Your Child Has a Temperature: When to Worry and When Not To

A temperature is the body doing its job. What matters is not the number on the thermometer but how your child is behaving.

What counts as a fever

38C or above. A slightly warm forehead after running around is not a fever, and a normal reading does not rule out illness.

Signs that need urgent attention

Any temperature in a baby under three months. A rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it. A stiff neck, or light hurting their eyes. Unusual drowsiness, a weak or high-pitched cry, breathing that looks like hard work, mottled or blue-tinged skin, or a fit. These mean 999 or A&E, not a pharmacy.

Things that look alarming but usually are not

Shivering, hot hands and cold feet, a temperature that rises in the evening, and a fever that lasts two or three days. Febrile convulsions are frightening to watch and usually harmless, but a first one should always be assessed.

What helps

Fluids, more than food. Paracetamol or ibuprofen if they are uncomfortable — for comfort, not to force the number down. Do not alternate the two without advice, do not use aspirin in children, and follow the pack for the age and weight. Ask us if you are unsure, and bring the pack.

What a pharmacist can do

Earache in children aged 1 to 17 is covered by Pharmacy First, assessed in the consultation room and treated free on the NHS. Bring your child in.