Liam’s Fever Scare

The other day, Liam gave me a little scare. Out of nowhere, he developed at very high fever (almost 41 degrees Celsius) that began at 11:00 pm. Despite my attempts to reduce it with medication and a cold compress, the fever did not go down. He had no flu, cold or any other symptoms of illness. In fact, he did not even seem uncomfortable or cranky. At around 5:00 am, his fever suddenly disappeared and he was his usually happy-go-lucky self. The fever never returned. Despite his healthy appearance, I decided to go see his pediatrician that afternoon just in case.

Fever without Symptoms

My visit to the doctor was a total waste of time and money as there was absolutely nothing wrong with Liam. After a quick examination, my doctor informed me that children commonly develop high fevers without any accompanying symptoms. The diagnosis was simply: “Fever without symptoms”. A little embarrassed at jumping the gun this time, I decided to do a little investigating about how to handle the situation the next time around.

When to Call the Doctor

Here are some general guidelines:

If you have an infant less than 3 months with a rectal temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher, call your doctor immediately. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young infants.

For children between 3 months and 3 years old who have a fever higher than 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit), you should call the doctor to see if he/she needs to see your child. For kids older than 3 years with a fever higher than 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit), you should take behavior and activity level into account when deciding whether to call the doctor.

Call the doctor if an older child has a fever of less than 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit) but also: refuses fluids or seems too ill to drink adequately; has persistent diarrhea or repeated vomiting; has any signs of dehydration (urinating less than usual, not having tears when crying, is less alert and less active than usual); has a specific complaint (e.g., sore throat, earache); still has a fever after 24 hours (in kids younger than 2 years) or 72 hours (in kids 2 years or older); has recurrent fevers, even if they only last a few hours each night; has a chronic medical problem; or has a rash or has pain with urination.

You should seek emergency care if your child shows any of the following signs: inconsolable crying; extreme irritability; lethargy and difficulty waking; rash or purple spots that look like bruises on the skin; blue lips, tongue or nails; infant’s soft spot on the head seems to be bulging outwards or sunken inwards; stiff neck; severe headache; limpness or refusal to move; difficulty breathing that doesn’t get better when the nose is cleared; leaning forward and drooling; seizure; or abdominal pain.

Bottom Line

Your kid will likely get a fever at some time or another. In the majority of cases, fevers do not indicate anything serious. Although it can be frightening, fever itself causes no harm and can actually be a good thing –it’s often the body’s way of fighting infections. For infants and kids older than 3 months, the way they act is far more important than reading your thermometer. There is no need to panic like I did. Of course, if you are ever in doubt about what to do or what a fever might mean, however, there is no harm in calling your doctor for advice.