My 8 year old son has had a fever for 3 days now. It started the other night at 102.4, would not drop with meds even. The next night it was 102 again but went down with tylonel and motrin. Last night was 101 and responded to meds. Tonight it is 100.3. He has had no symptoms through this except a nasty looking cold sore. I had him to the Dr today and she said a virus. No fever at all through the day today, and each day he has not acted sick at all, in fact when I realized he had a fever the other day was when I gave him a kiss. I am baffled. He wants to go to school tomorrow badly (bored at home without his sibs) but with a fever of 100.3 tonight should I send him tomorrow? It will most likely be normal in the morning. Advice?
That was a high enough fever I would keep him home another day. It hasn't resolved. And it's winter and he could infect other kids. Maybe he's bored but at 8, not like he's going to miss something at school he can't catch up on. Downside of sending is bigger than upside. And it likely is against school policy to send him. The policy exists for a reason.
No!!!!! Fever free for a FULL 24 hours without meds.
What is your schools policy?
Most I know say he has to be below 100 for 24 hrs without meds before returning.
Sorry if he's bored but he's still sick and he needs to rest up.
If it makes you feel any better - my sister stayed home through most of 2nd grade to do a major case recurring of mono.
Every time they thought she was better it came right back again.
I spent most of the year bring her assignments home from school and taking her finished work back to her teacher.
I think you need to keep him home one more day. If the fever was gone during the day, but rose back to 100.3 tonight, then he isn't better yet. Fevers often drop during the day and come back in the late afternoon/evening. If he had woken up with it under 100 and had it stay under 100 all day, then I would have said yes. But the fact that it went back up and hasn't dropped below 100 yet is a sign that he isn't fully recovered. Please keep him home so he doesn't get anyone else sick.
No - it's so unfair to the other kids and staff! He's contagious. This is how your kid got sick to begin with - someone who didn't stay home.
I'm happy he doesn't feel sick - but it's irrelevant from the standpoint of school. His fever should be 99 or below with no meds for 24 hours. If he were older, I would say to get some work sent home by the teacher, but at 8 I don't think it matters. You can email to see if there's anything simple she can send home via email, although it's very short notice. Or you can ask for something to be sent to the office and you could take him in the car to pick it up (but he doesn't go inside. If you can't have someone watch him then have a friend pick up or see if it can come home with a sibling if they're in the same school, or in a neighbor kid's backpack. Read books to stimulate his brain and give him more sleep/rest than he wants. I'd keep an eye on that active nasty cold sore too.
Use the boredom to your advantage - next time he doesn't want to wash his hands or go to bed or drink enough fluids, say, "Remember how you were so bored at home?"
Boredom can be contagious among children. So it's a good idea to keep him home until he is no longer bored.
Oh - and keep an eye on that fever, that sounds bad too.
If he doesn't have a fever when he wakes up and seems to feel fine, I'd send him. I'd never keep home a kid without a fever who felt fine just because he had a fever a day or two earlier.
Good luck!
meh. i get that it's frustrating, and i'd be itching to get on with it too.
100.3 is just on the line, though. it's a little fever, and by itself wouldn't concern me greatly. but the fact that it WAS high, and didn't come down without meds, and that he has a cold sore......
yeah, i'd keep him home one more day. sorry.
khairete
S.
Keep him home till no fever.. did u ask the Dr this when you took him today??
I always keep mine home an extra day to fully recover (and to avoid passing it along to other kids). I've never been concerned about the bored thing. Let him watch TV and rest up. He'll be back to normal soon enough.
Mom below made good point - without fever means without taking meds for it. Is his fever coming down on it's own or just with Motrin and Tylenol? I'd be letting him go back when his temperature is in the normal range, without any meds at all.
Our school district policy is that kids (and staff) need to stay out of school until they have been fever free (without the use of fever reducing meds) for 24 hours.
As a parent, that policy kind of sucks. It's a pain when my husband or I have to take off from work. As a teacher, I am very grateful for the policy. Every time a kid comes to school sick, I'm exposed to it. I only get so many sick days a year. They have to cover me and my kids. Please keep him home.
I'm going to respectfully disagree with those below. You said he was fever free all day, and this evening is reading 100.3 (I assume that is without any meds). According to most docs, it's not even a fever unless it's 100.4 or higher. So by that definition, by morning he will have been fever free for 24 hours. If, without any meds, it doesn't go any higher all night tonight, he's still fever free in the morning, and he feels fine, I'd send him.
Obviously if it creeps up at all over night, he stays home tomorrow.
Absolutely do not send him to school. He needs to be fever free for a minimum of 24 hrs. I always kept mine home an additional extra day to build up strength and because he would relapse quite often.
hes had a fever.. period. even if it was only 100.3 i would keep him home another day.
