Fever is quite common in children, it’s the body’s way of fighting an infection.
A normal temperature in babies and children is about 36.4C, but this can vary slightly from child to child.
A fever is a high temperature of 38C or more.
Your child might:
You can usually look after your child or baby at home. Treat your child, not the number on the thermometer: if they are happy and playing they don’t need medicine, even if they are hot.
You can give your child some paracetamol or ibuprofen to make them feel better. Don’t give both paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time though – you can give paracetamol first, and if that doesn’t really help, give ibuprofen after a couple of hours. Don’t give aspirin to children.
Tiny babies are more at risk of serious infections: if they’re less than 3 months old, and their temperature goes over 38 degrees C, they should be seen by a doctor.