Teething or ear infection?

[Crazycatlady]

DD (9 months) has a temp of 38.1c that has come on this afternoon - Nurofen has not brought it down. She's slightly grizzly. She has two top teeth coming through and a third bottom one, but yesterday I caught her tugging at her right ear. She has been very tired today (although has been to two parties this weekend so that could explain it). Only mildly less appetite than usual.

Does this sound like normal teething woes or a possible ear infection? Just wondering whether to bother the doc on a Sunday.

NHS Direct website says that teething CAN cause a slight rise in temp, which I previously thought from everything I read on here wasn't correct but there we go...

Teething. There's a nerve that runs along the jaw to the ear, hence why teething babies tug at ears. Teething makes their immune system weaker, hence why she's probably got a mild viral thing (the slight fever).

Ear infections are quite bad to endure, painful, make them thoroughly and persistently miserable (teething makes them grizzly in a come-and-go way).

thanks Peanut, she's just eaten her dinner ok and is doing the come-and-go grizzling you mention so I think it's prob the teeth, will keep an eye. That makes complete sense re the nerve, didn't know that!