WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – Infants with a high fever may be at increased risk for infections, according to research from Penn State College of Medicine.
 In the study, researchers determined that for an infant less than eight weeks old, having a fever was associated with a doubled risk for developing serious bacterial infections, including meningitis and infections of the blood or urinary tract. Based on the findings, the researchers encourage parents of infants younger than eight weeks old to seek immediate care if their child develops a fever -- a temperature more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The findings of the study are an exception to the traditional teaching in medical education that the height of a fever doesn't necessarily correspond to the likelihood of infection. This exception to the rule only applies to infants younger than 2 months old.