When Should You See a Doctor For a High Temperature?

There’s nothing scarier than the moment when you realize your child has a fever for the first time. Even if you’re a seasoned pro at parenting, truth be told, fevers are still unnerving! No one likes to see their little one in paint and discomfort! When it comes to measuring your child’s fever temperature, here are five things you may want to consider before seeing a doctor.

Fever is Your Child’s Way of Fighting Off Infection Naturally

Before you run to the phone to call your pediatrician because your child feels warm, think about this-the fever is turning on your child’s immune system. It’s working double time to fight infection. Normal fevers are considered anywhere from 100-102 degrees. While it’s always wise to be cautious if the fever is above 101 degrees, many doctors will suggest trying some fever-reducing meds if their temperature is in the “normal” fever range, before rushing your little one in to be seen. Oftentimes, it will resolve on its own, after a day or two. However, there is nothing wrong with going with your gut and erring on the side of caution if your child’s temperature is overly elevated.

Fever Can Coincide with Other Side Effects

You may want to make a call to the doctor if you notice some strange side effects that accompany your child’s fever. Do they have any rashes? Are they having difficulty breathing? Do they have a terrible headache? Are they not taking in enough fluids? Maybe your child’s fever won't resolve itself after 3 days. Any one of these factors is reason enough to call your child’s provider!

Establish a Baseline Temperature

Many parents who measure their child’s temperature regularly put in calls to pediatricians when they notice their baseline temps are rising. Early intervention may signal a virus or other infection that can be tended to before symptoms get worse-especially during the age of Covid!

It’s easy to track your child’s temperature. Products, like Affirm XH constantly monitor resting heart rate, skin temperature, and heart rate variability. Pop the patch onto your kiddo and get all kinds of cool stats and norms using an app for your phone. Good for six months and ultra-affordable, you can avoid worry and disrupted sleep-simply get your child checked out before things get bad! You can bring your data to your appointment and get to the root cause of a higher than normal base temp!

Is Your Thermometer Reliable?

Some thermometers are better than others. It is possible to get a false reading. If the tip of the thermometer isn’t positioned just so in an 'under the tongue' thermometer, it can throw off results in young children that have difficulty holding it in place for a minute. If your child feels way warmer than the thermometer is reading, or if they are acting overly sluggish and lethargic, you have nothing to gain by waiting it out. Inaccurate readings are scary, can happen, and can lead to serious health impairments if you wait too long to get help.

Consider Your Child’s Age

If your baby has a fever and is only a few months old, don’t delay-make that call. Experts at the Cleveland Clinic note that a fever of over 100.4 f degrees is cause for concern in a newborn, and their immune systems are as developed as older children. Age does matter and an infant fever should be a huge factor as if you should call the doctor!

In conclusion, parents have a sixth sense of sorts as to when they should call their child’s pediatrician. The tips to consider above can help  you make an informed decision, but it’s never a bad thing to set up an appointment if it will make both you and your child feel better and have peace of mind!

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