Tracking a cold or fever with a young child

The first time you nurse a small child through a real illness, you discover how quickly the days blur. Was it last night or the night before that the fever peaked? Did Dad give that last Calpol at half six or half eight? Was the 9pm dose ibuprofen or paracetamol?

None of this is hard to record. But none of it gets recorded by accident either. Here's a simple system — what to track, when, and how to use it.

Why track at all?

Three reasons:

1. Decisions are easier with data. Whether to give the next Calpol, whether to call 111, whether to go to A&E — all of these are clearer when you can see the last 12 hours at a glance instead of trying to remember.

2. The trend matters more than the snapshot. A child with 39°C in the late afternoon might be heading either way. Knowing whether yesterday's peak was higher or lower tells you which way.

3. Triage nurses ask the same questions every time. Temperature, doses, fluids in, wet nappies, behaviour. If you've got the answers ready the call is faster and the assessment more accurate.

What to track, in detail

Temperature

• 2–3 readings a day is plenty, plus any extra when something feels different
• Always log the time; a number on its own is half the story
• Same thermometer, same method (underarm or ear) each time, for comparable readings
• If you record a high one (39°C+), set a reminder to check again in 30–60 minutes — the trajectory matters

Doses

• Medicine name (Calpol Infant vs Calpol 6+ vs ibuprofen — the brand alone isn't enough)
• Amount in ml
• Time
• Who gave it (especially if two parents are sharing)

The biggest single risk of unmanaged dosing isn't overdose in the dangerous sense — it's accidental double-dosing because two parents didn't sync. Log every dose the moment it's given.

Fluids and nappies / wee

You don't need to count millilitres. What matters is: are they drinking enough to stay hydrated? The proxy is wet nappies in babies, or weeing in older kids. Six or more wet nappies in 24 hours in a baby is reassuring; fewer than three is a flag.

Symptoms and behaviour

A short note — "very chesty cough", "refused breakfast", "back to playing for an hour after Calpol" — is enough. Trends are what you're looking for: improving by day 3 is reassuring; worsening by day 3 is a reason to ring the GP.

Sleep

How long they slept, whether the night was disturbed, whether daytime naps were possible. Sleep is the single most useful indicator that recovery is happening.

Where to track

The best system is the one you'll actually use at 3am. Options, in increasing order of structure:

• Piece of paper on the fridge — works fine for short illnesses if both parents are home
• Shared notes app (Apple Notes, Google Keep) — better if one parent is out
• Dedicated app like Dosey — handles the "can I give the next dose now?" maths automatically and syncs between phones in real time

Whichever you choose, pick one and stick to it for the whole illness. Splitting across a text thread, a notes app, and your memory is how dosing errors happen.

A typical 24-hour log for a viral fever

Even just glancing at this, you can see: peak fever 38.6, trending down, eating a bit, drinking, sleeping in stretches, three doses spread across the day with a respectable interval. That's a reassuring picture. If the same log showed 39.5 → 39.7 → 39.9 with no wet nappies, you'd be calling 111.

When to use the log to escalate

Patterns that warrant a call to NHS 111 or the GP:

• Fever rising over multiple readings rather than plateauing
• Fever persisting past day 5
• Doses needed at the minimum 4-hour interval each time, with no relief in between
• Fluid intake falling — fewer than 3 wet nappies in a baby across 24 hours
• Behaviour changing — much more drowsy, less responsive, harder to console
• New symptoms appearing: rash, fast breathing, severe headache, stiff neck

See when a fever needs a doctor for the full set of red flags.

How to brief a second parent or grandparent

When you hand over (you go to work, partner takes over, grandparent steps in), the brief should cover:

• Last temperature reading and time
• Last dose: what, when
• Earliest the next dose can be given (and which medicine, if alternating)
• Anything specific to watch for in the next few hours

A visible log makes this two seconds, not two minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What should I track when my child is ill?

Temperature, doses, fluids/nappies, symptoms, and sleep. Those five things are what NHS 111 will ask about.

How often should I take their temperature?

2–3 times a day usually, with extras when something changes. Constant checking adds anxiety without adding information.

What's the easiest way to keep both parents in sync?

One shared place to log. Whether that's paper, a notes app, or Dosey doesn't matter — what matters is no parallel records.

Do I need to track a simple cold?

Not really, if your child has no fever and is eating and drinking. Tracking becomes worth it once there's a fever or medication involved.

What if the GP wants to see my log?

Show them the screen, take a screenshot, or read the last 24 hours aloud. Any of these is more useful than "uhh, I think it was around 39 last night?"

How Dosey helps

Dosey is built around exactly this list. Doses, temperatures and notes go in with one or two taps; partner sync means whichever parent is on duty sees the same picture; the home screen tells you when the next dose can safely be given. You can also export a 30-day history as a PDF for a GP visit if needed.

Related posts

• When should I see a doctor for a child's fever?
• The first 24 hours of a fever
• Calpol and ibuprofen together

Sources

• NHS — Fever in children
• NICE NG143 — Fever in under 5s
• NHS — Dehydration in babies