Joey had her immunization shots yesterday and I gave her Tylenol and Motrin, but this morning at 6 AM, she had a temperature of 102.7 degrees fahrenheit. Between calls to the doctor, Tylenol and Motrin, and cold baths in the sink, it has been a difficult day in Mommydom.
Oooo…so sorry, Jessie! While fevers are fairly common with immunizations, they’re never much fun for mom…especially when it’s the first time little one has been sick!
Hang in there! If she’s like my Jo was as a baby, she’ll want to cuddle, sleep and nurse a lot (come to think of it, she still likes to cuddle and sleep when she’s sick, though she’s long past nursing). Time is generally the best healer for this kind of thing.
Jo had her first major illness (a tummy bug with a high fever) just a month after her first birthday. I remember it was so scary! She had just started walking, and she didn’t even try again for weeks after…no energy!
Give her a hug for us, and here’s hoping things will be back to normal soon.
Redwolf
I don’t envy you right now. My daughter got sickly and feverish after her shots so many years ago. I don’t know if it helped any, but we put a wet t bag on the site of the shot. Advice from old timers.
Alcohol helps.
(for the parents)
Jesse:
Your little one is running a temp do to the immune systems response to the immunizations. Some immunizations will mock flu symptoms from 24 to 48 hours. Keep the child comfortable as possible continue to give her tylenol for temp and motrin for the soreness. I have twins and the temps come with the immunizations.
Hope your little one feels better soon.
ah… the second rite of passage into motherhood… the first illness… I’m sure it is jut the immunization response.. poor kiddo,… poor mom… and dad… it should be brief… you will get through it. 
Babies tend to have fevers, i think it’s the way their immune system works. Most doctors won’t even prescribe anything until it’s 103 or 104 degrees F (40C). I agree, it’s probably a reaction to the vaccines. HAng in there, she’ll be ok.
g (i’m not a doctor, but i just played one on the Internet)
There is nothing worse than watching your child suffer..from anything! It breaks your heart..and you feel helpless. Take it from all these wonderful posters here…and parents everywhere..and hang in there! Get rest..and hold her if she wants it! We’re thinkin of ya!! Play some slow airs on the low whistle to lull her asleep!
Take care Jessie and Joey,
Nancy
Hi Jessie,
Ugh! Hated those damn immunizations for my child. Be sure to keep her well hydrated. If she develops a rash, becomes listliss or has trouble breathing or swallowing be sure to get her to the doc right away.
My daughter was hypersensitive to some medications particularly antibiotics. You’ve got to watch that fever. My little one had a febrile seisure from a fever spike from an anitbiotic when she was a year old. I am honestly not trying to scare you but you’ve got to keep the temp under control. Seems a lot of kids are very sensitive to meds these days.
Be sure to take care of yourself, too. Get some backup if you can. We all need a break from such scary stuff with our little ones. If you feel calm, it will help her feel better, too.
She’ll be better soon!
Peace,
Fran
While you definitely want to keep an eye on it, it takes a temp quite a bit higher than 102 to cause a seizure. Usually, if there’s a seizure with a temp like that, it’s in addition to, rather than caused by, the fever.
Redwolf
Thank you everyone for the support! I am certain that this is due to the immunizations. I have kept the fever under control (it’s been around 100 for most of the day) and she’s ok - a bit lethargic, but she smiles at me when I talk to her, so that’s a good sign. We were supposed to go to a wake tonight (my husband’s uncle died unexpectedly), but we are staying home to take care of Joey.
Agreed, 102 is not seizure range, especially for children. But a fever spike can be the culprit (which the antibiotic caused in my daughter - was later discovered as a potential side effect of the drug) or 104 and above, hence the term febrile (relating to, or characterized by fever; feverish) seizure. I’m speaking from experience, not theory.
And they say that most kids who have febrile seizures only have one or two. I suspect most of this result is due to terrified parents who never want to witness such suffering in their children again. It makes for very diligent and aware parents. My daughter is now 16 and has never had another seizure.
Jessie’s little sweetie is hardly likely ever to experience such an incident. But it would have helped me if someone had mentioned the possible circumstances when my daughter was small.
Fran
Jessie, I work overseeing clinical trials (ie, human studies) of vaccines, and I can confirm that fever is a very common effect, not just in babies but in just about anyone who’s had a vaccination. The good news is it’s not very likely to go any higher than it was today, and there’s a decent chance it’ll be gone entirely by tomorrow. Also, the fact that she had a fever this time doesn’t really mean she’s a lot more likely to have one at the next set of shots.
I’m losing track, were these her 2-month shots? How many did she get? She’ll get a lot at 4 months too (probably 4 or 5, depending on which vaccines they use), but it goes down after this. The good news is that it’ll keep her from some very, very nasty diseases that are much scarier than a 102.5 degree fever. Hang in there – I know it’s hard now, but you’re doing her a lot of good!
Steven
These were her 4-month shots.
No fever today!!
Good to hear the fever’s gone! And this was the most shots she’ll get at once, so hopefully she won’t react this strongly next time (6 months). And it’ll be less unpleasant for you having to see her get all those shots…
Wow, 4 months already! How fast they grow up!!
Steven
Yes, her next appointment is for october 11th, our (1 year) wedding anniversary.