Fever in children
What is a fever?
Important
A normal temperature in babies and children is about 36.4C, but this can vary slightly from child to child.A fever is a high temperature of 38C or more.
Many things can cause a high temperature in children, from common childhood illnesses like chickenpox and tonsillitis, to vaccinations.
Checking a high temperature
Your child might:- feel hotter than usual to the touch on their forehead, back or tummy
- feel sweaty or clammy
- have red cheeks
How to take your child's temperature
What to do if your child has a high temperature
You can usually look after your child or baby at home. The temperature should go down over 3 or 4 days.Do
- give them plenty of fluids
- look out for signs of dehydration
- give them food if they want it
- check on your child regularly during the night
- keep them at home
- give them paracetamol or ibuprofen if they're distressed or unwell
- get medical advice if you're worried about your child
Don't
- do not undress your child or sponge them down to cool them – fever is a natural and healthy response to infection
- do not cover them up in too many clothes or bedclothes
- do not give aspirin to under 16s
- do not combine ibuprofen and paracetamol, unless a GP tells you to
- do not give paracetamol to a child under 2 months
- do not give ibuprofen to a child under 3 months or under 5kg
- do not give ibuprofen to children with asthma
Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment if your child:
- is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 38C or higher, or you think they have a fever
- is 3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39C or higher, or you think they have a fever
- has other signs of illness, such as a rash, as well as a high temperature
- has a high temperature that's lasted for more than 5 days
- does not want to eat, or is not their usual self and you're worried
- has a high temperature that does not come down with paracetamol or ibuprofen
- is showing signs of dehydration – such as nappies that are not very wet, sunken eyes, and no tears when they're crying
Knowing the signs of more serious illness
It's quite rare for fever to be a sign of anything serious (like meningitis, a urinary tract infection and sepsis).Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if your child:
- has a stiff neck
- has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
- is bothered by light
- has a fit (febrile seizure) for the first time (they cannot stop shaking)
- has unusually cold hands and feet
- has pale, blotchy, blue or grey skin
- has a weak, high-pitched cry that's not like their normal cry
- is drowsy and hard to wake
- finds it hard to breathe and sucks their stomach in under their ribs
- has a soft spot on their head that curves outwards (bulging fontanelle)