I am so confused about temperature reading. I have been taking DS temp with an underarm thermometer and am confused to what the temp should be. My book says that underarm is 2 degrees lower than what the temp actually is. Is that true? DS feels really hot so I took his underarn temp and it said 99.9, so does that mean that it really is 101.9? Can someone please post what the temp should be if its underarm and what a fever would be. Hes sleeping right now ws I dont want to wake him and do a rectal until later. Help!!!
Thanks

I was told by my dd's ped that it's one degree lower. So, that would be 100.9. They say to call if it's higher than 100.4.

Actually, the temperature should be 104.0 before you call or take them to emerg. Anything less than this and they will just do what you would do. Run a tepid bath and give them tylenol or advil or some kind of fever reducer. This is what I was told by the Pharmacist a few months ago. Ds#1 had a fever of 102 one night and I was worried about him so I checked on him while he was sleeping. We have an ear thermometer so I took it without waking him. It was 104.3!!! I started freaking out and woke up dh and said I was taking him to the hospital. I stripped him down to his diaper and got a cold cloth to put on his head. We gave him advil - fever reducer and just kept him nice and cool and relaxed. He wasn't moving much because he obviously felt yucky having a fever that high but I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to try to bring it down as quickly as possible.
It went down within a half an hour to 102 and then to 101 about 15 mins after that. I layed him beside me to sleep for a bit and took his temp again about a half an hour after that. It was 98! I carried him to his crib and he was still feverish in the morning, about 101. Turns out he had roseola. A few days later his fever was gone and he broke out in a funny red bump rash. It wasn't itchy and went away within 3 or 4 days.
Sorry this is sooooo long. I got rambling.
100.9 is nothing to panic about is my point. Keep him cool and try fever reducer. Check on him every now and then and if he feels really hot take his temp again. If it spikes to 103 - 104 I would try to bring it down or take him to the hospital immediately.

I have one of those Children's Tylenol charts I keep on my fridge, here is what it says:

Normal EAR temperature: 37c (98.6F)
Normal MOUTH temperature: 37c (98.6F)
Normal ARMPIT temperature: 36.5C (97.6F)

I always go by what my thermometer says...I don't adjust the #'s it reads, I just look and see how it relates to the above #'s. If you have a digital one they are very accurate, the old mercury ones are a bit harder to read though. I would say give him some tylenol and check it in an hour to make sure it's gone down, if you can't keep it down take him to the Dr to check for an ear infection or other possible reason. Goodluck.

Actually, the temperature should be 104.0 before you call or take them to emerg.My dd's ped said that infants with a temp of 100.4 or higher should call. Older children with higher temps is actually not as worrisome as younger kids with lower temps. Everyone gets different opinions on that though too, I'm sure.

Fevers are very dangerous. It never hurts to call.

I heard that you have to subtract 1 from rectal temps. Is this true?
I have an ear thermometer. Never used it on her.

I have mostly heard to have a fever checked if it is 100.4 or more. Definitely do not wait until it is 104! That is REALLY high! That is a high fever even for an adult! I think that doesn't sound like wise advice from the pharmicist.

I think 100.4 is a little extreme though. Maybe 104 is too high but 100.4 is only a degree and a bit higher than normal. Also, fevers are actually a good thing in kids because it means their bodies are fighting off an infection or virus. My brother use to get spiking fevers and be delerious for about an hour or two, it would break after a tepid bath and some fever reducer and he would be totally fine the next day. One time it went up to 105 and my Dad stripped him down naked and walked outside with him in the dead of winter!? I can't believe they did crazy stuff like that back then.
Anyway, my point is, kids get fevers all the time. When they teeth they often get a low fever (between 100 - 102). If you took your child to the emergency room or called the doc evertime this happened you'd be living their between the ages of 6 months to 2 years!
My advice, having a toddler who has gone through it already, is to watch the fever closely and monitor it. If it doesn't go down after a luke warm bath and some fever reducer then go to the doc. I did call my Doc when ds got his first fever and it was 102.8. Even they told me to give a cooler bath and some Advil or something and watch it. If it didn't go down after a half an hour to an hour to call back.
I guess advice can be all over the spectrum!