What a fever is
A temperature of 38C or above. It is the body responding to infection, and the number on the thermometer matters less than how your child is behaving.
What to watch
How alert they are, whether they are drinking, whether they are passing urine, their breathing, and their skin colour. A child who is drinking, alert between temperatures and playing is usually reassuring, whatever the number says.
Speak to someone if
- Your baby is under 3 months and has any fever — this needs urgent assessment
- A rash does not fade when pressed with a glass
- They are unusually drowsy, floppy, or hard to wake
- Breathing is fast, laboured or grunting
General information only. It is not medical advice, it cannot account for your history, and it does not replace being seen by someone who can examine you. If you are worried, that is reason enough to ring us.