Toddler has had fevers for over 3 weeks. No one knows why.

Posted by marriedto41 @marriedto41, Aug 27, 2019

Hoping someone can provide some insight into what is causing my 19 month old son to suffer from 3 plus weeks of fevers, some very high. We’ve been to the emergency room twice, 3 overnight hospital stays and still no answers. Initially we were told it was a virus, or more than one virus but it seems unlikely a virus is causing the extended fevers. Besides the fever, he’s had a couple days where he had a rash, mostly on his legs, but on his arms and face as well. Since he isn’t talking yet, we don’t know what else is bothering him. The doctors ruled out bacterial infections. His WBC is hovering around 20K, his platelets are high, and his SED and ESR (I believe those are the acronyms) are also high. An ultrasound of his abdomen didn’t reveal anything. We have an appointment on Thursday with a rheumatologist to determine if he has an auto immune disease. But my wife and I are going crazy with worry. I’m hoping someone might have suggestions for things to look into while we wait for the doctors to see him. Thank you!

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@johnbishop

Hi @maudie01, welcome to Connect. I know it can be scary when a child gets high fevers and especially unnerving if the are reoccurring. Hopefully other members will be able to share some suggestions with you from their experience. You might find the following Mayo Clinic Q & A helpful.

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Child with recurrent fever may have periodic fever syndrome
-- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-child-with-recurrent-fever-may-have-periodic-fever-syndrome/

I noticed you also started another new discussion with the same topic here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fever-1/. I'm tagging our moderator @ethanmcconkey to see if we should combine your two discussions with the following similar discussion:

Groups > About Kids & Teens > Toddler has had fevers for over 3 weeks. No one knows why.
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/toddler-has-had-fevers-for-over-3-weeks-no-one-knows-why/

May I ask how old your grandchild is? Have the doctors given any diagnosis or tests for the child?

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She is 2.she has been to Atlanta children Hospital and to a children's kidney dr.we are thankful nothing as shown up but there has to be a reason.

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@maudie01 - I’m joining the conversation to see if I can share helpful information. First of all, it is frustrating that your grandchild is not old enough to tell if anything hurts. As mentioned by others young children have fevers more often than older ones. It is also common to reach 104+. Their internal thermostat is more sensitive. Don’t be afraid of the fever itself. It is important to examine and test if the fever persists. It is a good sign that she has been seen at the Children’s Hospital and a kidney specialist. Urinary tract infections are not rare in girls. It is also important to see how she behaves with the fever- alert or lethargic. It is a good sign that testing has not shown anything abnormal yet. Her doctors probably plan to examine and test at regular intervals as long as the fever is there.
I know you still will worry -if you don’t mind please keep us informed of new developments.
Inge- another Grandma

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We have been going to the through high fever for a yr now.dr visit every week we have been to Atlanta.we have no idea.

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@astaingegerdm

@maudie01 - I’m joining the conversation to see if I can share helpful information. First of all, it is frustrating that your grandchild is not old enough to tell if anything hurts. As mentioned by others young children have fevers more often than older ones. It is also common to reach 104+. Their internal thermostat is more sensitive. Don’t be afraid of the fever itself. It is important to examine and test if the fever persists. It is a good sign that she has been seen at the Children’s Hospital and a kidney specialist. Urinary tract infections are not rare in girls. It is also important to see how she behaves with the fever- alert or lethargic. It is a good sign that testing has not shown anything abnormal yet. Her doctors probably plan to examine and test at regular intervals as long as the fever is there.
I know you still will worry -if you don’t mind please keep us informed of new developments.
Inge- another Grandma

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She has had some it but the pediatrician for her kidney testing ruled all out.

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@johnbishop

Hi @maudie01, welcome to Connect. I know it can be scary when a child gets high fevers and especially unnerving if the are reoccurring. Hopefully other members will be able to share some suggestions with you from their experience. You might find the following Mayo Clinic Q & A helpful.

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Child with recurrent fever may have periodic fever syndrome
-- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-child-with-recurrent-fever-may-have-periodic-fever-syndrome/

I noticed you also started another new discussion with the same topic here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fever-1/. I'm tagging our moderator @ethanmcconkey to see if we should combine your two discussions with the following similar discussion:

Groups > About Kids & Teens > Toddler has had fevers for over 3 weeks. No one knows why.
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/toddler-has-had-fevers-for-over-3-weeks-no-one-knows-why/

May I ask how old your grandchild is? Have the doctors given any diagnosis or tests for the child?

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Lots of test no results.

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@maudie01

What would make a child run a high temp each month for a year?

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@maudie01 A fever is typical in almost everyone when there is an infection present. I read your other posts and the responses. Is your granddaughter seen at the time of the fever, or when her temp is normal-for-her? The higher temps might be caused by any of the following: ear infection, a bacterial infection, a virus, cutting teeth, some gastro upset, etc. A fever usually means the body is fighting something. Is the child's mother/father/guardian keeping a journal of what she eats, her activities, when the fever occurs, any other physical symptoms? There might be a pattern recognized. You say she has gone to The Children's Hospital but they say nothing. My own personal opinion, and I am not a medical doctor, is to push for something to be done, or take her to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. The whole situation must be confusing and frustrating for everyone involved! I hope you will let us know what you decide.
Ginger

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I know how frustrating this is. When my 18 month had a fever for over a month, I was beside myself. In the end the doctors diagnosed 2 different viruses. He also developed fluid around his heart. But I’m happy to say he’s been healthy since the end of September. I don’t really have advice but continue pushing for answers. Is she on anything to bring down the fever?

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@marriedto41

I know how frustrating this is. When my 18 month had a fever for over a month, I was beside myself. In the end the doctors diagnosed 2 different viruses. He also developed fluid around his heart. But I’m happy to say he’s been healthy since the end of September. I don’t really have advice but continue pushing for answers. Is she on anything to bring down the fever?

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@marriedto41 - I’m so happy to hear that your son is back to being healthy!

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