9 Month Old with Fever of 104.4(Please Help)

Fevers are parents worst nightmares. The best thing we can do is keep the child as confortable as possible. You can try wiping her with a moist towel, underarms and sole of feet seem to refreshen them faster. Keep the room cool, but not directly under a fan. Hope this helps

We just went through this with my 1 year old. I took him to the Dr. and he told me there has been some new virus going around where fever seems to be the only symptom. I found that Motrin worked much better than Tylenol. I also gave him a tepid bath or two and let him have a few bites of ice pop. I also used a wet washcloth and wiped down his head and face as much as he would tolerate. He ended up sick for about 3-4 days. I know a high fever is scary, but babies do run much higher than we do.

Personally I would be finding a different doctor...Did they run any blood tests? When my girls got a fever Mom told me to strip them down to their diapers. Also the luke warm bath. My doctor always told me it their temp went above 101 to bring them right in. A baby doesn't run a fever for nothing. Are there any signs of coughs, runny nose, watery eyes, etc.?
If you don't want to find a different doctor take her to a walk in clinic..

When my younger daughter was about 15 months old, she had a high fever for three days and then broke out into a rash (lacy, subdermal). She had a viral infection, though not sure which one since there are several that will do that. I would keep doing that the doctor says, but keep calling them if things don't improve or if anything changes, ie she is listless, refusing liquids, etc. Fever is scary, but it is also the bodies way of trying to fight an infection, so is somewhat necessary, too. Good luck and I hope she is better soon!

When kids are unwell they always get a fever , what the PED says is right , as long as she is having regular wet diapers then she is not dehydrated , what you need to do is make sure she is drinking and give the tylenol/motrin every 4 hrs without fail , don't leave it just to see if the fever comes back , you need to keep the fever down. I guarantee that in another day or so the fever will have subsided and she will be getting back to her self. I know it is scary , especially when it is your first child and they are a baby , but there really is nothing the Dr or hospital can do , you will go through this many times as a parent. Just remember to give her plenty of fluids and not worry about food to much , and keep her cool by giving the meds every 4 hrs so that her temp cannot shoot up again.

I don't have any good advice because this has never happened to me. But I think it sounds crazy that they won't do anything! You must be scared out of your mind! I would GO to a children's hospital (not call - GO) and insist that she be seen by a doctor. I would bet my money that it is an ear infection. I hope your baby girl feels better soon. Keep us posted.

Our daughter was around the same age when her fever went over 105 - same thing, no bells or whistles from the pediatrician or hospital. It turned out that the e/r dr was lazy & didn't move wax that was in her ears that would've shown she had a double ear infection.

It is very frustrating & scary at the same time that it seems as though you are being given the brush off, i know but that is normal procedure. I just found it odd because when our older daughter had a temp of 100 she was admitted right away (she was younger though) & here you could fry an egg on Haley's head & we were given the whole motrin/tylenol thing too. Well, i know it's crazy to say, but try to remain calm & hang in there. Good luck!

A fever by itself is not dangerous to a baby. The doctor's concern is that she is taking fluids, having plenty of wet diapers and isn't lethargic or having seizures. I wouldn't take my baby to a children's hospital, esp to check for an ear infection as another poster suggested - a childrens hospital is for emergencies, an ear infection check is done at the doctor's office. I would wait it out thru today and if she is not getting better, call the doctor's office back and ask to bring her in early tomorrow. Watch for dehydration or seizures.

If your daughter's pediatrician checked her ears (usually that's common procedure for well visits and when you bring your child in sick) then just follow the Dr.'s advice. My daughter had the same thing happen when she was 1.5. Her's also spiked to over 104 and just as my husband and I had had enough and were getting ready to take her to the emergency room the fever broke and she went from 104.8 to 99.2 within minutes. She was lathargic the remainder of that day and the following morning but was up and running by the next afternoon. Good luck and hopefully the fever breaks soon!

The fever is a sign that the body is working to rid itself of toxins that it doesn't want hanging around...so in a way it should be a relief that the body is trying to clear up the situation. I would hang in there another 24 hours, keep an eye on her temp, push the fluids, alternate the antiinflammatories for the symptoms and just spend a lot of time rocking her and comforting her. I know this is hard, and you feel powerless right now, we Mom's are supposed to make everything right for our children!! Try a lukewarm bath if it will make her feel better...not cold....it would be a huge shock her to overheated little body...just make it the same as you would for any other day. You and Dad try and relax, let him give you a little relief at night so that you have more energy to survive the days.
Good luck and keep us posted how she is doing.

WOW! That is a pretty high fever for a 9 month old. I do remember both of my kids having at least 2 bouts of fevers that were as high as this when they were younger and it is very scary. As long as the doctors rules out bacterial infections such as strep, ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, or even meningitis, then it is most probably viral. Viruses can throw some seriously high fevers that last days on end. When this happened to one of my kids I would put a Kool Patch on their forehead (you can find these at the drugstore), and I would give Children's Motrin or Advil which last about 8 hours per dose. At the halfwat mark of the Motrin or Advil, about 4 hours in, you dose them with Tylenol. Keep this pattern up until the fever drops and STAYS BELOW 102 degrees. After that, I would stick to the Children's Motrin or Advil and leave out the Tylenol until the fever is gone completely. This does work....I have done it and it did make the fever go down. Tepid baths are also a good idea to lower the body temperature. If this persists more than 4-5 days, take your child back in to the pediatrician or hospital and INSIST on a blood culture and a chest x-ray to be sure you are not dealing with a bacterial Super-bug or anything blood-related. Good luck and I hope your baby gets well soon! As for your husband....he might need some Advil or Tylenol too! I know how that is. They are frightened and concerned but have no idea what to do. Just reassure your husband and keep him updated. Once this sickness passes, you are both veteran's of the Mile-High Fever Club. Welcome to the Club and I hope you don't have frequent episodes of being in it. Hang in there....I know exactly how you feel.

My twins always carry very high fevers and it is not unusual for them to have fevers of between 104 and 105 with ear infections. The odd thing is that they'll have about 104 and be running around playing and laughing. I've never seen anything like that. I've really only seen them be lethargic once or twice (usually with a stomach virus). My doctor said my boys just carry high fevers. But sometimes they'll have a high fever and no ear infection and then the fever will persist and I'll bring them back in and lo and behold, the infection will be there. So it might be the case that she has an infection and it's just not showing up on the tests yet.
It is VERY scary when you have an infant with a fever. You lose sleep and are worried. Totally natural. And natural that your husband checks too. He's worried and he's not there so he just wants to make sure.... Just keep her hydrated and watch the fever and call the doctor if anything seems out of the ordinary. Hope she is better soon.

A high fever is not dangerous. You have already gotten this confirmation from the hospital yet you still don't believe. If you felt this was a dangerous situation, you would have brought your baby to the E.R. long ago and not wasted your time here. I'm a mother to 3 young children and I have a sister who is an R.N. and I can tell you from experience that a high fever is not dangerous but scary to you and I understand your concern. I once was a new mom and an unexplained fever can be scary but I can assure you that it is not dangerous ESPECIALLY because there are no other symptoms.

Your doctor/hospital is absolutely correct in telling you to give Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen simultaneously. Make sure you are giving the correct dosages but follow the instructions for the proper intervals of each drug. I have also found that Ibuprofen is much better at managing a fever faster than acetaminophen but giving them together reduces the fever faster. The point of giving the medication is to make your baby comfortable.

I'm betting your baby has Roseola. It almost always comes on with a very high fever, no other symptoms, the baby eats and drinks fine, diapers are fairly normal though sometimes vomiting and diarrhea can accompany the infection but the high fever is the real key indicator. The fever can and most likely will last for 3-4 days (could be a day longer so don't panic). The fever will come down some with the use of Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen but it will NOT completely go away. Call it a persistent fever but this is indicative to Roseola. Once the fever breaks, a rash will break out over your baby's body. Can be isolated to the tummy but can be spread out over the back, legs and even the neck. The rash will be red and bumpy and will last for maybe 3 days tops and then it too will go away but the fever will be no more once the rash breaks out. It is a harmless infection and is inevitable that every baby will have had this infection before his/her 2nd birthday.

Fevers are not dangerous. I've had more than my share of experiences with fevers and all 3 of my children have had Roseola and I am willing to bet that your baby also has this infection. Google it and read it for yourself. It's harmless.

When my daughter was 12 months she got sick with a bug for five or six days, her fever was spiking at 104 which was really scary. Her doctor said not to bring her in unless it gets to 105. I was stressed the whole time. Its scary, but its normal, so hang in there. Her body is fighting a virus or something. I wish I had a remedy for you but I think all I had was tylenol and motrin also.

Lowering the fever might not be wise if the fever is keeping an infection at bay. Keep her immune system nourished, keep her hydrated, and if there's a viral infection I'd consider using a low dose of MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution - look it up online), which can actually knock out the pathogens.

Someone else mentioned Roseola and that could be it. My daughter had a high fever for 3 days and then her temp broke and she got a rash. It is a very common illness for young babies. If she still has a fever tomorrow I would take her in.

Don't call anymore. Just take her in! If the fever doesn't come down with the motrin/tylenol and you can tell she's not acting as she usually does (if she's too lethargic) then just take her to the ER! a fever over 104 is nothing to play with. does she have any other symptoms (rash, etc)?

also, try giving her cool baths to bring her temp down.

good luck. i'll be praying for you.

You can do a wet washcloth with some rubbing alcohol on it. The cool washcloth feels good for them and the alcohol draws the fever out.

Good luck, and keep the fluids running

We just went through this with my 10.5 month old daughter. Same exact thing. Really high fever that would only be controlled with Ibuprofen. I was told to never ever rotate Motrin and Tylenol as it can cause liver failure in infants. I know lots of people are told to rotate, so I'm not sure what's the right answer on that one.
We always give my kids popsicles when they're sick. It seems to make them feel a lot better. I buy the DelMonte fruit tubes so I don't feel quite a guilty. Pedialite makes popsicles too, but anything will work. A cool washcloth on the back of the neck, or on the top of the head always seems to help too. My kids always want to be held when they're sick, which makes us all even hotter! I sit with a fan on me and the baby. I don't know if it really helps, but the breeze seems to make them feel better.
Kids can with stand MUCH higher fevers than adults (which I totally don't understand, but every doctor has told me the same thing). Also don't be surprised if she gets a rash. It's called roseola and I'm pretty sure that's what my baby just got over. It's a virus and there's really nothing you can do except let it run it's course.
As far as your husband calling all the time..well...no answer for you there :)
I hope your baby feels better soon!

What they left out to tell you is fevers are a good thing. A fever means your child's body is fighting the viral infection. I know they are not fun, very exhausting, and scary but lay off the tylenol and motrin, and let the fever do it's job, and it will go away faster and your child's body will be all the better for it. Not a fun thing to do, but it is the best thing to do.

It's hard when they are sick, but her body is fighting off an infection and the fever is the mechanism for doing it. Keep her fluids up (pedialyte is great even if there are no stomach or digestive problems - let her suck on Popsicle if she wants, it'll help to cool her), and keep with the rotating of the motrin and tylenol, and the luke warm baths. Dress her lightly so she doesn't hold heat in. It's good that the medicine brings the temp down at least for a little while - I'd be more worried if it didn't. There is no magic wand a doctor (or anyone) can wave and make the fever go away. If the cause is viral, antibiotics do nothing against a virus. Your husband is worried too, but worrying (and bothering you for updates) is not helping. If he has the sick time to burn, maybe he can stay home with the baby for a day to give you a break to try to rest a little. Hang in there.

I don't really have any solutions for the fever your little one has. All I can say is my heart goes out to you. A fever is a serious thing, though. I would keep pushing the doctors for some kind of relief/solution. Doctors always come across as knowing all when it comes to our little ones, but all of their knowledge can not trump a mother's instincts. If you feel like there could possibly be a serious problem, then don't let it go. Your daughter can not fight for herself, so you have to do it for her.

As far as your husband goes, try to go easy on him. I'm sure with the lack of sleep & the immense stress you're under, it can easily fray your nerves even more. But so many fathers sit back & let the mother take care of everything when it comes tothe kids, so the fact that he is trying to stay involved speaks highly of him. He loves his child & he loves you, and he is worried, too. Try not to discount that (I know it is hard when you're in the middle of all of this). Once this is all over with (which will hopefully be very soon), you will look back on it & be thankful you have such a caring husband and father to your child.

My prayers are with you & your daughter.

The fact that she has a fever now could actually be a GOOD thing--it shows her body is fighting off whatever she has. I was told by my pediatrician (who happens to be a mom of 4 herself) that she doesn't like to supress fevers below 105 because that keeps the body from doing its job. Keep her hydrated and keep checking her temp, but she should be just fine. Praying for a fast recovery!

At her age, a fever of 105, is not that uncommon. babies and toddlers can withstand fevers up to around 107 without causing problems at all. But you do want to keep in touch with the doctor. They can have the fever for several days before anything happens. i have gone through it several times with my daughter. She would have the fever about 3-4 days and it would just go away. If after 4 days you don't see ANY changes in the temps i would go into the doctor and have them check her out. The one time i had to go, she did have an ear infection.

Keep an accurate schedule of what you are giving your daughter and when, and what her temps are. Also keep track of when you change her diaper and how wet it is. I do know I did that when my duaghter gets a fever, just so i can know for myself that she is getting enough to drink.

First of all STOP giving Tylenol/Motrin! These drugs are toxic to the brain and auditory system and chnage brain waves. Tylenol deletes the glutathione in the liver and makes it harder for the child to get well because it does not have the body's biggest antioxident fighting for it. Motrin is not as bad but throw Tylenol in the garbage. Fevers can go on for awhile espcially since you are bringing it down. Let her body fight as is normal. Trust her body to do the right thing. Give coconut water so she won't get dehydrated. Fevers that high are typical for younger children. Older children should not get that high. Build the immune system by giving elderberry in a children's form and probiotics all the time. After she is done being sick, you may want to bring her to an OT and check her vestibular system. This is the sense of balance which will get completely knocked out by one high fever. You may have to rehab the vestibular system for her to accept movement and sensations normally the rest of her life. This is the pacemaker of our bodies and it can wreak havoc on the child's abilities/skills in the future so check it out. My guess is that your child will break out in a rash tomorrow and it will be Roseola.

A feever that high for a baby is not dangerous. It is however, extremely dangerous for a child (4 +) and adults. I do unerstand your frustration though. My first question is, did they do a CDC (where they prick their finger to do white blood cell counts and other things)? If not, go back to the pediatrician and tell them to do it. You have insurance I assume - if so, that is what you pay for! And, if they wont do it, take your child to an after hours emergency clinic and tell them to do it.

Outside of rotating the meds and baths, I have no other idea on how to bring the feever down and stay down. Popsicles and cool drinks - that's all I have.

Just want to chime in to say that there ARE viruses that will produce a long lasting fever. My sons have both had them at different times and they are frustrating. You just have to wait it out.

I hate when they tell you not to worry if the temp is that high!!!! here's the thing. my daughter (who is 6) had a temp that high for 2 days. I took her in on a Wed to the drs. and they said there was nothing wrong with her that it was a bacterial viral infection and they couldn't do anything. well, on friday i took her back bc she still had the fever, and i felt there was something wrong. still they found nothing. they took a rapid strep, which came back negative. they took a urine sample and told me to call back on monday. friday night she was still running the fever, so i took her to the er. They found a quarter size pus pocket that was strep. they showed us and it was very visible. so they gave us a prescription for her and the next day her fever was down, etc. my nephew caught a fever and for a week he ran a 104 temp, and they said the same thing. his parents didn't do anything at all and he got over it after a week. i would say to take to er just to make sure that there is nothing wrong. if a child runs a temp, there is an infection somewhere. And a fever CAN be dangerous. Look anywhere and it says that if it gets high enough for long enough it can "fry" the brain. The temp depends on the age of the child. A fever is supposed to help fight off the infection, so in a sense it's good, but not so high.