Very low temp

[mommyof3co]

I've posted before about Preston, he was born 37wks but very sick with very underdeveloped lungs so he was classed as a preemie and is still treated as one now. He is now about 5.5mo and has been doing very well for the most part. But earlier I noticed he felt very cold, it was cool in the house but not that cold, but I took his temp and it was 96.7F so I changed him into a long sleeved body suit, socks then a very warm fleece footed sleeper over that with a hat. He was ready for a nap so I put him to bed with 2 very thick/warm blankets over him (yes I know the risk of blankets, I choose to use them, he doesn't move around in his sleep). But he slept for about 5-5.5hrs and woke up to eat so I fed him and had a thick blanket over us then took his temp and it was even lower at 95.3F. So I had his daddy take him to try and warm him because he has a lot of body heat so he did skin to skin with him with a blanket over them for awhile but he started getting fidgety and wouldn't just lay still so he put his clothes back on him and just held him on his chest with a blanket and they fell asleep. I went to get him to put him back in bed and checked his temp again and it was only up to 95.9F with all of that.

Anyone know what might be going on, what we should do to raise his temp back to normal? I remember when Hayden was about his age when he would be trying to fight off an illness his temp would drop and he'd sleep a lot but I don't remember his temp ever going below maybe 96.3F...not nearly as low as Preston. Going to post over in the baby section too because I have no idea if if has anything to do with him being preemie, if it's maybe normal? Or what. Thanks in advance

 

[inperfected]

Id be taking him to the doctors to be honest if its still not been brought up after all that *hugs*

 

[Foogirl]

Preemies do have trouble maintaining body temperature. Even when Abby was home, she was often. old, although we never really checked temperatures, just threw on a few more clothes and blankets. It did always come back up though. If your LO previously was generally quite good at maintaining temperature and this is a change for him, I think I would be seeking advice from the doctor. Low temps are common after vaccinations, but from memory, you don't vaccinate so it couldn't be that. I would do the same as you, just throw on more layers. Always avoid fan heaters or baths as they are not effective and can be dangerous. Temperatures should always be changed slowly.

 

[mommyof3co]

We ended up going to the ER after calling our nurse hotline. It just got cold here in TX from 100+ degree temps, well we've been having like 80 for about a month but then it just got pretty chilly so this is the first he's been in anything but warm-hot temps. His temp got as low as 95.3F and when we got to the ER it was 96.2F. They checked him for RSV which thankfully came back negative. I'm not really sure why they checked for that, he had a bit of a runny nose but clear and really not much at all. When respiratory came down to do the test she said that when babies have RSV there is usually lots of drainage. I guess it's just standard for a baby presenting at all sick this time of year when they are preemies? They wrapped him in thick blankets from the warmer and we were able to get his temp up to 98. They told us that it is either that he can't maintain his body temp in this cooler weather because he's preemie OR he is starting to get sick.

The following day his temp went up to 100 and then since then it's been 99-100.4 so nothing major just slightly raised. He's been really fussy but doesn't really seem sick. Then my 6yr old also has a 100 degree temp and he looks like he doesn't feel well but says he's fine. So not really sure what's going on right now.

The ER did tell us that if his temp goes below 97 to throw some blankets in the dryer to warm them and then wrap him up...if we can't get it to 97 or above within 30min-1hr to go ahead and take him back in OR if it goes below 95.

 

[Foogirl]

Gald to hear his temperature has come up. That's a great tip about warming blankets. We used to do the same with towels for her coming out of the bath as she just hated the cold. It never occurred to me to do that if she had a low temp at other times - doh!

I'm just having a giggle about your cold temperature. It's 11am here and is 54 degrees. And today is a mild-ish day too!

Hopefully whatever is coming over them is a minor bug and they will be back to themselves before too long.

I suspect you are right about RSV. Time is usually critical when treating it so it make sense if you have a LO with a history of respiratory problems, to rule it in or out ASAP.

 

[mommyof3co]

Haha I know, I would have been laughing at what I now consider cold too a few years back when in Colorado. I feel like I am no longer welcome in colorado because I'm actually cold in 50degrees! lol Stupid 100 degree weather has me all screwed up. Though the cold is different here, it's a wet cold so you feel colder in higher temps than you do in Colorado that is dry.