Fever in children is 38 degrees or more, and in itself it is rarely dangerous: it is the body's way of fighting infection. What matters is how your child is doing: are they drinking, are they responsive, can they manage a little play? A baby under three months with a fever should always be seen by a doctor. Everyone else is usually looked after at home with fluids, rest and a watchful eye, with fever medicine only when your child is feeling poorly.
A thermometer reading 39.5 at two in the morning is one of parenthood's most frightening numbers, and one of the least dangerous. Children run high fevers with ordinary colds. Here is how to read your child instead of the thermometer, what to do at home, and the signs that mean you pick up the phone.
What counts
| Temperature | What it means |
|---|---|
| 37.5 to 38 | Raised, not a fever. Wait and see. |
| 38 to 39 | Fever. Common with a cold. Managed at home if your child seems okay. |
| 39 to 40 | High fever. Still common. Look at your child, not the number. |
| Over 40 | Call 1177 (the national healthcare helpline) if it does not come down with fluids and rest, and always if your child seems unwell. |
How to measure properly
- Wait half an hour after play, a bath or crying. A child who has just been running around has a raised temperature without being ill.
- The ear thermometer should go in straight and sit snugly. Measure both ears if you are unsure and go by the higher reading.
- The forehead is the least reliable method. If it shows a fever, measure again in the ear or rectally.
- Write down the time and the reading. It is the curve over the day that tells you something, not a single measurement.
Common causes of fever in children
| Cause | What it usually looks like | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Colds and respiratory viruses | Runny nose, cough, fever for two to four days | At home, fluids, rest |
| Ear infection | Fever and earache, often after a few days of a runny nose, your child pulls at the ear or wakes screaming | Call 1177 if it has not eased within a day or if the ear is discharging |
| Strep throat | High fever, sore throat, no cold symptoms | Contact your vårdcentral (local health centre), may need a test and sometimes antibiotics |
| Roseola (three-day fever) | High fever for three days in children under two, then a rash as the fever breaks | At home. The rash is the sign that it is over |
| Urinary tract infection | Fever with no other symptoms, sometimes smelly urine or pain when your child wees | Contact a doctor, especially with small children who have an unexplained fever |
| Vaccination | A mild fever for a day after the injection | At home. Passes on its own |
What you do at home
- Fluids. Water, squash, milk, ice lollies. Small amounts, often. Your child does not need to eat, but they must drink.
- Lightly dressed. Not bundled up. One layer and a thin blanket.
- Rest, not bed rest. Your child can play if they have the energy. The sofa and a film make a good fever day.
- Fever medicine when your child feels poorly, not to bring the number down. Paracetamol from three months, ibuprofen from six, dosed by weight according to the packaging. Never aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) for children.
- Check on your child at night. Do they feel hot, are they breathing calmly, can they be woken?
The night with a fever
A fever often rises in the evening and peaks in the middle of the night, which is why most worried calls to 1177 come then. Put your child to bed lightly dressed in a cool room, leave a glass of water by the bed and consider sleeping in the same room on the nights the fever is high. If your child wakes hot and grizzly: offer a drink, change into a dry top if they have been sweating, and give fever medicine if they cannot get back to sleep because they are in pain or feeling poorly. You do not need to wake a child who is sleeping calmly to take their temperature. A child who is asleep, breathing evenly and responds when you touch them is okay.
When to seek care
| Call 112 | Call 1177 |
|---|---|
| Your child is hard to wake or does not respond | Your child is under six months |
| Breathing difficulties: fast breathing, the skin pulling in between the ribs, blue lips | The fever has lasted more than four days |
| A rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it | Your child is weeing much less, has a dry mouth, no tears |
| A febrile seizure lasting more than five minutes | Your child is unusually drowsy, grizzly or hard to comfort |
| A stiff neck with headache and fever | The fever comes back after having gone |
| You are worried. That is reason enough. |
A baby under three months with 38 degrees or more: call 1177 straight away, whatever the time of day, and go in if they tell you to. Small babies can become seriously ill quickly and do not always show it.
Febrile seizures
About one child in twenty has a febrile seizure at some point: the child goes stiff, jerks, and is unresponsive for a minute or two. It looks dreadful and is almost always harmless. Lay your child on their side, put nothing in the mouth, time it. If the seizure lasts more than five minutes, call 112. If it is the first time, call 1177 afterwards so that your child gets examined.
Förskola and nannies when your child has a fever
Förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) wants your child at home until they have been fever free for a day and have the energy to join in. That often means two or three days at home. If you are not able to VAB , a nanny your child already knows can take the day at home: a calm child on the sofa with an adult they trust. Tell us and we will see who is free. This applies to day three of a cold with a slight fever, not a baby with a high fever or a child who needs medical care.
How we do it with our families
The nanny who comes regularly knows what your child is like when they are well, and that is the knowledge you need when there is a fever. Doaa picked up a four-year-old in Solna one Thursday in November and noticed in the hallway that he was quieter than usual and wanted to be carried, which he never does. At home she measured 38.4, rang his mum straight away, and did what they had agreed at the first meeting: the sofa, a blanket, a glass of squash and a film, no medicine without the parents saying yes. On the note she wrote the time, the temperature and how much he had drunk. She notices whether a child is their usual self at 39 degrees, or different at 38, and that is why she calls you. We go through where the thermometer and any medicines are kept at the first meeting.
This text is general information and does not replace advice from BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in), your vårdcentral or 1177. If you are worried about your child, call 1177. In an emergency, call 112.
Would you like a nanny who knows your child, knows what is normal for them and notices when something is different? Book a free first meeting with the nanny in your home.
Read more: Hand, foot and mouth disease in children · Laboured breathing while your child sleeps · Stomach bug in children · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a fever in children?
38 degrees or more, measured rectally or in the ear. Children get fevers easily and the fever in itself is rarely dangerous. It is your child's general condition that decides how you should act: can they drink, play for a while, wake up and respond? A child at 39.5 who is playing on the floor is doing better than a child at 38.2 who just lies there.
When should we seek care for a fever?
Always if your child is under three months. Contact 1177 if your child is under six months, if the fever has lasted more than four days, if your child is drowsy and hard to get a response from, has difficulty breathing, has a stiff neck, has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it, or is not weeing. And call if you are worried. That is reason enough.
Should we give fever medicine?
Only if your child is feeling poorly because of the fever, not to bring the number down. Paracetamol can be given from three months and ibuprofen from six months, dosed by weight according to the packaging or the pharmacy. Never aspirin for children. Write the time and dose on a note. It is easy to lose count when several adults take turns.
Can my child go to förskola the next day?
Once they have been fever free for a day without fever medicine and have the energy to take part. It is the energy that decides, not the thermometer. A child who is fever free in the morning but spent all of yesterday on the sofa is not ready for six hours in a group, and will come home with the fever back.
How much should my child drink when they have a fever?
More than usual, in small amounts, often. There is no exact quantity to aim for. Look at your child instead: a moist mouth, tears when they cry and roughly the usual amount of wee mean it is enough. A dry mouth, no tears and a nappy that stays dry for many hours mean you should call 1177. Ice lollies, soup and watermelon count as fluids too.