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Original poster

... to think teething doesn’t cause low grade fever every day for a couple of weeks?

41 replies

Slatternforlife · 01/05/2021 19:53

DS is 16 months and keeps having an elevated temperature in the afternoon/evening. He’s absolutely fine aside from very rosy cheeks and feeling quite warm to touch (sometimes cool hands and feet, sometimes warm but cheeks are always toasty).

I’m taking his temp more at the moment as he was recently poorly with a high temp and rash that turned out to be viral whereas normally I wouldn’t have it out as much.

GP wasn’t that interested because it’s rarely reaching 38 or above - gets close to 38 though - and he seems well and said it’s probably teething. But would it really do this for two weeks with no teeth coming through? I can see two new teeth in his gums they’re clearer in his gums than they were but haven’t broken through and the gums don’t look particularly red

OP posts:
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MommyTessa · 30/03/2026 14:27

Hi @Slatternforlife, @Dinkydonut1 my daughter is experiencing something similair at 11 months for 2-3 weeks now. How did it turn out for you and your little ones? Have been to dr and paediatrician and both say teething with inflammation and to ride it out. But Im ofc a worried mamma. Sorry I know its and old post

Dinkydonut1 · 04/12/2021 20:53

Hi op, I realise this is an old post but I'm just wondering if you ever got to the bottom of this? I'm going through the same with my toddler

Malachi72 · 08/07/2021 01:09

Do you take the temp rectally

Malachi72 · 08/07/2021 01:01

Hey

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 04/05/2021 14:26

He doesn’t seem to have the acidic smelling nappies so I’m not sure if that rules teething out, he has lots of other symptoms

I can’t get my head around how his temperature increases at roughly the same time each day though

OP posts:
Original poster
Slatternforlife · 03/05/2021 18:31

I’ll have a whiff! They’ve definitely been stronger than usual and he’s a bit red and sore which he isn’t normally so definitely sounds like it could be

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SpnBaby1967 · 03/05/2021 18:02

Nappies when teething have a distinct smell, almost acid like. Tends to give them a sore bottom.

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 03/05/2021 17:38

Yes when he had an infection he was sick, shivering with fever, obviously unwell, really tired but also erratic, not eating well just picking etc and he’s nothing like that at the moment

I always worry about giving calpol too much with teething so if his temp has been under 38 I’ve not given him anything if he doesn’t seem in pain as this has been rumbling on for nearly two weeks now (although worse last few days now you can really see the teeth) so I didn’t want to dose him up too much

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SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 03/05/2021 17:25

Certainly sounds like teething to me. Mine got red rashes on their cheeks too.
Calpol, teething granules to distract & bonjela.

24GinDrinkingOnceTheKidsInBed · 03/05/2021 17:25

From what you’ve described I’d say it’s teething too. My DD is terrible with teething, very dribble, chewing on her fingers constantly, bright red hot to touch cheeks, miserable as sin when they’re clearly aching but then find playing and eating/drinking normally otherwise. Her temp gets just below 38 during these times and at the moment she had 6 teeth coming through at once so her temp is up and down all the time.

I don’t take her temp regularly anymore unless she seems out of character, fatigued, feels hot too touch on her back or chest ect.

Taking your babies temp all will only cause you to worry more. Look for other signs of illness. Proper fevers (not teething type fevers) will come with other symptoms like fatigue, sickness, loss of appetite ect.

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 03/05/2021 17:20

@SmiledWithTheRisingSun it seems to smell a bit more than usual and he’s going a bit more frequently

Very very dribbly and bitey as well

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SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 03/05/2021 17:14

Sounds like teething. Does your child's poo smell funny?

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 03/05/2021 17:08

@SpnBaby1967 he’s been shaking his head a bit but not pulling at his ears and I can’t tell if he’s shaking his head due to excitement as it seems to be when he’s happy about something!

He had very waxy ears before so I took him in and he was given antibiotic drops but the GP said it was borderline in one ear he wasn’t convinced it was an infection.

Then when we ended up in hospital a month later the GP did lots of tests, looked in his ears etc (one was too waxy to see much) and concluded it was a viral throat infection as his throat was very red he only got admitted due to a rash which turned out to be a red herring

OP posts:
SmokedDuck · 03/05/2021 16:48

I think it can potentially. But babies can get low grade fevers a lot for no apparent reason.

SpnBaby1967 · 03/05/2021 16:48

I've had 3 kids and they all got temps with teething to various degrees. Also absolutely rotten nappies which is due to the extra saliva they swallow.

I'd want an ear infection ruled out though. Is your DC pulling at their ears or anything?

SunbathingDragon · 03/05/2021 16:47

Teething in itself doesn’t cause a temperature but the inflammation and also occasional mild infection caused by chewing, cutting gums and germs entering can.

So yes, if I was seeing your child and there was nothing else to suggest otherwise I would put it down to teething.

altiara · 03/05/2021 16:42

My DD temp used to go up when teething. Sometimes very high, I remember once worrying about if she’d need to go to hospital, she had 3 teeth appear after that.

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 03/05/2021 16:01

He’s 37.9 in both ears again this afternoon, has been all afternoon.
Absolutely fine apart from rosy cheeks and feels a bit warm to touch, and I can see the teeth in his gums really really clearly now. He’s eating lots, drinking lots, sleeping, playing.

I haven’t given him any calpol or anything as it’s not 38 or above but it’s making me uneasy that it’s climbing quite close to a fever now, and doing it every day.

I’m going to call the doctor tomorrow for reassurance but I’m hoping the teeth break through ASAP and he goes back to normal temp wise!

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Hadjab · 02/05/2021 10:32

His temp had been hovering between 37 and 38 for a week or so, then one day it just went up to 40 degrees, the first time it happened was beyond scary! Luckily, I had my sister with me, as I’d just picked him up from my mum’s. She happened to turn around to look at him in the backseat, and noticed he was convulsing. I drove him straight to A&E. It happened again the next day at home, but I was prepared for it.

He does have lovely teeth now though 🤣

TedisnotH · 01/05/2021 23:04

Long time ago now, but yes dc got low grade fevers when teething. And runny poo!

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 01/05/2021 22:36

@QuestionableMouse when you say that it sounds obvious really doesn’t it?! I guess I didn’t really think of it in terms of inflammation
I wonder if there’s any reason for it cropping up around a similar time of day

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QuestionableMouse · 01/05/2021 22:12

It causes inflammation which can lead to a raised temperature. My nephews both had mild fevers when cutting teeth.

Original poster
Slatternforlife · 01/05/2021 22:08

It’s really interesting because if it is teething aside from the running warm, he doesn’t have a huge amount of other issues around it other than the standard biting everything

@Hadjab that sounds frightening! Did he get really high temp wise for that to happen? I didn’t realise it could happen around 38 I thought it had to be a lot higher but I guess it depends on how quickly it spikes

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Notimeforaname · 01/05/2021 21:51

Worked in a creche for a time,it really does happen.
Some children sadly just get a worse deal than others.

Hadjab · 01/05/2021 21:46

All three of mine had temperatures for extended periods when teething - my son was the only one whose temp climbed over 38 degrees, so much so that he ended up with febrile convulsions twice.

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