Q: My son who is 1 year and 3 months old has been getting fever in the mornings for the past few days. The fever is there only in the mornings. He is also suffering from cold and congestion. He is teething at the same time. The fever is there only in the mornings and he plays during the day. I would like to know if he is suffering from malaria, or what could be the case of the recurring fever (only in the mornings)?

A:There are several causes for development of recurrent fever in young children, but there is no specific known cause for fever in the mornings. It could be due to recurrent viral upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, ear infections, bone and joint infections, tuberculosis and malaria. It could be due to noninfectious causes as well. It is always best to test the child to find the exact cause. It is important to check the temperature accurately using a proper thermometer. Teething, contrary to popular belief, is not cause for recurrent fever in children.