If the baby is behaving as they would, they are likely to be fine. However, if a baby under 3 months of age has a rectal temperature of Additionally, the severity of a fever does not always indicate how unwell a child is at the time.
The body temperatures of babies can rise for many reasons other than illness, including extended crying, sitting in the hot sun, or spending time playing.
Their temperature may also slightly rise when they are teething. None of these things causes a fever. A fever is a symptom of an illness, not the illness itself. Fever occurs due to the immune system fighting against infections, which can be bacterial or viral.
Viral infections are much more common. Despite common beliefs, teething does not cause a fever. What may put the baby at risk is the underlying infection, if it is serious. Some parents and caregivers may worry that fevers are dangerous. However, except in rare cases, these fevers themselves are rarely serious.
Where there is a viral infection causing this fever, they may just need to run their course. Some bacterial infections may require treatment with antibiotics , but the fever itself is just a symptom. Additionally, treating the fever will not make the infection go away. Instead, parents and caregivers should simply carefully monitor the child for signs of complications.
However, a doctor needs to examine babies younger than 3 months for any signs of fever. This is to check for underlying conditions, as certain infections are more common and can be more dangerous in newborns. Some parents or caregivers may hear about fevers causing brain damage. Doctors call them febrile seizures. Even long seizures, or those that last longer than 15 minutes, usually have a good outcome. However, prolonged seizures may mean a child is more likely to develop epilepsy.
The biggest risk of febrile seizures is that a child may fall, hit their head, or suffer a similar injury. Therefore, parents and caregivers should monitor children during a seizure to prevent injury and call or emergency services for any seizures in a baby that continue for longer than 5 minutes. You can usually look after your child or baby at home. The temperature should go down over 3 or 4 days. Read more about giving medicines to children.
A high temperature can lead to a child being very unwell quickly. It's important to get medical help if you need it. Page last reviewed: 21 December Next review due: 21 December High temperature fever in children. What is a high temperature? Information: A normal temperature in babies and children is about A high temperature is 38C or more. If you think your baby has a high temperature, it's best to check their temperature with a thermometer.
This can help you work out whether you need to get medical advice. If you use a digital thermometer in your child's armpit and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully, you should get an accurate reading. There are a few things that can slightly alter the reading — for example, if your child has been:. If this is the case, allow them to cool down for a few minutes, but do not let them get cold or shivery, then take their temperature again to see if there's any change.
You can buy other types of thermometer, but they may not be as accurate as a digital thermometer for taking a baby or young child's temperature:. You should never use an old-fashioned glass thermometer containing mercury. These can break, releasing small splinters of glass and highly poisonous mercury.
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