Common Topics [HIDDEN]


Advice for parents/carers:
Fever in babies less than 90 days of age is much more likely to be due to a serious infection requiring urgent treatment compared to fever in an older child. For this reason, all children under 90 days of age with a temperature above 38°C / 100.4°F should be urgently reviewed by a healthcare professional. The only exception is if they have a fever in the 48 hours following their first set of vaccines (given at 8 weeks of age) – in this situation, it is OK to give them paracetamol without seeking medical advice if your baby is otherwise well.

Advice for professionals

Advice for parents/carers:
Fever is extremely common in children and usually suggests that your child has an infection. It's really important that you measure your child's temperature accurately - you should use a digital thermometer (under the the armpit (axillary) for children 5 years and younger, and in the mouth for children over 5 years of age). The other option is to use an in the ear thermometer (tympanic), although these should not be used in babies below 6 months of age.

Advice for professionals