Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Do you take your child to the ped every time that they are sick? I feel like I never know when to take her and when not to bother. 99% of the time it turns out that it was just a virus and not needed. When we go they look at her for like 2 mins and then say virus nothing you can do come back in a couple of days if she still has a fever or gets worse.

She almost never gets coughs, has never been on antibiotics at 4.5, only once had a very minor ear infection that was not treated with meds. She mostly does something like vomit one time, then just have a fever for a few days. Strep has gone around her class several times - so I have brought her in for cultures and they are always negative.

So she is sick again with 102 - but no other symptoms. She acts completely normal and even wants to go to school and is upset when we tell her she can't go.

I should add she almost never gets colds - when she does she only gets a runny nose - no cough, no fever.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

coughing yes...as both my kids have breathing issues.
Fever of only 101 with no or little symptoms, no. High fever like 103...I ususally take them to the doctor.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Depends on the kid. In your case, and what you described about your DD I wouldn't take her to the Ped and wait it out.
My DS's colds usually turn into ear infections so when he's acting off, run down and has a fever I do take him to the Peds. Always go straight to his ears and an antiobiotic clears it up fast.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

I don't bring him in unless it has been more than 2 days with symptoms still present or getting worse.

I call the Dr before that time frame if he has a faver more than a couple of hours or when any other visible symptoms like vomitting is extreme just to get a heads up on what I should be on the look out for.

DS had some weird fever episode last month where he had fever on and off for 3 days straight with no other symptoms.

His temperature would rise and fall from 104 to 97 every couple of hours. I called the ped and they saw him on the 2nd day and ran tests.

He had a stomach flu last week, I called the ped after he vomitted for 3rd time in less than 2 hours.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

dd is 20 months and i have only taken her 2 times when I thought she might have an ear infection. She had nothing other than a cold. I don't take her anymore and waste the $. She has never had an ear infection or fever. I took in an emergency b/c she broke out in this horrible rah all over her legs. And even then they didn't do anything besides hydro cortisone cream and what I was already doing.

I obviously take her for her well visits. She has had a few colds and coughs that we treated at home, nothing that warranted for me to take her. The cough never got worse etc. I think I would know when I needed to take her.

I would keep her home and not go to the dr. See what happens. If the fever gets worse than go but if you can control it at home than do so. I don't think it warrants a dr visit.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Only if she has a fever or a persistant cough

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

I was going every time she had a fever but now I stopped b/c I realized she is just like me and just runs high fevers. Now I would only go if it really shot up (its already been up to 105)

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

I do go every time he has a fever around 101 or higher but he is prone to ear infections so I'm too nervous to wait. if he has a low grade fever (99/100) i wait for 2 days and if it is still around or gets higher, i take him in.
it may sound crazy that i'm living in the peds offic e- LOL! - but DS goes to daycare and is always catching something

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

With my oldest, unless he's burning up or tugging his ears, no...

My youngest goes as soon as he has a cough bc he's got breathing issues

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Took her more often before she could talk to check for ear infections. Usually I was right.

Now we hardly ever go, if there is a fever for more than a few days or if congestion isn't clear, or if she has a prolonged cough we'll go. Otherwise I try to wait it out a few days.

I can tell when she's truly "down for the count", then we go.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

DS did not have any sick visits in over a year. But he also (thank goodness) has not had any fevers or bad coughs or vomiting. He had mild colds, which I don't take him for. It's a little different for me, becase DS has tubes. I can actually see if he has an ear infection, and have a standing order for the ear drops, so it doesn't warrant a visit.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Fever has to last more than a day and show symptoms that I believe antiobiotics can fix or they have breathing issues that have not improved with a nebulizer. Or something strange that I have no idea what's going on.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Dd goes a lot but she has chronic ear infections and asthma. I don't fool around when she gets a cough or bad congestion. My dd has had to go on steroids and my ped is really good at helping keep dd out of the ER. If my dd has a low grade fever without congestion I'd wait that out for a while!

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

In the beginning, yes. Now that they are 3 and 6, I tend not to bring them right away. Most fevers break after a day or two, most coughs are post-nasal drips, most illnesses in general are viral and can't be treated. I don't think either of my kids has had an antibiotic more than 2 or 3 times in their lives.

(Note-- neither of my kids has ever had an ear infection, so we don't have a constant run of those in the winter... I realize that those do need to be treated with antibiotics. Also asthma moms have to be more proactive with bringing the kids in, etc.)

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

If he has a fever that does not go down by the next morning, then I will take him in. Usually its an ear infection

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

No, but only you know your kid, kwim?

Like my youngest got hit with the stomach virus the other day. Vomiting and a slight fever. I didn't bring her in because I knew what it was.

But if either one is coughing, I usually bring them in. The youngest has asthma some don't want to take a chance. And the oldest was premature, so I feel like its worth it for the piece of mind.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Well after all of that as the day went on her fever went up and she started to complain her ears really hurt. So I ended up taking her and she did not have an ear infection - but she had very swollen glands and severe tonsilitis (funny part is that she wasn't complaining that her throat hurt)- and tested positive for strep throat. The strange part is that her fever has actually gone back down and after being 103 earlier today at the time she was ready for her next dose of motrin she was only 100.6???

This time it turned out to be the obvious choice to bring her in - but so many times she just gets a fever and nothing else - so I bring her only because something like strep was going around to be told nope just a run of the mill virus and she will be okay. I just feel like normally she is more of a should I or shouldn't I take her case.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Rarely. DH is a doctor though.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

I almost never bring DS. He goes to daycare, so a cold and cough stay with him from Sept. - May. He's had 2 ear infections and for those, we obviously brought him, but other than that, no.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

I haven't had to yet, except for when she scratched her cornea. Oh and the pebble up her nose She did that the morning of a well check up though. DD hasn't been that I'll we're i've had to consider it though. I try to avoid the ped office, that's where all the sick kids are.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Rarely. DS has been more than my other kids because he has food allergies and RAD.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

No - for all the reasons you describe. This is when I bring them to the ped:

1. They are complaining about something objective that might need immediate attetion - ear, eyes, throat, body part etc.

2. Unexplained very high fever that doesn't respond to meds.

3. Fever for more than 3 days.


I think that pretty much covers it!

So sorry to hear that DD is sick and that it's STREP UGH UGH UGH!!!! Hope she feels better soon!

We were at the ped AGAIN as well today for #3

ETA: I forgot I bought DS once when he had a cough that seemed to linger forever...but, all was fine, so I guess I didn't even need to.

Message edited 2/14/2012 8:46:06 PM.

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

no

only if their behavior significantly changes and/or they have a fever

Re: Do you go to the ped whenever your child is sick

Second time around, no. I got used to always hearing "there is nothing we can do" or "use the dehumdifier/vaporizer". I took dd#2 once bc it sounded like she totally couldnt breathe and still it wasnt a huge deal and her lungs were clear. For the average cold/cough...not a chance.