Fever in children

A fever is a body temperature of 38 °C or higher. Measure it when your child is calm and not overdressed. A hand on the forehead is not enough. Use a digital thermometer.

You do not need to check the temperature of a child who seems well.

• Under 3 months: follow the steps in Danger signs in newborns.
• Under 2 years: in the bottom with a flexible digital thermometer. This is the most accurate method. Under the arm is easier, but it often reads lower.
• Over 2 years: an ear or forehead thermometer is quick and less stressful. It is a little less precise.

Fever is the body’s response to an infection. It is part of how the immune system fights. The number on the thermometer matters less than how your child looks and acts. A child with fever may be tired, cranky and not hungry.

The goal of treatment is comfort. You do not need to bring the temperature back to normal.

• Offer drinks often. If you breastfeed, keep going.
• Dress your child lightly. Do not wrap them in blankets.
• Keep the room at a normal temperature. Do not heat it.
• Skip cold baths and wet towels. They help very little and can make your child feel worse.
• Let your child rest. Do not force food. Offer meals your child asks for.
• Check on your child often, including during the night.

Use one medicine at a time. Paracetamol is the first choice. Ibuprofen is an option when paracetamol does not suit your child. Do not alternate the two unless a doctor tells you to. Always dose by weight, not by age.

Check the strength on the bottle, in mg per mL. Use the syringe that comes with the medicine. Write down the time of each dose.

Do not give ibuprofen if your child has chickenpox or seems dehydrated. Ask a doctor first if your child has asthma.

Never give aspirin to a child. It can cause Reye syndrome, a rare illness that can be fatal.

If your child is still uncomfortable after 24 hours of proper treatment, call the doctor.

Some young children have a seizure when they have a fever. It happens most often between 6 months and 6 years. The child may go stiff, shake and not respond. Most febrile seizures are not serious and leave no lasting harm.

During a seizure:

• Note the time it starts.
• Lay your child on a soft surface and protect their head.
• Move hard objects away.
• Do not hold your child down or put anything in their mouth.
• Do not cool them with water or undress them.

When it stops, lay your child on their side and check that nothing blocks their mouth.

Call the Red Cross on 140 if it is a first seizure or lasts more than 5 minutes. Call 140 too if your child has trouble breathing. Fever medicine does not prevent seizures.

A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38 °C or higher must see a doctor right away, day or night.

Call the doctor or go to the emergency room. Do not wait to see if the fever goes down. Do not give medicine before you speak to a doctor. Read our guide to danger signs in newborns.

Call the Red Cross on 140 or go to the emergency room if your child:

• struggles to breathe, grunts, or the skin sucks in under the ribs
• has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
• has spots that stay visible through the side of a glass pressed on the skin
• has a stiff neck or is bothered by light
• is very hard to wake, floppy, or not responding normally
• has unusually cold hands and feet

Call the doctor today if:

• your baby is 3 to 6 months old with a temperature of 39 °C or higher
• the fever lasts 5 days or more
• your child has fewer wet diapers, no tears or sunken eyes
• your child does not want to eat or is not acting like themselves
• your child has a rash with the fever

If something else worries you, call the doctor.