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Fever Control (Child)

A fever is a natural reaction of the body to an illness. Your child’s temperature itself usually isn’t harmful. A fever actually helps the body fight infections. A fever usually doesn’t need to be treated unless your usually healthy child is uncomfortable and looks and acts sick. Your child's fever may also need to be treated if he or she has a long-term (chronic) health condition or has had febrile seizures in the past.

Home care

If your usually healthy child feels hot, check his or her temperature:

  • Newborn to 5 months of age, check rectal or forehead (temporal) temperature
  • 6 months to 3 years, check rectal, forehead, or ear temperature
  • 4 years and older, check forehead, ear, or oral temperature 

Rectal temperature is the most reliable temperature for infants up to 2 months old (see Fever and children, below). Don't use other items like plastic strips or pacifier thermometers. These are less accurate. Be sure to use a rectal thermometer correctly. A rectal thermometer may accidentally poke a hole in (perforate) the rectum. It may also pass on germs from the stool. Always follow the product maker’s directions for proper use. If you don’t feel comfortable taking a rectal temperature, use another method. When you talk to your child’s healthcare provider, tell him or her which method you used to take your child’s temperature.

Always use a digital thermometer when checking your child’s temperature. Never use mercury thermometers.

Keep your child dressed in lightweight clothing to help lose the excess body heat. The fever will go up if you dress your child in extra layers or wrap your child in blankets.

Fever causes the body to lose water. For infants younger than 1 year old, keep giving regular formula or breastfeeding. Between feedings, give oral rehydration solution. You can get this at the grocery store or pharmacy without a prescription. For children 1 year or older, give plenty of fluids. Good fluids include water, diluted fruit juice, gelatin water, commercially prepared oral electrolyte solutions, non-caffeinated soft drinks, ginger ale, lemonade, and frozen fruit pops.

Fever medicines

Watch how your child is acting and feeling. You don’t need to give fever medicine if your usually healthy child is active, alert, and is eating and drinking. You may need to give fever medicine if your child has a chronic health condition or has had febrile seizures in the past. Talk with your child’s healthcare provider about when to treat your child’s fever.

You may give acetaminophen or ibuprofen if your child:

  • Becomes less and less active
  • Looks and acts sick
  • Isn’t sleeping, drinking, or eating as usual
  • Has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

Use the dose recommended by your child’s healthcare provider or the dose listed on the medicine bottle label for your child’s age and weight.

Note: If your child has chronic liver or kidney disease or ever had a stomach ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding, talk with your healthcare provider before using these medicines.

If your child can’t take or keep down oral medicine, ask your pharmacist for acetaminophen suppositories. You can get these without a prescription.

Based on your child’s medical condition, ask your child’s healthcare provider if you should wake your child to give fever medicine. Sleep is important to help your child get better.

Follow these tips when giving fever medicine to a usually healthy child:

  • Don’t give ibuprofen to children younger than 6 months old.
  • Read the label before giving fever medicine. This is to make sure that you are giving the right dose. The dose should be right for your child’s age and weight.
  • If your child is taking other medicine, check the list of ingredients. Look for acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If so, tell your child’s healthcare provider before giving your child the medicine. This is to prevent a possible overdose.
  • If your child is younger than 2 years, talk with your child’s healthcare provider before giving any medicines to find out the right medicine to use and how much to give.
  • Don’t give aspirin to a child younger than 19 years old who is ill with a fever. Aspirin can cause serious side effects such as liver damage and Reye syndrome. Although rare, Reye syndrome is a very serious illness usually found in children younger than age 15. The syndrome is closely linked to the use of aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines during viral infections.
  • Don’t give ibuprofen if your child is vomiting constantly and is dehydrated.

Once the fever is under control, keep giving either the acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Give whichever medicine works best. If either medicine alone doesn’t keep the fever down, contact your child’s healthcare provider.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s healthcare provider, or as advised.

When to seek medical advice

For a usually healthy infant or child, call your child's healthcare provider right away if any of these occur:

  • Child is less than 3 months  and has a fever
  • Child is not drinking fluids and has a fever
  • Pain that gets worse. A newborn may show pain with crying that can’t be soothed.
  • Stiff or painful neck, headache, or repeated diarrhea or vomiting.
  • Your child is unusually fussy, or drowsy.
  • Trouble focusing or paying attention to you
  • Rash or purple spots on the skin. 

Call 911

Call 911 if any of these occur:

  • Your child has a fever and has been in a very hot place (like an overheated car)
  • Trouble breathing
  • Confusion
  • Feeling drowsy or having trouble waking up
  • Fainting or loss of consciousness
  • Fast (rapid) heart rate
  • Seizure
  • Stiff neck

Fever and children

Always use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Never use a mercury thermometer.

Here are guidelines for fever temperature. Ear temperatures aren’t accurate before 6 months of age. Don’t take an oral temperature until your child is at least 4 years old. When you talk to your child’s healthcare provider, tell him or her which method you used to take your child’s temperature.

Infant under 3 months old:

·       Ask your child’s healthcare provider how you should take the temperature.

·       Rectal or forehead (temporal artery) temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by the provider

·       Armpit temperature of 99°F (37.2°C) or higher, or as directed by the provider

Child age 3 to 36 months:

·       Rectal, forehead, or ear temperature of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher, or as directed by the provider

·       Armpit (axillary) temperature of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher, or as directed by the provider

Child of any age:                                

·       Repeated temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher, or as directed by the provider

·       Fever that lasts more than 24 hours in a child under 2 years old. Or a fever that lasts for 3 days in a child 2 years or older.