Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Recurring HIGH fever in a 1 year old..

Hi. My son is 13 months old. Since he was about 5 months old, he has off and on developed fevers. He developed teeth early ( he has 13 teeth now) and had several colds from daycare. At the age of around 8 months old, he developed a 106 fever and was rushed to the ER. They sent us home that night with antibiotics and said it was a virus. Since then, yes since then.. he has had a fever on and off. A week has not gone by without developing a fever in between the range of 100-105. Many times, he has no other sympton AT ALL. Now, it has been 7 weeks with recurring HIGH ( 101-104) FEVER. Every time we take him to the doctor, they say it is justa virus and to let it pass. I cannot take this "virus thing" as the answer anymore. Is it just me? Am I crazy or is this abnormal? What does this sound like to you? I need a doctor to help him!
174 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Well, where do I begin...I'm no doctor and I don't know what underlying medical issue there might be but I do understand your frustration with the "it's just a virus" answer.  It sounds ridiculous to me.  What does his pediatrician say?  If he feeds you with the same bullc***, I would find a different one.  Recurrent fevers do not sound normal and giving him antibiotics so often, as you know I'm sure, is not that great for his immune system.  I hope you find answers soon.  All the best.
Helpful - 0
121828 tn?1333464491
Do they check his tonsils or throat during these fever episodes? My sister's 2 year old just had her tonsils out because she was getting a fever of very high temps every 28 days due to her throat infections. Sounds weird, I've heard it called periodic fever? It's very frustrating. The doctors don't like to take the tonsils out that young but the high fevers arent good for them either. good luck
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well, I just found this post and had to respond depite the delay. My 20 month old is having a similar problem. She is not in daycare so is not catching viruses from other children and other members of our household are not ill (including a baby brother). She has been taken to the ER are several occasions with a fever over 105. (Twice it was 106.5.) A few times she was actually diagnosed with something (flu, RSV) but more than half a dozen times it was "virus of undetermined origin" and was not given antibiotics. Her fevers last anywhere from 3 days to three weeks, but she has only been without fever a max of three weeks since she was 9 mo old. Everytime she sees a new doctor we get a new opinion. Now her docter is testing her for something called Mediterranean Fever - which I am doubtful about after reading the details of it online. I know this is of no help to you but I thought it might provide some peace to know you are not alone (or crazy as some Docs make me feel)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i know your post wasnt recent but my son is nw 22 months old born 7-10-06 and has the same thing as your child. since he was 5 months old he has gotten fevers up to 106 (never lower than 102). He has never had any other symptoms except one UTI. I've taken him to numerous hospitals and pediatricians and no one can give me any answers. He isnt in daycare and i also have a 7th month old daughter who never catches what he has which makes me even more scared. His peds have done tons of blood work but could never come up with anything. i worry all day every day feeling his head because he gets sick every 2-8 weeks. If you find any answers please let me know!!!

_Kelley
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ok, I'm not sure if you all will still read this post, but I wanted to tell you there's hope! My daughter went through the same scenario with the high fevers. (Nothing like catching hot vomit in your hands, huh?) These fevers started at 1 1/2 years and were like clockwork; every 5-6 weeks, we were in the ER (her fevers ALWAYS spiked at night and it usually happened on a friday or saturday night.) with a fever of 105 degrees and no other symptoms. And they sent us home with antibiotics EVERY time. We would then follow up with the doctor ASAP. Very rarely was she still feverish, so the doctor ASSUMED that it was an infection and that the antibiotics.
To make a long story short: we did EVERY test out there and dutifully went to the ER and the doctor EVERY time it happened. We piggybacked the ibuprofen and tylenol but often still couldn't keep her fever lower than 104...After about two years of this, the doctor implied that I was doing something to make this happen to my daughter. That is when I finally went nuts and told her that she was absolutely worthless and HOW DARE she accuse me of trying to hurt my own baby. Anyway, to get rid of us, she referred us to a PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE doctor. THIS doctor asked me a few questions:
1. Was it a predictable event?
   A: Yes. I had started realizing that my daughter was acting out a few days before the fever came. Plus it happened every 5-6 weeks anyway. I had started marking it on the calendar.

2. Did it happen the same was every time?
   A: Yes. It was like de ja vu.

3. Was I, or my husband, of Mediterranean decent?
   A: No. But, apparently there is a fever syndrome that goes along with that ethnic background.

So, within five minutes of entering his office, I finally had an answer. It was Periodic Fever Syndrome. He prescribed oral steroids which were to help lessen the intensity and duration of the "attacks." I was told that she would grow out of it in a few more years, which she did. Life has been wonderful without the fevers! Take care and good luck. Hope this helps! Oh, and last thing: the cause of the fevers? It was just her immune system attacking itself... It was working too well. Which made sense, since every time she got sick (respiratory infection, ear infection, etc.) her fevers were spaced much further apart... Her body had been given something real to fend off!

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, I have 18 month twin girls.  They have had on and off fevers every 2-3 weeks now since they were 7 months old.  7 months old is when they started getting ear infections.  I was told that if they got tubes they would not get so many fevers.  They still continue to get fevers.  It's like they can't get better because they just keep passing the fever to one another.  They are not in daycare.  I dont know what to do anymore.  I feel so bad for them.  It seems like they are always sick! The doctor's just tell me it is a virus and that it will go away.  That is not good enough for me. I need answers..I want answers. What do I do?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My Daughter just turned 12 months old and a few days later she deveoped a fever , but her fever has not gone down any lower than 101 for three days now. I took her to the er and they said it was an ear infection , now her doctor says it's not. Her fever seems to be getting worse, they took blood from her but I am going crazy wondering what is wrong with her
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my son is 35 mths old and we have been having the prob of high fever but in a cycle for at least 4 months.... we have finally been referred to children's st.louis for a possible answer nwxt week. They say it can be a multiple of problems or just toddler high fever wich he will grow out of... we will see.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My son is 4 years old and he has had recurring fevers (between 101.5-104) since he was 8 months old.  I have done a tremendous amount of research and have found that fevers with no other symptoms that come every 3-4 weeks with alarming regularity, well that is something that sounds like PFAPA (periodic fever syndrome).  Now, PFAPA is supposed to be accompanied by mouth ulcers and joint and stomach pain but my son has never had that and if he did it was so minor that he never really mentioned it.  He would not eat for 3-5 days during fevers - lose weight with dark circles under his eyes but as soon as the fevers were over he would go back to his normal joyful self.  then i could set my calendar and low and behold 29 days later he would have the fever again.  There is a doctor in Boston that is performing Tonsillectomies and removing adenoids and these children (diagnosed with cyclical recurring fevers) have not had a sing episode again.  it is worth looking into and so i am discussing with a Pediatric ear nose and throat doctor what my options are for him.  I mean, its one thing to think that he might have strep or ear infection or sinusitis, and to treat it with medication and its quite another to have a child who gets fevers every 29 days on the dot (with little variation) for 3 and a half years.  I just can't imagine the body would do that if it were some random infection. Well, good luck to everyone and i hope that you all find answers...don't just settle on what your doctor tells you...you must be your own doctor, researcher, lab technician, and nurse.  Just don't give up on your child.  they deserve to live a life that is care free and not debilitated monthly by these fevers.  I know i will not stop until i have a solution.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I can't believe I found this site!  I have been sitting here for 2 hours trying to find answers because I CAN NOT take my doctor's lack of initiative any more!  My daughter has had reoccurring fevers since 6 months old.  They come on every 3-4 weeks and last from 24 hours to 5 days.  It seems as if they are becoming more intense and less resistant to respond to fever reducers.  We were just in the ER 3 weeks ago because she spiked to 107.4.  Yes!  The nurses said she should not be alive...comforting right?  Her diagnosis...a barely elevated bacterial count for UTI.  In other words...undiagnosed.  They also lost the throat culture they took.  What is going on with our medical field???  I don't know what to do anymore.  Her fever is 105 right now with motrin and tylenol alternating every 2 hours!!!  I took her to the doctor today and was told they believe it could be an ear infection but it 'isn't presenting like a normal ear infection" meaning..no fluid but it looks different near her inner ear bone???  Sent home with antibiotic.  My daughter has been on antibiotics 5 times in 8 months, she is only 15 months old.  If anyone with this same problem has had any luck with pediatrician recommendations or any results whatsoever...please contact me...please!  ***@****
Helpful - 0
377012 tn?1283965435
my son was going to the doc. or hospital at least once every week or every 2 weeks with fevers from 103-106 for almost 8 months.......then his ped. tested him for RSV! it was positive!! he is 2 1/2 now and has been diagnosed with RSV at east 2 times a month and they finally determined that he is a carrier of the RSV germ...and even when he is not sick he still tests positive for the RSV. im not saying this is what is wrong with your son but this was just an experience i have dealt with for the last 2 1/2 years.... has he been tested for RSV????  best of luck!!!!!!!!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My son has also had recurring monthly fevers since just after his first birthday.  He is now 20 months old, so we have been dealing with this for 8 months now.  We have been to doctors and hospitals and still have no answer.  He has also had febrile seizure with almost every episode.  He has had MRI, MRA, CT Scan, many urine tests, ebv/mono, spinal tap and lots of blood work.  All has come back clean, with the exception of 2 ear infections.  I have been researching everything from PFAPA to cat scratch fever to parasites.  If anyone who has been through this has any answers please post!  I will ask doc about RSV, did your baby have any symptoms during the fevers?  Thanks in advance for any help.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well, just to add our story...very similar.  My son, 20 months has been having periodic fevers every 2-3 weeks for the last three months.  The scary thing with him is he also has febrile seizures.  He has had three in the last three months...and they are bad.  The last one he went in to respiratory arrest and almost died.  He was in ICU for several days and in the hospital for 11 days.  He ended up with aspiration pneumonia from the seizure.  But the culprit are these fevers.  We now are on "fever watch" every day so that if it starts to climb, we immediately start around the clock dosing of ibuprofen/tylenol.  We have to carry an emergency kit with us everywhere in case of seizure, because his seizures are complex and long and almost killed him.  The pediatrician is concerned and follows him closely.  Blood work shows low white cell count...but it's always during a "virus" which can lower the WBC count, so it's hard to know if his count is low when he's not sick.  He has a f/u X-ray next week to check his lungs from the pnuemonia episode, and I am hoping he will be fever free and healthy so we can get a blood count during a healthy period and see if it's normal or not.

Someone above mentioned fevers until the tonsils came out.  I have heard that actually two other times recently...of someone who's child had unexplained fevers over a period of time...and ended up getting tonsils out and it cured the fevers.  Something I will also be asking my son's doctor about.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The only thing I can think of that I asked my son's ped about was cyclical neutropenia.  It is a condition where every 2-4 weeks white blood cell counts drop, making child prone to virus or infection.  My son was cleared of that because his WBC count is always elevated when sick.  We did just find out that he has several food allergies.  I have removed wheat, dairy, egg, bananas and soy from his diet, he tested positive for allergies to all of these.  Hopefully this will make a big difference.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have just joined this website as well as this community.  Upon going through this messages, it's been refreshing to know that what we (me & my wife) are experiencing right now is common to every parent, wherever you are.

We haven't seen the doctor yet since our 14-month daughter temperature is between 98 - 99.  She vomited though, that's why we've placed her under observation to the next reactions and considers her as having a low grade fever.  Am i correct?

It would be highly appreciated if there's anybody or any doctors around to suggest any course of action required.  We are yet to give her any medicine.  Thanks!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am not a doctor, but I do know that a temp of 99 is not considered a fever in a toddler.  The start of a fever is considered 100.4  The following is information from an online medical encylopedia:

Your body temperature is usually highest in the evening. It can be raised by physical activity, strong emotion, eating, heavy clothing, medications, high room temperature, and high humidity. This is especially true in children.

A rectal temperature up to 100.4°F (38°C) may be entirely normal. A rectal temperature of 100.5°F or above should always be considered a fever. Lower temperatures might also be a fever, depending on the person.

Fever is not an illness. Far from being an enemy, it is an important part of the body's defense against infection. Many infants and children develop high fevers with minor viral illnesses. While a fever signals to us that a battle might be going on in the body, the fever is fighting for the person, not against.

Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in people thrive best at 98.6°F. Raising the temperature a few degrees can give your body the winning edge. In addition, a fever activates the body's immune system to make more white blood cells, antibodies, and other infection-fighting agents.

Many parents fear that fevers will cause brain damage. Brain damage from a fever generally will not occur unless the fever is over 107.6°F (42°C). Many parents also fear that untreated fevers will keep going higher and higher. Untreated fevers caused by infection will seldom go over 105°F unless the child is overdressed or trapped in a hot place.

Some parents fear that fevers will cause seizures. For the great majority of children, this is not the case. However, febrile seizures do occur in some children. Once a child is already known to have a high fever, a febrile seizure is unlikely with the current illness. In any event, simple febrile seizures are over in moments with no lasting consequences.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My daughter is 23 months old. She has had 4 unexplained fevers in the past 8 month and 3 that were accompanied by a cold and/or an ear infection.  After the last episode of an unexplained fever - lasted 3 days, like others, went away just as quickly as it set in, child is perfectly healthy otherwise, etc... - our pediatrician mentioned something called Cyclical neutropenia. It's worth looking into for people whose children have a certain cyclical pattern to the fevers and those whose fevers might be masked by something else ( cold, bacterial infection, ear infection), every 20-30 days.  We have performed other tests to rule out UTI and kidney infections. I've heard it all and I know how frustrating it is to hear, "it's probably just a virus" comment, when you know deep down there is something more. I researched this disorder and started a calendar with my daughter's symptoms.  We are having another episode now and I will see my dr. tomorrow and insist on seeing a specialist dealing with immunological disorders in children. Hope this helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Wow, I wish I had seen this site about a year ago.  My son started having high fevers 103+ when he was 4 months old.  He preceded to have a fever almost every 2 weeks after until he was 1.  He also had atypical seizures with nearly every fever.  He was hospitalized 3 times.  THe first time he stopped breathing from the seizure.  His fever was 106 that time.  They did every test humanly possible on him and would always diagnose him as chronic febrile illness.  I am writing to say that he is now just over 2 and has not had anymore fevers or seizures since last August.  He has had several colds and even the flu and recovered quickly without incident.  It is such a relief from a year ago.  I had severe anxiety from his seizures and fevers.  Fortunately, it seems that he may have outgrown them like some suggested he would.  Just know that you are all not alone.  Apparently this is more common than I thought.  I pray that your children will also "out grow" this condition also.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My two year old has been sick for almost a week.  Today he only got up twice - once when he woke me up at 6:30 this morning to cry on my lap, the other time to follow his big brothers from one room to another.  Other than that, he has been flat on his back or carted around by me to the doctor's office.  He's nearly three and he actually curled up and tried to go back to sleep on the examining table while waiting for the doctor.  Luckily he is drinking fluids, but he has eaten almost nothing this week. His symptoms suggest strep throat, but two sets of cultures have come back negative.  Now he is being tested for mono of all things. The more I read about it, the more I feel like this could be it.  There's no treatment for mono, but at least I'll know what it is and that he will get over it.  Just thought I'd throw it out there as something to consider.  It's a terrible thing to feel so helpless.  
Helpful - 0
913367 tn?1421324660
My daughter, who is now 2 1/2. Has been getting fevers pretty much once every month, since she was about 6 months old. We are lucky to go 8 weeks w/ no fevers. Her fever is the only symptom she gets. I have taken her to the DR. several times for this and eveytime they tell me it is a virus. There are several DR.'s in the pediatric practice...and all of them have told me this. They dont seem at all concerned that it happens like clockwork every 4-6 weeks. I will admit, during the day, most of the time she acts like she isnt even sick, while on Tylenol/Motrin. It's at night she feels so hot and gets flushed, irritable, etc...She even vomits, only once, the first night of the fever. The fever only lasts, at most, 3 days. But It is scary...to anyone dealing w/ anything like it. I say I am going to take her back to the DR. and the next day she is fever free. What else is really weird is, when she is sick...like, with a cold or ear infection, she doesnt get fevers or they arent near as high as they are when she just has the fever???!! Does that make sense?  I read a lot about Ped. Fever Syndrome and it sounds like this may be the case but she doesnt seem to have any other pains. Just know no one is alone out there...there are more parents that go through this than you think. It is frightening to see your child sick...no matter what it is!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my grandson just turned a year old and he has had fevers of 104 to 105.1 for a couple of days now and his pediatrician dont know whats wrong and neither does 2 hospitals in our town. they have run blood tests, urine and strep tests, chest x-rays and all comes back clear. im really worried about my grandson.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My son (32 months) had periodic fevers - 103 once a week- for over 6 weeks- he just tested positive for Lyme disease..no rash..something to think about.....
Helpful - 0
999780 tn?1263671971
I am so happy that I found this website.My son is 2 and he started fevers on the 26 June 2009.He had a high fever from the sunday until the Friday.He was in the hospital cause he dehydrated.He was there for a week.He came home with low grade fevers.He has had every test imaginable.Including a bone scan.It all came back negative.Except ESR and CRP were elevated.But later were redone and cam back normal.His fever spiked again on 26 July.We were then sent down to Riley childrens in Indianapolis.He also has a heart condition so they are a little more careful with him.They checked his heart and it was fine.We also saw an infectious disease specialist.They also did some more tests and it too came back negative.The only thing they are going on now is a bad urine test.He did a cath. urine culture today.He also ran ESR,CRP,CBC and blood culture.We are waiting on the results for that.It is really frustrating knowing that you cannot help you child.I think we have found a great group of drs and they said that they are going to find out what is wrong.My heart goes out to all the parents out there with no answers.Just to add my son has no other symptoms.Just a fever!!!!!.
Helpful - 0
999780 tn?1263671971
Well we got some results back yesterday and his hematoccrit was low and his CRP was elevated.So far the urine is negative.I am waiting for the infectious disease dr to call me back with a plan of action.My sone is still running a 101.5 fever today.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Pediatrics Community

Top Children's Health Answerers
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments