Can teething cause a temperature or is it a myth?

[IlanaK]

I have 3 children so you would have thought I would know the answer to this!

Ds3 (15 months) has been miserable all week and is cutting two molars. Today he had a slight temperature (that came down with calpol). He has just woken crying.

So - is he ill or is this caused by teething?

Myth, IMO.
Teething can cause red cheeks that feel hot to touch just with increased blood circulation where a tooth is pressing up against the gums, but not a genuine (measured by thermometer) temperature/fever. I think babies/children at the age when they are teething are very prone to all sorts of minor infections, so will at times be teething and dealing with lurgies, hence the old wives tale connection.

Hope your LO feels a lot better soon. Keep giving the Calpol .

That makes sense thanks. Shame though as that means he is probably ill with something

Well my DS had quite a high temp which the paed attributed to teething. She is not an old wife!

SIL who is GP says teething shouldn't cause a temp. So could be an infection.

Definitely causes temp in both my dcs. I am a wife but not old! There's a link between the stress response (to pain) and immune system and increased body temp as part of that - nobody has ever bothered to formally research (it as far I'm aware).

Regardless calpol/calprofen is the way to go imo. Why leave them hot and in pain whatever the cause