What symptoms are associated with infant night sweats?

Our bodies sweat daily. In fact, there are several types of sweating. For example, night sweats—also known as “sleep sweats”—are a pathological sign indicating an underlying health condition. Once night sweats occur, patients must seek timely medical treatment and understand the associated disease characteristics and causes. So, what are the symptoms of night sweats in infants and young children?

Symptoms of Night Sweats in Infants and Young Children

Night sweats in infants and young children may stem from spleen deficiency. A comprehensive treatment approach is recommended: enhancing the child’s nutrition, ensuring a balanced diet, and correcting picky eating or food aversion habits. Encourage regular physical activity and outdoor play to strengthen the child’s constitution. Additionally, avoid contact with infected individuals and crowded public places. Gargling with warm saline solution may be beneficial. Include foods that support spleen and stomach function—such as Chinese yam, carrots, white radish, lotus seeds, and jujubes—in the child’s diet.

Night sweats are typically secondary to an underlying medical condition. They rarely occur without cause; rather, they often signal an undiagnosed illness already affecting the patient’s internal health. Tuberculosis, for instance—caused by infection with *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*—commonly presents with night sweats, along with other systemic symptoms. Similarly, kidney deficiency (a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine) may also contribute to night sweats. Therefore, patients should undergo prompt diagnostic evaluation and receive appropriate treatment for the underlying condition.

Patients are advised to consume cooling, yin-nourishing, and fluid-generating vegetables and fruits—such as watermelon, pear, citrus fruits (e.g., tangerines and oranges), apple, persimmon, loofah, lily bulb, tomato, fresh lotus root, silver ear fungus, lotus seeds, and soft-shelled turtle—while avoiding spicy and stimulating foods.