Increase of body temperature and folic acid metabolism.

Folic acid metabolism was studied in forty-four febrile children aged 2 months -9 years by measuring their serum and red cell folate levels. In all the children, there was a significant reduction in red cell folate along with a steady rise in serum folate as the body temperature increased above 39 degrees C. There was no correlation between the folate parameters and the pathological cause of the pyrexia (malaria or broncho-pneumonia). These results suggest that a rise in body temperature causes a breakdown of folate stores, which leads to some disturbance of folate metabolism. The extent of this disturbance is not known but it may have some detrimental effects on growing children.