What should a childs temperature be

For older kids, take behavior and activity level into account. Watching how your child behaves will give you a pretty good idea of whether a minor illness is the cause or if your child should be seen by a doctor. And don't worry too much about a child with a fever who doesn't want to eat. This is very common with infections that cause fever. For kids who still drink and urinate pee normally, not eating as much as usual is OK. A gentle kiss on the forehead or a hand placed lightly on the skin is often enough to give you a hint that your child has a fever.

However, this method of taking a temperature called tactile temperature won't give an accurate measurement. Use a reliable digital thermometer to confirm a fever. It's a fever when a child's temperature is at or above one of these levels:. But how high a fever is doesn't tell you much about how sick your child is. Because fevers can rise and fall, a child might have chills as the body's temperature begins to rise.

The child may sweat to release extra heat as the temperature starts to drop. Sometimes kids with a fever breathe faster than usual and may have a faster heart rate. Call the doctor if your child has trouble breathing, is breathing faster than normal, or is still breathing fast after the fever comes down. Again, not all fevers need to be treated. In most cases, a fever should be treated only if it's causing a child discomfort.

If your child is fussy or uncomfortable, you can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen based on the package recommendations for age or weight. Unless instructed by a doctor, never give aspirin to a child due to its association with Reye syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease. If you don't know the recommended dose or your child is younger than 2 years old, call the doctor to find out how much to give.

Infants younger than 2 months old should not be given any medicine for fever without being checked by a doctor. If your child has any medical problems, check with the doctor to see which medicine is best to use.

Remember that fever medicine can temporarily bring a temperature down, but usually won't return it to normal — and it won't treat the underlying reason for the fever. Dress your child in lightweight clothing and cover with a light sheet or blanket. Overdressing and overbundling can prevent body heat from escaping and can cause the temperature to rise.

While some parents use lukewarm sponge baths to lower fever, this method only helps temporarily, if at all. In fact, sponge baths can make kids uncomfortable. Offer plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration because fevers make kids lose fluids more rapidly than usual. The magic number for fever is Lim says doctors tend not to worry about:. Now for the important question: When should you be worried about a fever? Call a doctor if and when:.

Seizures are a very scary side effect of fevers in some children, Dr. Lim notes. Not all seizures cause jerking movements in the body. If the seizure lasts less than five minutes, call your physician or seek immediate medical attention.

A pediatric infectious disease expert or pediatric rheumatologist may be able to get to the bottom of the issue. Find out at what temperature you need to worry and at what temperature you can rest easy. Many bacteria are enclosed in an overcoat-like membrane.

When this membrane is disrupted or broken, the contents that escape can be toxic to the body. They stimulate the brain to raise the temperature. Fever is not an illness. It is a symptom, or sign, that your body is fighting an illness or infection. Fever stimulates the body's defenses, sending white blood cells and other "fighter" cells to fight and destroy the cause of the infection.

Children with fevers may become more uncomfortable as the temperature rises. Along with a body temperature greater than Your child may feel warm or hot.

Remember that even if your child feels like he or she is "burning up," the measured temperature may not be that high. The symptoms of a fever may look like other health conditions. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if your child is younger than 3 months of age and has a temperature of If you are unsure, always check with your child's healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

In children, a fever that is making them uncomfortable should be treated. Treating your child's fever will not help the body get rid of the infection any faster.