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Fever in babies: when to worry

How to take your baby’s temperature, what to do at home, why vinegar or alcohol rubs are not advised and when to see a doctor straight away.

4 min read

In this article

A temperature of 38°C or more is a high temperature. In older children it often passes on its own within 1 to 4 days. In young babies, age matters a lot:

  • under 3 months, with 38°C or more: see a doctor straight away, even if your baby seems well
  • 3 to 6 months, with 39°C or more: see a doctor straight away

How to take it

Use a digital thermometer under the arm: place it high in the armpit, hold your baby’s arm gently against their body and wait for the beep. Wait a few minutes after a bath or after your baby has been wrapped up, because both raise the temperature for a while. Do not use mercury thermometers: they are dangerous if they break.

At home

  1. 1

    Fluids often

    Offer the breast or bottle more often. Older babies can have water too.

  2. 2

    Neither undressed nor bundled up

    Dress your baby in light clothes and cover them with a thin sheet. Wrapping in blankets raises their temperature.

  3. 3

    Check on them often

    Including at night. Watch how they behave, whether they drink and whether their nappies are wet.

  4. 4

    Medicine only on advice

    Paracetamol or ibuprofen are given only if your baby is distressed, in the amount for their age and weight that your paediatrician or pharmacist advises. Very young babies should not have them without a doctor’s advice.

Vinegar or alcohol rubs

In many families a fever is brought down with compresses of vinegar, raki or alcohol. For babies, this is not advised. Alcohol can be absorbed through the skin and poison a baby. Sponging with cold water makes your baby shiver, which pushes the temperature back up. Never give aspirin to a child under 16.

A fever is not the illness itself: it is how the body fights infection. How your baby looks and behaves matters more than the number on the thermometer.

See a doctor today if your baby

  • is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C or more
  • is 3 to 6 months and has a temperature of 39°C or more
  • has had a fever for 5 days or more
  • will not feed or does not seem their usual self
  • has fewer wet nappies or sunken eyes, or cries without tears
  • also has a rash

Call emergency services (127 in Albania) or go to emergency care if your baby

  • has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
  • is struggling to breathe: grunting, sucking in under the ribs or breathing very fast
  • is very drowsy and hard to wake, or is not responding as usual
  • has blue, grey, very pale or blotchy skin or lips
  • has a stiff neck or is bothered by light
  • has a fit (shaking that does not stop), especially for the first time
  • has very cold hands and feet while their body is hot

Common questions

What counts as a high temperature in a baby?
38°C or more. In a baby under 3 months, this needs a doctor straight away.
Should I bring a fever down with vinegar or alcohol rubs?
No. Alcohol can be absorbed through the skin, and sponging with cold water makes your baby shiver. Dress your baby lightly and give fluids.
How do I do the glass test?
Press the side of a clear glass against the rash. If you can still see the spots through the glass, call emergency services straight away.

Sources we consulted

Written by the mam.al editors as general information. It does not replace advice from your doctor or paediatrician. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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