Internist Questions Temperature

Why is my child's body always so hot?

My daughter is 3 years old but I feel like her body is always very hot. Is this normal? What could be causing this?

2 Answers

I am not a pediatrician and do not feel qualified to answer that. However, the common sense answer would be to check your daughter's temperature and make sure her core temperature is not elevated. However, if it is, you should contact her pediatrician.
First off we need to define what "hot" is. A fever is temperature over 100.4F or 37C. Anything lower than that is not necessarily abnormal. The body's "thermostat" is controlled by a region in the brain and some folk have this "thermostat" set up at higher than others - just a different type of normal. However, other things to take into account is your peripheral (i.e. hand) temperature when coming into contact with your daughter's body temperature. I'd first suggest to check with a thermometer her temperature and go from there. Of course, with any other accompanying signs / symptoms or concerns, please seek medical evaluation.