Approach to the Febrile Infant (<3 Months)

Evaluation and management of the febrile infant has long been an area of variability. Recent guidelines were released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in August 2021 to help provide evidence-based clinical guidelines to decrease variability and improve outcomes.1 These guidelines largely focus on management and treatment guidelines for 3 age groups: 8 to 21 days, 22 to 28 days, and 29 to 60 days. The inclusion criteria for these guidelines are previously healthy, term infants born at 37 weeks gestation or later, with a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. The most significant changes to historical practice are in the 22- to 28-day and 29- to 60-day age groups. If initial laboratory work is reassuring, patients may not need cerebrospinal fluid studies, and patients may be monitored at home or at the hospital using shared decision-making with the family.