Fever in children

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Fever in children

Fever in children: When to see a doctor

Photo of a doctor examining a young child

Most children with a fever have a harmless . But many parents start to worry if their child develops a high temperature. Knowing what to look out for can help you decide whether to take your child to the doctor.

If a child has a fever, parents often wonder whether it could be something serious, whether they should take their child to the doctor, or whether they should try to lower the fever. Generally speaking, if you feel unsure and worried, it's better to seek medical advice. Simply calling the doctor’s practice will often already give you the answers you need.

The child's body temperature alone usually isn't enough to know whether you should take them to see a doctor. Other factors are often more important. For instance, many common children's illnesses cause a typical rash as well as fever. If your child has such symptoms, it's a good idea to go to the doctor after calling ahead first. It is also important to seek medical advice if the fever stays high or if the child's health declines further. If a child has a febrile seizure for the first time, you should take them to see a doctor immediately afterwards or call an ambulance.

When should you seek medical advice?

The following table lists reasons for seeking medical advice for a child with fever:

"High temperature" icon A baby under three months of age has a body temperature of over 38°C (100.4°F).
"Fever duration" icon The fever has lasted for longer than three days.
"Febrile seizure" icon The fever has led to a febrile seizure.
"Unresponsive" icon The child hardly responds to you, is very sleepy, in a lot of pain, very restless, or has an unusually shrill cry.
"Rash" icon The child has a skin rash that doesn't fade if you press against it – for example, with a clear glass while looking through it.
"Breathing" icon The child is struggling to breathe, is breathing very quickly, or makes grunting or crackling sounds when they breathe.
"Stiff neck" icon The child has trouble moving their chin towards their chest. A stiff neck can be a sign of meningitis.
"Refusing to drink" icon The child repeatedly refuses to drink or be breastfed. They are showing signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes, very dry lips, and not peeing in the last 12 hours.

If a baby under three months of age stops drinking or refuses to be breastfed, it is always important to seek medical advice – regardless of their body temperature. They may have an without a fever.

What can you do if the doctor's practice is shut?

If the doctor's practice is closed, you can go to an out-of-hours doctor in certain practices or hospitals (known as a Notfallpraxis or Notfallambulanz in Germany). The addresses are provided by doctor's practices and health insurers, or you can do an internet search for those terms and the name of the place where you live, for instance.

Good to know:

In Germany, you can contact the medical on-call service hotline (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) on 116 117. If you need urgent medical care, you can call the emergency services for an ambulance. The emergency telephone number is 112 in Germany and many other European countries, and 911 in the U.S.

The course of an illness can change quite suddenly in children: Parents shouldn't hesitate to go back to the doctor on the same day if necessary. They are the best judges of whether their child is behaving abnormally, reacting differently, being less active than usual, feeling very poorly or not drinking enough. Parents' judgment and experience are very important, and can also be of great help to the doctor.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin (DGKJ). S3-Leitlinie Fiebermanagement bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. AWMF register no.: 027-074. 2025.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Fever in under 5s: assessment and initial management. (NICE Clinical Guidelines; No. NG143). 2021.

IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

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Please note that we do not provide individual advice on matters of health. You can read about where to find help and support in Germany in our information “How can I find self-help groups and information centers?”

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Fever in children: When to see a doctor

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Updated on January 21, 2026

Next planned update: 2029

Publisher:

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany)

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