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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Is The Cause Of Child Having Stiff Neck, High Fever, Stomachache?

4 1/2 year old girl a few days ago said had stiff neck ( not sure anything to do wth now) fever all day average 102.7 spited to 103.5 never lower than 102.3 and tummy ache. stayed in bed all day not eating drinking little water and juice no meds. giving sponge baths
Wed, 24 Jun 2015
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hello! I read your query very carefully.
These symptoms occur in children everywhere, but you should be very careful especially if your child has high fever; stiff neck (can’t bend the head forward), vomiting and confusion because it could indicate the onset of meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord of your child) which needs immediate medical care. I would suggest you to give fluids to your child; they hydrate the body and help your child’s organism fight the fever. If your child was one of my patients I would suggest you to give your child acetaminophen for high fever, avoid drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, which may not be safe for people with untreated meningitis. Meanwhile, I would suggest you to contact your child’s doctor in order to establish the diagnosis, because it is easy to mistake the early signs of meningitis for the influenza (or another viral infection) or vices versa. It is important to understand whether it is a viral infection or a bacterial one, because the last one needs treatment with antibiotics. Take your child to the emergency room right away if your child develops persistent fever, vomiting, confusion and especially stiff neck. The longer your child has meningitis without treatment, the greater the risk of complications.
Don’t worry, check carefully your child’s symptoms, give plenty of fluids to her, and call your child’s doctor if your child is not getting better or is getting worse.
I hope I answered your question and I hope your girl will get better soon!
Best regards!
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What Is The Cause Of Child Having Stiff Neck, High Fever, Stomachache?

Hello! I read your query very carefully. These symptoms occur in children everywhere, but you should be very careful especially if your child has high fever; stiff neck (can’t bend the head forward), vomiting and confusion because it could indicate the onset of meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord of your child) which needs immediate medical care. I would suggest you to give fluids to your child; they hydrate the body and help your child’s organism fight the fever. If your child was one of my patients I would suggest you to give your child acetaminophen for high fever, avoid drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, which may not be safe for people with untreated meningitis. Meanwhile, I would suggest you to contact your child’s doctor in order to establish the diagnosis, because it is easy to mistake the early signs of meningitis for the influenza (or another viral infection) or vices versa. It is important to understand whether it is a viral infection or a bacterial one, because the last one needs treatment with antibiotics. Take your child to the emergency room right away if your child develops persistent fever, vomiting, confusion and especially stiff neck. The longer your child has meningitis without treatment, the greater the risk of complications. Don’t worry, check carefully your child’s symptoms, give plenty of fluids to her, and call your child’s doctor if your child is not getting better or is getting worse. I hope I answered your question and I hope your girl will get better soon! Best regards!