Question : MY five-month-old daughter frequently has fever. Her body temperature is usually around 36°C. Is this normal? Besides this, her stool is not yellow but a little dark and watery. Is this also normal?

Answer : Normal human body temperature is around 37°C. The body temperature of children can rise or fall according to the time of day. Body temperature is usually high between 1 and 2 o'clock in the afternoon and low before sunrise. If the thermometer reading is only 36°C, this means your daughter is not feverish but her temperature is below normal. You should ensure that your thermometer is still giving accurate readings. If a child below the age of one is frequently hot to the touch, we will need to observe her to find the cause of the fever. Urinary tract infection is one cause that is commonly overlooked. This can be ascertained through tests on baby's urine.

The colour and texture of baby's stool is subject to several factors, especially the type of milk baby is being fed (breast milk only, formula milk, or both). Baby stool should look more watery than adult stool and parents often mistake their baby's healthy stool for diarrhoea. If you are still worried about this, bring your baby to the doctor for a full examination.

Frequent fevers

Managing fever in children

High temperatures in childhood

Prone to fever

Feverish children

Rheumatic fever