symptoms in infants and children
children s health issues
Fever in Infants and Children
Fever occurs in response to infection, injury, or inflammation and has many causes. Likely causes of fever depend on whether it has lasted 14 days or less (acute) or more than 14 days (chronic), as well as on the age of the child. Fevers are usually acute. Acute fevers in infants and children are usually caused by an infection. Teething does not typically cause fever over 101° F (38.3° C). Themost common causes of acute feverare Respiratory infections due to a virus, such as colds or flu Gastroenteritis in Children (infection of the digestive tract) due to a virus Certain bacterial infections, particularly Acute Middle Ear Infection in Children (otitis media), sinus infections, Newborns and young infants are at higher risk of certain serious infections because their immune system is not fully developed. Such infections may be acquired before birth or during birth and include Sepsis in Newborns (a serious infection of the blood), pneumonia (infection of the small air sacs of the lungs), and Children under 3 years old who develop a fever (particularly if their temperature is 102.2° F [39° C] or higher) sometimes have bacteria in their bloodstream ( Bacteremia ). Unlike older children, they sometimes have bacteremia with no symptoms besides fever (called include side effects of vaccinations and of certain drugs, bacterial infections of the skin ( Cellulitis ) or joints ( Typically, a fever due to vaccination lasts a few hours to a day after the vaccine is given. However, some vaccinations can cause a fever even 1 or 2 weeks after the vaccine is given (as with Side Effects ). Children who have a fever when they are scheduled to receive a vaccine can still receive the vaccine if the fever is low and they have no serious illness. Chronic fever most commonly results from A prolonged viral illness Back-to-back viral illnesses, especially in young children Chronic fever can also be caused by many other infectious and noninfectious disorders. Infectious causes of chronic fever include Overview of Hepatitis None Sinusitis None Overview of Pneumonia None Abdominal Abscesses (pockets of pus in the abdomen) Infections of the digestive tract caused by bacteria or parasites Bone infections (such as Osteomyelitis ) Heart infections (such as Infective Endocarditis ) Tuberculosis (TB) None Noninfectious causes of chronic fever include Overview of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) None Juvenile idiopathic arthritis or other connective tissue disorders Cancer (such as Overview of Leukemia and Occasionally, children fake a fever, or Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another . Sometimes the cause is not identified. 