Fever: What Now?

The 2 a.m. question, answered with the same thresholds we cite in the guides. When in doubt, skip this page and just call. Calling is always right.

Original guidance checked July 2026 · See the linked sources for updates

Check the temperature

Use a rectal digital thermometer for babies under 3 months — it gives the reading that counts at that age. source

How old is your child? Temperature Any of these, right now? Trouble breathing, blue or gray lips, a purple rash that doesn't fade when pressed, a seizure, baby can't be woken, or no wet diapers with sunken eyes

The thresholds behind this page: source source source — and the full picture, including everything that isn't a fever, lives in What to Look For.

This page is not a doctor It's an educational summary of published guidance for otherwise-healthy, full-term babies. Your pediatrician's office expects calls at every hour and would rather hear from you than not. If anything about your child worries you, call — whatever this page says.

All the warning signs → Print the fridge card →

About the sources on this page

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): The professional organization of America's pediatricians. Its guidance on safe sleep, fevers, feeding, and screen time is what your own pediatrician is trained to follow; its parent site is HealthyChildren.org.
MedlinePlus: The plain-language medical encyclopedia run by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. government's medical-research agency.

The Parent's Lounge ✦ part of the Little Story Magic family
Written by J. Ladis and Haley Dell, who are parents, not doctors. This is general education for healthy, full-term babies, not medical advice. Your pediatrician and OB know your family. When this page and your doctor differ, your doctor wins. Premature babies and babies with health conditions often have different rules.
Facts checked against the linked sources, July 2026.

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