A fever, or high temperature, is when your baby or child’s temperature is 38C or higher. A normal temperature for babies and children is around 36.4C but can be slightly different for different children. Fever is common among babies and children, and is the body’s normal response to fighting an illness.

Many common illnesses can cause fever in babies and children, such as coughs and colds. Immunisations can also cause a fever in your baby or child.

Your child may have a fever if:

They feel hot to touch on their forehead, back or tummy (hands and feet may still be cool)
They feel sweaty or clammy
They have red cheeks

What you can do to help

You can care for your baby or child with a fever safely at home. Usually the fever will get better within 3-4 days.

To treat fever at home:

Give your child plenty of fluids – For infants, ensure they take plenty of breast milk or formula. You may have to offer smaller amounts but more often
Give your child food if they want it
Regularly check your child during the night
Keep your child at home
Keep your child dressed comfortably for the environment
Use children’s paracetamol or ibuprofen if your child is distressed and feels unwell – follow the information on the bottle for correct dose, do not give ibuprofen and paracetamol together unless told too by a GP. Please refer to the paracetamol for children and ibuprofen for children pages on nhs.uk website.

Do Not’s:

Don’t undress your child, or sponge them with water to keep cool
Don’t cover them in too many clothes or blankets, as this can trap heat
Don’t give your child aspirin if under 16 years old
Don’t give your child paracetamol if under 2 months old
Don’t give your child ibuprofen if under 3 months old, or under 5kg
Don’t give your child ibuprofen if they have asthma
Don’t give paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time, unless told to by a doctor

See video for how to care for you child with a fever at home à https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/.

Occasionally, you may need to seek medical help for your baby or child with a fever.

Call your GP, or 111, now if:

Call 999 immediately if:

Your child is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 38C or higher
Your child is 3-6 months old and has a temperature of 39C or higher
Your child also has other signs of illness, such as a rash or vomiting
Your child has a fever that has lasted for 5 days or longer
Your child’s temperature won’t come down after taking paracetamol or ibuprofen
Your child won’t eat, or isn’t their usual self and you’re worried about them
Your child has signs of dehydration, such as less wet nappies, sunken eyes and no tears when crying

Your child has a stiff neck
Your child has a rash that doesn’t fade when you press a glass on it
Your child appears more sensitive to light
Your child has a fit, or seizure, for the first time
Your child has unusually cold hands or feet
Your child’s skin or lips are pale, blue, grey or blotchy (mottled)
Your child’s cry is weak and high-pitched, and not like their normal cry
Your child is hard to wake, drowsy, or not responding as they normally do
Your child is not interested in feeding or other usual activities
Your child is extremely agitated and unsettled, or seems confused
Your child is struggling to breathe, or breathing very fast, and you can see their tummy sucking in under their ribs
The soft spot (fontanelle) on your child’s head is bulging

Sepsis is when the body’s response to infection or injury is abnormal, and starts to attack its own organs and tissues. Sepsis can be life-threatening if it isn’t treated immediately, so call 999 if your child has any of the signs written above, and think – could it be sepsis? See the sepsis page of our website for more information.

Who can help?

If you’re worried about your child, a health professional in our team will be able to offer advice and support. You can Call Us on 0300 029 50 50 or Text Us on 07520 649887 to start a conversation. **Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm excluding bank holidays**

Need More Information?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/ - NHS fever webpage
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/ - NHS sepsis webpage
https://sepsistrust.org/ - UK sepsis trust website
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/ - NHS meningitis webpage
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/childrens-medicines/ - NHS medicines for babies and children webpage
https://111.nhs.uk/ - NHS 111 help online (for adults and children aged 5 and over – if your child is under 5, call 111 by phone)

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Delivering excellence in Children and Young People’s Services:
a partnership between Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust and
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
Funded by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council

Fever

What you can do to help

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Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Child Programme

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