Hellobee Boards

I usually wait and see how the fever responds with Tylenol.

I think every ped has a different preference, but my doc is really concerned with ear infections and has us come in almost every time she has a fever that lasts more than a day. Now, she's almost 2 and I feel like we've taken a silly amount of visits to the pediatrician and she's never had an ear infection, but our doc takes the "better safe than sorry" approach, which I'm fine with.

I've actually never called the ped if my kids were running a fever. I'm in the wait and see camp like @mrs.shinerbock: and I love that link from Seattle Children's. I like to keep them out of the ped's office as much as possible to avoid illness - especially during the winter and early spring months. I also prefer to give ibuprofen over Tylenol - I think it works better.

@twodoghouse: we usually wait a day or two now to call ...unless their behavior is very unusual or there are other symptoms. We used to take LO 1 in sooner but they would just tell us to give Tylenol and wait it out.

This last time we didn't go in until day 3, turns out we were dealing with a double ear infection. I'd rather just take them in and see, rather than keep dosing with ibuprofen. My son's prone to ear infections, though.

Honestly, I almost always take her in. She can't go back to daycare until she's 24 hours fever free, and I was burned once by a 3 day fever than I thought was a virus that ended up being an ear infection. My husband and I had to take of 5 consecutive sick days between us, and that sucked.

So now, I take her to the doctor immediately. I only pay a $10 copay, so I don't mind at all.

Well take this with a grain of salt bc LO has not actually had a fever (although based on instruction from our ped fevers don't really concern me until they are 104 or higher..)... but I'm not super alarmist about illness. If Fiona was "just" grouchy with a 101 temp and a bit of ear pulling, I would probably give it until the morning and see how she seemed to be doing. I would feel like it was a cold, teething, and/or ear infection and I don't really feel like any of those things are urgent in under 24 hours. If she seemed really uncomfortable/in pain I would take her in same day though.

(Also-- sometimes babies just pull on their ears..? Maybe not Alice but Fiona has always done it a bit. Especially when she is tired or whiny. She pulls on her ears and also on her hair near her ears. We had her 9 mo appt after she started doing that and her ears were fine. Kids are weird...)

We are very much in the wait and see camp, but I am always big on going with your gut. Third time may be the charm for that darn ear infection? I haven't actually taken either in for fevers- came close once with a 3 day fever and a rash another time, but we also aren't limited by needing to return to daycare because of work constraints.

Ultimately if I can avoid bringing them into the pediatrician's which exposes them to more sick kiddos, I'd rather stay home and wait it out if they are ok on Tylenol or Ibuprofen.