Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

Fever in children younger than three months of age. A pooled analysis

S H Gehlbach1

  • 1Division of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.

The Journal of Family Practice
|September 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Febrile infants under 3 months are not at higher risk for serious infection than older infants. Clinical assessment, not just age, is key for managing fever in young infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Febrile infants younger than 3 months are often hospitalized due to concerns about serious infection.
  • Current management policies favor routine hospitalization and antibiotic use for these young patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To statistically combine data from published studies on febrile infants younger than 3 months.
  • To estimate the risk of bacteremia and serious infections in this age group.
  • To identify factors predicting increased risk for serious infection.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of ten published studies.
  • Statistical combination of data to estimate risks.
  • Evaluation of clinical factors associated with infection risk.

Main Results:

  • Bacteremia risk estimated at 3.0-3.4%, septic meningitis at 1.0-1.3%, and pneumonia at 5.0-7.0%.
  • These risks were comparable to those in older infants.
  • Clinical appearance showed 92% sensitivity in predicting bacteremia.
  • Younger age, higher fever, and elevated white blood cell count correlated with higher infection risk.

Conclusions:

  • Evidence does not support the uniform belief that febrile infants under 3 months face greater infection risk than older infants.
  • Judicious clinical evaluation can enable more selective and cost-effective management strategies.
  • Rethinking routine hospitalization policies may be warranted based on risk stratification.

More Related Videos

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis08:44

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis

Published on: September 7, 2022

Detection of Polyfunctional T Cells in Children Vaccinated with Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine via the Flow Cytometry Technique09:37

Detection of Polyfunctional T Cells in Children Vaccinated with Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine via the Flow Cytometry Technique

Published on: September 23, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Increased Body Temperature01:25

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above  38°C  (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.
Methods of reducing fever01:22

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
Types of Fever01:25

Types of Fever

Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Viral Meningitis01:18

Viral Meningitis

Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis and is often referred to as aseptic meningitis to indicate the absence of bacterial involvement. It is generally milder than bacterial meningitis, with symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, nausea, photophobia, and vomiting. Rarely, more severe manifestations or death may occur. Common causative agents include enteroviruses, particularly coxsackie A and B viruses and echoviruses, all members of the Enterovirus genus...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...