Fever

My eldest 3.5 has a fever today it's just reached 40.5 - I've been to the Dr's already with her and it appears she has a virus. I've already given her both Nurofen and Doliprane/Calpol.


At what stage is a high temperature too high and should I just get her to hospital?


I'm waiting for the GP to call me back...just wondered if anyone else knew what is 'too high'


It's the first time I've experienced this!


Hi - yes she's much better today - temperature around 38 which is a relief. She's also speaking today which is more like herself. A completely different child to yesterday. I'm still giving her Doliprane as she has complained about her forehead but I'm hoping we're over the worst of it.

Thanks to everyone again for your support & help, it was a great help & very reassuring.

Hope you got some sleep last night Susan, and that the temperature has gone down. It’s usually lower in the morning than at night, so hopefully the biggest worry is over?

Pleased its settled down, always a worry when they are so poorly.

just put her to bed now, I'm hoping the other 2 don't get it too. I know I've been really lucky for this to be the first of this type of thing given her age. At least next time I'll know better what's happening.

Dinner went out of the window so as we're in the centre of London - I've just dialled for a Dominos pizza & sitting down to a glass of well deserved rouge to watch Grand Designs in Brittany France.

How is she? And you? xx

I am a mother of three and a qualified assistante maternelle. You can strip her off, no mater how much she may shiver and complain about being cold. You can alternate Doliprane and Advil every three hours where as Doliprane you have to wait six hours to regive.

We were specifically told in our assistante maternelle training NOT to give a cool bath.

Watch out for convulsions (frequent above 40), my neighbours daughter just had one this weekend while I was there, VERY IMPRESSIVE!! If you have trouble waking her and she seems non responsive, id get her off to the hospital. Each child has a different reaction to fever, mine seem to bounce off the walls no matter how high they are, and others are lethargic and can have convulsions. Keep an eye on her, maybe sleep close to her tonight if it hasnt gone down. USE YOUR MOTHERS INSTINCT!!

Hi Suzanne,

My wife really does the parenting, but our youngest (10) recently had an infection and very high temperature. ( I had Scarlet, Glandular and Rheumatic fever all at once as a child...not nice ) Our nurse also said not to use a bath, for fear of 'shock' only cold compresses ( and fluids ) However a trick which did help was to run cold water from the tap over ( which ever wrist it is where the blood initially courses ) much like a 'condenser' this has the effect of cooling the body without total immersion.

Right she's in her underwear - much to her disgust, after her tepid bath also not to her pleasure to begin with. But thankfully her temperature is now down below 38! Thank you everyone...

Poor little mite (and poor you!). The doctors in France usually recommend exactly what you give her; Nurofen and Doliprane alternated every four hours. But I’m with Nikki, if you get too worried, take her to the hospital. I know I usually worry too quickly and far too much when one of mine is ill, so I’m really feeling for you

Anything over 40 needs medical attention. make sure she drinks something. Hope she is better soon x

My daughter suffered quite badly for three years and 40+ became a norm for us, but I never got used to it and it always happened in the middle of the night a lonely time for mums. We did the bath thing too and it helped tons, but then the nurse told me off for doing it in case she had a convulsion the very next day, I could never win. Please let us know how you get on.

I sometimes use https://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/CheckSymptoms/SATs/GeneralIllnessUnder12 aswell, but always use your own judgement.

Thanks both, I think that's why I was worried though, she's had both Nurofen and Doliprane in the past 2 hours and it stayed up. It's down to 40 for now and I keep pushing her to drink. At least hubby will be back soon to look after the other 2.

In my village in France I'd have had a whole army of friends round helping & telling me what to do...I feel quite isolated here in London at times like this.

Can’t answer re when is too high but strip her off and put her in a very cool bath and let her dry off naturally. Repeat if necc - should help bring the temperature down. Hope this works xx

Strip her down to one cool, light layer - no fans, no tepid sponging, just lots of little sips of water either by a straw or give bits of crushed ice to suck. Crushed ice lolly on a spoon or sios of watered down coke might work. Give first dose of calpol then 2 hours later the nurofen and if her temp isn't moving call a doctor out. If she has a febrile convulsion (unlikely but possible) then you need to ring sos medicin. FB me if you like.

ETA/ Doliprane works quickest, normally takes around 20 mins to work. Neurofen is slower to act but longer lasting. You should see an improvement after the doliprane and if not then about half an hour after the neurofen.

Dr just called - she's to have a tepid bath & then he's going to call me back again at 7.30 to see how she is - I suppose I've just panicked - I've been really lucky having no fevers in 3 years for any of the kids and when her temp hit 40.5 I didn't know what to do! She's very lethargic, bright red in the face & doesn't want me to touch her :(

Just running bath now.

I have used cool damp flannels on forehead and pulse points, socks run under cold tap and wrung out. Never anything very cold as I was told it would shock. If you are unhappy take your child to hospital, you are the best judge and sometimes GPs can miss things 40+ without a drop after an hour of taking paracetomal I would get a second opinion and what have you lost and you gain some piece of mind.