Temperature and fever in the full-term newborn

In order to establish temperature norms during the first nine days of life, a retrospective analysis of 501 neonates was completed. After norms were derived, charts of all infants born at the UCLA Medical Center in 1979 were reviewed. Data were analyzed on every infant who had a recorded temperature greater than two standard deviations above the mean high. Sustained fever was unusual but highly predictive of infection. Infants rarely had fever, however, as the only sign of infection. Single elevated temperature readings were not associated with infection.