My boy has had a slight fever for the last couple of days. He continues to cry and wont stop. He has not been eating much. We took him to the doctor and he said that he did not have an ear infection. He stated to hold off a couple of days on baby tylenol to see how hi the fever would spike. It has not gone over a 100. He won't stop crying though.
Is there anything that we can to help calm him down? My wife has been with him all day and nothing seems to work.
Take him to another doctor ASAP, to get to the bottom of the problem. Don't stop til you get an answer. You didn't say how old he is. Is he a baby that might be cutting teeth?
J. Wright
S.,
Look in his mouth and see if he might have little white sores in his mouth. My daughter did that when she had Hand, Foot, Mouth disease. It was HORRIBLE...she would just cry and wouldn't eat or drink. It lasted for about a good week from the point the sores showed up. Good luck.
You don't say how old he is... A bath might distract him or make him more comfortable. A fever below 100 isn't really a big deal unless he is very very young. 98.6 is just the average - some people run higher and some lower than that just naturally. Maybe he's annoyed that you're treating him like he's sick when he isn't? ;)
When my kids were littler and they got sick, I would just take them to bed with me (in my room) and we'd watch movies and read a pile of books and snuggle. If they were throwing up I'd cover the bed with beach towels for easier clean up. Now that they're older and busier, we can't do that as much, but it was kind of nice when they were little.
Have you checked to see if there's anything in his clothes that's irritating him? One of my hairs got wrapped tightly around my kids' finger when she was really little, and she cried until I figured that out! Does he have gas? Try bicycling his legs for him to help him pass it. Are you breastfeeding or bottle feeding? If bottle - could warming it up help? Is it too warm? Could you try a different brand of formula? Are his diapers too tight? Are you changing him often enough?
Start with the most basic needs he has (food, diaper, physical comfort) and work your way up from there (entertainment? Stimulation? Cuddling?). You'll figure it out.
The fever doesn't concern me, as I said, unless he's really little. If you could update with more info, that would be great!
Best,
A. @ http://prettybabies.blogspot.com
Did they say he has fluid in his ear? That can be uncomfortable and turn into an infection in a couple of days. There were times when I took my daughter to the doctor and she didn't have an ear infection, but a few days later in turned into and ear infection. A lot of times you can go back and have a nurse check to see if an infection has developed. You should call the doctor's office and talk to a nurse. A virus usually takes about 10 days to run its course in a young child.
Was he just vaccinated? SOmetimes that can make them feel yucky. When giving Tylenol it depletes the Glutithione and that is what the body produces to help the detoxifcation in the body. So thats not the greatest thing to give. If you are interested in alternative things to help you can email me.
Thanks, L.
Hi S. -
With everything that's going around this time of year if your regular doctor is not giving you a good resolution I would get a second opinion. Make an appointment with another pediatrician. At lot of doctors these days will not give children prescription meds and there truly may be something he or she is missing. Sometime we really have to go to battle for our kids because you and your wife are the ones that have to watch your baby in such discomfort.I would be very firm in letting the doctor know your concerns with your baby and that you do not want to go back home without a resolution. Good Luck and God Bless you and your family
My son recently had a virus called The Croup and he was running fever fairly high at night and then during the day it would drop. He was fussy and didn't eat as much either, however he did have a cough that went with it and went hoarse for a bit. Not sure if that would be the same thing. My doctor always recommends us to give him baby tylenol and if it is for long periods of time switch between B. tylenol as well as Motrin. Good luck..that is never fun!
Hi S.,
You've had lots of advice already. I know this is frustrating especially if your son is your first born. How old is your son? Could he be teething? My daughter had a lot of issues with pain when she was teething. She also ran a slight fever and runny nose. If you think this might be it, our dr. recommended Tylenol and Hylands teething tablets. I've never heard of a doctor recommending not giving Tylenol and allowing a child to suffer without offering any other kinds of explanations.
If you think there might be something more, one other mother suggested hand, foot, mouth. My daughter also had this. She wouldn't eat and sure enough there were white spots in her mouth. She ran a fever and was very fussy. The doctor will have to prescribe meds if this is the case.
A few other mothers cautioned on letting this go too long if you're uncertain as to what it is. With the swine flu (H1N1) going around and regular flu season about to hit, children are getting affected far more easily than adults. I don't want to scare you and this may not be it at all but you don't want to take any chances.
Regardless, you'll want to make sure that he's getting enough fluids. If he becomes dehydrated, you'll have a whole other mess of issues on your hands (I.e. constipation (painful!) etc.)
Finally, if you all are not comfortable asking your doctor/nurse LOTS of questions about your son or you're not comfortable with the answers or his/her treatment, you may want to find another dr. When I first had my son, I didn't know the difference. I knew I wasn't completely comfortable with the pediatrician but it wasn't until we moved and found another dr., who we and the kids LOVE, that we recognized how big of a difference the dr. can make.
I wish you both the best and hopefully your son will be feeling better much soon!!!
Take care,
A. H.
Is your son nursing? When my oldest was about 6 mo, we all got a nasty virus and the only thing he could keep down was breastmilk (easiest to digest), that was recommended by the pedi on call. If he's older, have you tried the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast), also recommended by several pedis. That stuff is supposed to be the easiest on the stomach. Have they tested him for strep? I'm thinking if he's not eating, his throat might be hurting him. If he's teething, try some gripe water (our pedi recommended Dr. Wellsomething, can't remember the name but Walgreen sells it and it workes! On a plus side, it's organic). Also, if he just had a vaccination, his uncontrollable crying might be a sign of a reaction (that type of reaction is usually stated in the handouts they give at the pedi office when a little one gets a vaccine, I think it's called the information sheet). In that case, you should take him to Cook's right away and explain what is going on. Hope your little one feels better!
With the H1N1(Swine Flu) getting more known in this area..I would not take any chances...If he is still crying today and nothing sooths him..I would take him to Cooks for peace of mind. I sure hope everything goes well for you guys.
Is he teething? Or is he too old for that?
I've always found that a bath soothes my son when he is sick. Also, call the doctor, follow up and ask for advise. They may tell you to go ahead and give Tylenol to sooth whatever the problem may be.
Hope he starts to feel better soon.
I would go back to the doctor. It's possible your child has an ear infection developed after you were at the doctors office. That happened to us. Is your child pulling at the ear?
Does the child have an upset stomach? Are there other symptoms to lead you to believe it is a virus? If you are worried You could call the doc if you like and speak with him/her tonight. Possibly your doctor would okay a little tylenol if you think it would give your child some relief. Then you could go in to get checked out again tomorrow. Do what makes you comfortable.
Our pedi says to call them with any fever of 100.4 or higher. Could he be teething? My son has been teething for the last 4 months, yes it CAN take this long sometimes. He runs warm a lot and is cranky A LOT but unfortunately that's all part of teething. The tylenol is not going to hurt your baby. It's not just used for fevers. If he is teething it can take the edge of the pain and calm him down quite a bit. It always seems to help my 8 month old.
I'm so sorry you guys are going through this. I would try a warm bath with lots of bubbles and toys. Usually that will take their mind off of it. Try taking a walk outside our around in the back yard. Usually taking a little one outside can calm them down. Try to go when there is a good breeze. You can also try some Chamomile tea. Just make sure you dilute it with half water and add a little honey or sugar. I used it with my little one when he was teething very bad. Really seemed to work. Also the sleepy time tea may help. These are just suggestions, and things I've done with my own little one. Hope something helps.
a cool bath with lavender smelling bubble bath or something maybe........ is he teething if so give him a cold full size carrot to chew/play with
