HealthInfo Canterbury
You should always see a doctor if a pēpi (baby) under 3 months old has a fever.
Phone 111 for urgent medical help if your tamaiti (child):
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Fevers are common in tamariki (children). A fever by itself doesn't tell you if they're seriously sick. Even an ordinary cold can cause a high fever.
Your child's normal body temperature is around 37°C. Your tamaiti child has a mild fever if their temperature is higher than 38°C. A high fever usually means more than 39°C.
If your tamaiti is miserable, seems unwell and feels hot, you can use a thermometer to take their temperature. You don't need to do this if they seem well.
The number on the thermometer can't tell you:
The most common cause of a fever in a tamaiti is a viral infection. A bacterial infection is a less common but more serious cause.
Other causes of high body temperature include:
Fever is a normal way for a tamaiti to fight an infection. The body's natural reaction to infection with a virus or bacteria is to raise the temperature inside the body. This helps to kill the infection.
Being hot may make your tamaiti feel unhappy or uncomfortable, but the high temperature is very unlikely to cause any long-term problems.
Some tamariki children have convulsions (called febrile convulsions) when they have fevers. These look very worrying, but even these febrile seizures are very unlikely to cause long-term problems.
If you're worried about your tamaiti, whether or not there's a fever, you should take them to see a doctor.
If they've already seen a doctor but they're getting worse, go back to your doctor.
Tell your doctor if your tamaiti has been overseas in the last few weeks or has been around someone who is unwell.
See a doctor urgently if the tamaiti with a fever:
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See a doctor if the tamaiti with a fever:
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HealthInfo recommends the following pages
Easy-to-follow instructions on the different kinds of thermometers and how to use them.
What causes a fever and how to treat it.
This two-page handout explains what danger signals to watch for when your tamaiti is sick.
On the next page: Helping your child with fever (high temperature)
Content shared between HealthInfo Canterbury, KidsHealth and Health Navigator NZ as part of a National Health Content Hub collaborative. Last reviewed November 2021.
Review key: HIFEC-49206