[greenthumbs]

My little man has a temperature. It's coming up at 38.8 for an underarm temp. Our GP is closed so not sure if I should take him elsewhere or just wait it out.

He is tired (currently asleep on me) and whingy. He does have a tooth which just won't break through, but don't know for sure that's it. He didn't eat much at daycare apparently, but has been constantly on the boob since we got home. I gave him some nurofen about 15mins ago.

At what temperature do I worry and take him to a doctor?

[miraclebaby11]

DS had a temp of 38.9 when he had a virus and when we went to the hospital as he was breathing rapidly they gave him panadol and weren't really concerned.

I have heard some emergency departments don't do anything until the temp in 40.0.

I would give the nurofen another half hour and you should see a difference.

[lozoodle]

Give panadol, strip clothing a bit. Do not put in a cold bath as this can make it worse. Keep an eye on him as some kids have seizures when they spike a high temp (my dd is prone to this, she has had five seizures since october last year).

Call health direct if you are concerned, they are very helpful

[MrsNorthman]

^^ this.

Its ok to give panadol and nurafen at the same time - they are different drugs.

[tinkster23]

There is no set temperature at which you should worry/seek medical attention.

Treat the child, not the fever.

He's tired and miserable but still eating a little and drinking, so no immediate concern.
If he becomes lethargic- ie- unable to be woken or goes more than 6 hours without a wee or seems to be in unmanageable pain- then seek medical attention.

And yes, panadol and nurofen can be given at the same time, but be sure not to exceed the daily dosage as stated on the bottle, ie- panadol can only be give four times in 24 hours, nurofen three times in 24 hours.

[ausmumof2]

DD had a fever of 39 underarm in the middle of the night. I rang the healthdirect hotline and they said to give paracetomol and see the doctor in the morning. You could try ringing them, I have found them really helpful when I've been in doubt and can't get into a GP.

[Ehill]

Above advice is very good. If the baby is whingy and feeding then it is a good sign. It is when they get floppy, glazed and not doing much that you really worry.

Just please please dont ever assume medical problems are due to 'teething'. One of my gripes! Your bub has a temp because he is sick.

You are doing fine. I am sure the nurofen will bring it down. Good luck

[lozoodle]

Its probably just a virus op, especially as he goes to daycare. Fever is his body doing what it should - fighting it. Treat for comfort and keep an eye on him but im sure he will be fine. Even when she had febrile convulsions they were never worried about that or the fever itself, more just wanted to check her over to ensure it was just a virus and she didnt need antibiotics.

If a temp persists i tend to give nurofen 2 hours later and that usually does the trick. Its also not unusual for it to spike a few times in the next few days. Remember health direct are there to help if you are concerned rather than rushing to the dr.

[greenthumbs]

Thanks everyone

The nurofen has kicked in and he is a little chirpy now.

I was going to phone the gp after hours line, but they didn't open until 6 - hence trying to alleviate my worry by asking for opinions here.

Thanks everyone!