What is the cause of fever?

Q: My 27 months old baby has fever (average 100-101 degree) from the past 4 days. The strange thing is that the fever occurs once in a day. After administration of one dose of Nimulid, he does not have fever till the next day. I am not understanding the main reason of the fever. Could it be some infection? Please advise.

A:If you administer Nimulid, fever pattern has no meaning as Nimulid has a long duration of action (12 hours). You will be mislead and will think that the fever is of less consequence. I would recommend you to use paracetamol every 4-6 hours and watch the fever pattern. Once you observe the pattern of fever speak to your paediatrician and ask if a blood count and a smear for malaria is necessary.