u/ConversationOk1691

I’m worried that my baby is developing a low-grade systemic infection too that my pediatrician doesn’t seem concerned about…

My baby just turned one month old a few days ago, he had a cluster of spots on one of his ears last week that didn’t look like baby acne to me, so I bought him to the pediatrician and they didn’t think it looked concerning. They did take a culture from one of the bumps on his ear just to be sure, and it ended up coming back positive for E. Coli. They prescribed him Mupirocin ointment which is an antibiotic and said that it is only at the skin level.

Baby’s temperatures (rectally) has been consistently at 99.4°-99.9° for almost a week now, and I know 100.4° is the fever threshold, but it seems to be consistently holding on the higher end of normal, and some already call this a low grade fever. I asked the pediatrician if they can do lab work to rule out a potential systemic infection brewing, but they said he definitely doesn’t have one and that it wasn’t necessary.

Today, while the rash/bumps have gotten better on the initial ear that had the sores, I’ve noticed they are now on his other ear. My baby does feel somewhat warm to the touch, but his temperature has not gone above 99.9° yet. Aside from being a little more cranky, he’s been eating completely fine and gaining good weight.

I’ve been contemplating bringing him to the children’s hospital to advocate for labs myself, and I wouldn’t question it or hesitate if his temperature was a half degree higher either at the 100.4° mark. I’m more concerned with the duration of his elevated temperature and if that is a telltale sign of an infection or not. I don’t want to undermine the pediatrician if it isn’t necessary, as I’m aware I could be overly concerned as his parent.

Has anyone else dealt with anything similar?