Sudden onset of high temp.....Help

[Nutcracker]

Ds has suddenly got a temp. He was sat eating his tea and began moaning and falling asleep. When i got him out of his chair he was roasting hot. He wasn't hot when i put him in there, and he has been fine all day.
I've just given him some Calpol and he's sitting on Dp's lap falling asleep.

Is it normal to go so hot so quickly. I can't remember it ever happening with Dd's before.

[carlyb]

have you taken his temperature?> If so what is it? My ds has this bad cold and he got a temperature really quickly - so dont panic. douse him with cool flannels. I would take his temp though - just to see how hot he is. I take it he has no rashes?

[Lisa78]

Nutty, little ones spike a temperature very very quickly - calpol is good, but try sponging him down with tepid water. If its tepid, it will cool him down by drawing the heat from his body; if its too cool it will make the blood vessels constrict and shrink lower in his body, so they don't give off the heat, IYSWIM
Quite often, a rapid spike in temperature is down to an ear infection - is his outer ear red? Is he pulling at his ear? Give him plenty to drink - preferably water, but OJ if he won't drink water - as much as you can persuade him to have. If he's reluctant to swallow, he may have a strep throat. If he's no better in the morning, give your GP a ring
Good luck babes!

[Lisa78]

Just thought, its chicken pox season... any little bubbly spots on his trunk - thats where they usually come first

[Flip]

Any other symptoms? Not wanting to be held. Not wanting to watch TV or blinking a lot when he is. Keep a close eye on him and take his temperature as often as you can to see if the Calpol's working.

One of the things NHS direct ask you is if this is the worst you've ever seen your child. You have to use your own judgement and it won't be wrong.

[lou33]

It happened like that to dd1 when she was about 2 1/2. Just rocketed like I couldn't believe. I was so shocked I took her to a and e, and they admitted her, which really panicked me, started talking about lumbar punctures and all sorts, but it actually turned out to be an throat and ear infection!

Have you looked in his throat? Have you felt around his jawline to see if his glands are up? Give him paracetamol and ibuprofen, alternated preferably, although they can be taken at the same time. Strip him down to bare essentials and see how he is for a little while, but if his temp wont settle with cooling and painkillers then I would call the gp.

Poor thing, hope he gets better soon. Good luck.

[hmb]

You can interleave doses of Calpol with Ibuprofen syrup. Don't go over either dose but give the Calpol half way through the Ibuprofen 'treatment period' IYSWIM. Don't give ibuprofen if you ds is asthmatic.

[lou33]

Lisa, am using your jelly drink tonight with dd1 who has bad tonsilitis !

[Nutcracker]

was just going to reply, no rashes, and then dp took his top off and he does have a rash, It's flat red blotches although he does have some even redder bigger blotches on his back.

He doesn't seem to bad in him self, as he's currently trying to attack Dd2

haven't taken his temp yet, thermometers gone walkies.

[lou33]

Good point about the asthma .

[lou33]

Does the rash disappear if you press a glass against it?

[JJ]

Nutcracker, do they fade if you press a glass on them? If not, you should take him to A and E, immediately. Although from your description it doesn't sound like that sort of rash.

My eldest could get really sick really quickly, too. It seems like the Calpol is working for yours -- hope so!

[Lisa78]

Hope it helps Lou! If nothing else, its really comforting (blackcurrant was my favourite, I remember having mumps and my mother gave me lemon... ugh, just not the same!)

Nutty, how big are the blotches? Are they raised or flat to the skin?

[SoupDragon]

Definitely dose with paracetamol and ibruprofen (asthma permitting) Exactly what A&E did with DS1 over Easter. Take temperature (thermometer permitting!) regularly to monitor it and see if it's going down. The red blotches could just be a reaction to the heat (DS1 went scarlet at one point!) but the glass test is a good idea. If he's OK in himself, that's a good sign.

[Flip]

If it looks like bruises under the skin, A&E. If it's close little pin pricks together then it's probably a viral rash to do with the temperature and the body fighting it.

Do the glass test just to reasure you. As a regular at the hospital with a baby who often has the menengitis/septecemia rash. They say they will see children any time and as often as a parent is worried.

[Nutcracker]

Right he's in bed now. He is still hot, face is bright red, as are ears.
It is sort of a pin prick rash, and does fade under glass.

Could it be teething ??? Am never sure wether they can get a rash with it or not.

[Levanna]

Hi, my DD developed a temp yesterday evening of 39.8c (under arm thermometer, so temp was probably 40.8c !) Another vote here for nurofen alternated with calpol, it seems the most effective way of bringing it down. DD tends to develop a pin prick rash along with temperatures, on her trunk, as you've described. NHS Direct or GP usually put it down to part of 'the virus' or a heat rash - not neccesarialy anything to worry about. DD did once need treatment when she developed a pin prick rash (sorry, can't remember what it was she had got - something obscure and fairly harmles though!). TBH, if it is still raging tomorrow, I'd get him checked, just in case it's an underlying urine infection, or something. Or, if you are having trouble keeping it under control take him in a.s.a.p. They can get rashes with teething too, as far as I know, though no first hand experience of it. Hope he's feeling well again soon . (There are so many viruses about at the mo!)

[Nutcracker]

Well his temp is alot better this morning, and he is now very warm, rather than boiling hot to touch.
He still has the pin prick rash on his belly and back, and it has spread to his arms and legs.
The weirdest thing though is his face. He looks like he's been sitting in the sun too long. His forhead, nose, tips of his cheeks and chin are all bright red. Looks like someones smacked him between the eyes.

He is still fine in himself, toddling around and shouting at the t.v at the mo. Eating and drinking fine too.

[SoupDragon]

Slapped Cheek?

"Your baby's cheeks will be red and look as if they've actually been slapped. A red, lacy-like rash may appear on his body and limbs. He may have a slight fever and feel achy and flu-like or have no other symptoms at all. Another non-rash symptom, much more common in adults, is joint pain."

[Nutcracker]

Oh blimey, sounds like it could be that. I did think of it but have packed my medical book so couldn't look it up.

Is it contagious then ???

[SoupDragon]

Forgot to look! It's one of those things that just runs its course though.

[SoupDragon]

Medical book packed? Packed?? Are you going somewhere

" Home > Baby > Baby Health > Healthcare: baby and toddler

Slapped cheek disease

? My baby's cheeks are suddenly bright red. What could cause this?

? What are the symptoms?

? Should I call the doctor?

? How can I treat it?

? Is it contagious?

? Can it affect adults?

? What about pregnant women?

? Related Topics



----------------

Key: Click a word marked like this Glossary to see its meaning.
My baby's cheeks are suddenly bright red. What could cause this?
It could be slapped cheek disease, also known as "fifth disease," which got its name because it was the fifth red-rash disease of its ilk. The other four are scarlet fever, measles, rubella, and roseola. The virus is most common in school-aged children, but babies can get it, too.

What are the symptoms?
Your baby's cheeks will be red and look as if they've actually been slapped. A red, lacy-like rash may appear on his body and limbs. He may have a slight fever and feel achy and flu-like or have no other symptoms at all. Another non-rash symptom, much more common in adults, is joint pain.

Sometimes the rash can reappear months later in response to exposure to sunlight or heat ? after a hot bath or exercise for instance. Don't worry if it does ? it's not a recurrence of the infection.

Should I call the doctor?
When in doubt, see your GP. Like most viruses, this just needs to run its course. If a fever lasts longer than a few days or reaches high temperatures, however, a different infection may be the cause. It's not uncommon for the rash to linger for up to a month.

How can I treat it?
Treat the virus as you would a cold, with fluids and paracetamol suspension, if your GP recommends them.

Is it contagious?

Like other viruses, it can spread through oral secretions. The incubation period is about 10 to 14 days, and your child is most contagious the week before symptoms appear. Once the rash appears, however, he's minimally contagious. Keep him away from other children not only to keep from spreading the virus, but also to prevent him from picking up other infections."

[SoupDragon]

Didn't mean to post all of that

[Janh]

Has anyone mentioned roseola ? DD1 had it aged about 12 months - boiling hot, small rash, not particularly ill.

[Nutcracker]

Thanks Soupy, certainly seems like it could be that.
I will keep a close eye on him incase of any changes though.

[Nutcracker]

I also thought of that Jan, but i don't think his temp was that high. Dd1 had it when she was about 1 and her temp was over 40.c
Plus she had quite a bad cold before hand and Ds has had nothing other than the temp and the rash.