Another Fever Question
 

I checked everyone's temp today and 7 out of 8 kids have low grade fevers 99.9 and 99.8 could they all be coming down with something? Roseola we had one case last week maybe now the others kids are getting it???

I don't consider it a fever until 100.0+ And have that in my contract. I had a DCB who always ran in the 99's all the time and was always sick!!

I also don't consider anything under 100 a fever and if they have no other symptoms- like a rash, lack of appetite, loose stools, vomiting, lethargy then I would let it go up to 101 possibly depending on the child. I take the kids temps periodically when they are healthy so I know what their bodies normally run. I have one that is always around 99.7 and he is never sick or has any other symptoms.

I wouldn't worry, but I think you are doing the right thing by monitoring!

If 98.5 is normal then 99.9 in my opinion is low grade fever. I just find it odd all of them were near the same temp I have a temporal artery thermometer do you add a degree when using one of these?

I find it a little odd that they're all the same low-grade fever. Do you have another type to check with? Most drs don't consider it a fever until 100.4 and even that isn't a big deal without other symptoms.

what type of thermometer are you using? what age are they.'
where they just playing outside in the heat or waking up from a nap?

My kids are all 2 years old and two of them are 22 months old it was right before lunch.

I use a temporal thermometer

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
My kids are all 2 years old and two of them are 22 months old it was right before lunch.

I use a temporal thermometer

so they are all still infants.

I was always taught that fever start at 100.4.

I exclude at anything over 100.0 at resting temp.

some kids in this age group will have small ghost fevers because their immune system is building trying to work on building up an immunity.

also you should always treat the symptoms, not the numbers

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
My kids are all 2 years old and two of them are 22 months old it was right before lunch.

I use a temporal thermometer

Normal temporal is 97.4- 100.1. I wrote it on my thermometer with permanent marker!

98.6 is just textbook normal. However, some people normally run 97.0 and some run 99.0 normally. Unless you have baselines you don't know what is normal for THAT CHILD.

You don't add a degree for temporal temps. Only under the arm.

If I have a child with a 99.something fever, I monitor that child but unless there are other symptoms, I usually wait to see if the fever goes up before calling a parent to pick up. If the child has a 99. fever and has additional symptoms and an illness was introduced to the day care the week before, I'm more inclined to call the parents sooner than later.

It is a little odd that 7 out of 8 kids would have the same elevated (but low-grade) temp and no other symptoms all at the same time. I'd probably assume the thermometer was a little off and wait to see if anyone's temp got any higher before worrying about it too much.

I don't even consider that a fever...just a variation of 98.6. I go by what my doctors go by, it's not a fever (at least here) until 100.4 or higher :)