL and every icky feeling.My 9yr old will know she needs an adjustment when she isn't as focused at school. Wow, if only we all could be that intuned to our bodies huh?... Infact we have mother's with sick kids call and come to our home office because their "kids" begged their mom to call for an adjustment. Kids just KNOW it works and they feel better, and Moms just stand amazed. Babies get well sometimes the quickest because there isn't any preconceived notions. They just know they feel better. But who can argue with that huh? I am certainly amazed myself how incredible God has created our bodies to care for themselves. Obviously in the emergent 105 or above do not stay home ...go to the doctor immed! :O)... but in the lighter , before it gets to that point, this is how we handle it on a daily basis...

The chiropractic adjustments help the body heal itself, and is super effective at attacking whatever it is that is the "dis-ease" in the littleone's body and is super cool in fighting off those nasty ear infections so many kids are prone to these days....with out drowning them in antibiotics / tylenol at such a young age. Just my opinion! Be blessed , and be still and know you are being a great Mom!
Hope that helps!

I know this response is late. I would be very cautious about giving Tylenol at such a young age. I'm posting a link to a study about the risks of giving Tylenol to children under two. Good luck!
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/20080918/baby_acetaminop...

Good Morning Jody. It's hard when a little angel isn't up to par, not feeling well. Fever's always bothered me very much with little ones. Corbin almost 4 now had a fever up and down for over a week. We had called his Ped, Motrin or Tylenol was suggested. It wouldn't go away more then 12 hours. So we took him in. I'm his Nana (gr mama)
First thing his Dr. said to us, was Grandparents are from the old school and worry to much about a fever! grrrrrrr
If a child has a Fever then it ( body) is doing what it is supposed to do. All they want to know is if they have a fever. They don't get concerned with a child until it reaches 105.. GRRRRR Corbin's spiked at 104.
Their immune systems are working correctly.
When we described how listless-lethargic he was, he proceeded to tell his mama that Lethargic is a word thrown around to much by the younger set. The fever brings down the activity level in children and causes them to rest.

I was NOT impressed with that visit, since we discovered on our own he had ear infection.
I actually called an ER nurse and asked about temps in Children. They can't give out as much information as they used to, but she finally told me if his temp got about 105 to bring him in. I said Won't that high of temp cause brain damage? Not in children was her reply only in adults.

So my personal advice Jody is keep your little one hydrated with pedialyte, pear juice, make sure she is still having wet diapers, cool her off with cool wash cloth and continue with Tylenol for infants. Make sure she isn't teething or has a ear infection. I hope your Ped is more compassionate and understanding for a new mom then our was. If your not satisfied with your ped's concern find a new one.
I now stay home with the baby or Corbin if one or the other has to go to the Ped. I let mama go alone, she feels he was having a bad day that time. BAd day or not I was a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit Angry. LOL

Use your Mama's instinct Jody, if you feel there is something more wrong keep checking with her Ped. Tell them you would like to have her seen just to easy your mind.

God Bless you Jody
K. Nana of 5

She could just be fighting something off but based on my own experience, I would have her seen and checked for a urinary tract infection. Several days of fever isn't normal, I'd say.

My 1-yr old daughter had fevers on and off for weeks and we couldn't figure out why. Finally she started to get really sick, her fever spiked to 104 and she couldn't keep food down. FINALLY we found out she had a bladder infection that had gone septic. We spent 5 days at Children's Mercy because of this and it was just awful. I still feel terrible that I didn't take her to the doctor sooner and demand more tests.

In little girls, a fever w/o any other obvious symptoms of illness can indicate a UTI/bladder infection. Needless to say, you should always wipe her front to back and keep her as clean as possible.

If she starts throwing up a lot or stops having wet diapers, get her in ASAP!! But listen, don't let it get to the point where you want to take her to the ER. They will blow you off as just another over-protective parent. Take her to her pediatrician and ask about infections she could be fighting off. They can test for UTI by taping a plastic bag in her diaper to collect urine. It's non-invasive and painless.

And as others have pointed out, if you aren't taking her temp rectally, then you aren't getting an accurate reading. You should add a whole degree to the temp taken from the armpit. Watch her closely and take her to the doctor before the weekend!