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Fever Guidance in Children Under 5.

Your child has been treated for a fever . They have had a thorough examination and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following instructions will aid their recovery.

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Caring for your child with a fever

We think that your child is well enough to go home now, but please telephone the number below if:

your child’s health gets worse
you are worried
you have concerns about looking after your child at home
your child has a fit
your child develops a rash that does not disappear with pressure (see the ‘tumbler test’ at the end of this sheet)
the fever lasts longer then 5 days.

Phone this number for further advice 0208 296 3550 /3626 or take them to the Paediatric Emergency Department as soon as possible.

What to do when your child has a fever Preventing dehydration

Offer your child regular drinks (where a baby or child is breastfed the most appropriate fluid is breastmilk).

Look for signs of dehydration:

sunken fontanelle (soft spot on a baby’s head)
dry mouth
sunken eyes
no tears

If you find signs of dehydration encourage your child to drink more fluids and seek further advice if you are worried.

Clothing

Children with fever should not be under or over dressed. If your child is shivering or sweating a lot, change the amount of clothes they are wearing.

Medicines to reduce temperature

It’s not necessary to use medicines (paracetamol or ibuprofen) to treat your child’s temperature. However if your child has a fever and is distressed or very unwell, you can help to make them feel more comfortable by giving them either paracetamol or ibuprofen (please read the instructions on the bottle first). Don’t give these medicines at the same time. If your child has not improved 23 hours later, you may want to try giving the other medicine.

Please ask your local community pharmacist for more advice about medicines.

Sponging

Do not sponge your child with water. This does not help to reduce fever.

Checking on your child

Check your child during the night for rashes and to see if they are getting better. If a rash appears, do the tumbler test (see below). If you are concerned that your child is not improving phone the number on the front of this sheet to seek advice.

Keep your child away from nursery or school while they have a fever and notify the school or nursery of the illness.

The tumbler test

Do the ‘tumbler test’ if your child has a rash. Press a glass tumbler firmly against the rash. If you can see the spots through the glass and they do not fade this is called a ‘non-blanching rash’. If this rash is present seek medical advice immediately. The rash is harder to see on dark skin so check paler areas, such as palms of the hands, soles of the feet, tummy and inside the eyelids.

Photo courtesy of the Meningitis Research Foundation

Febrile Convulsions

A febrile convulsion is a type of fit that can happen if your child’s temperature gets too high very quickly. They usually happen to children between birth and 5 years old.

They are not the same as epilepsy and do not mean that your child will get epilepsy. The febrile convulsion can be very frightening for you to see, but you can help your child by looking out for:

A high temperature
Flushing and sweating
Breath holding
Twitching of your child’s face, arms or legs.

If you notice any of these, you should:

Give your child medicine (if they can swallow), such as junior paracetamol or ibuprofen, to bring their temperature down
Take your child’s clothes off to cool them down, but if they still wear nappies, you can keep one on to stop any accidents
Sponge your child with lukewarm water and then dry them
Put your child on their side or in another safe position
Get in touch with your GP or phone us on 0208 296 3550 /3626 if your child has a high temperature.

You should not:

Cool your child so much that they start to shiver. This means that they are too cold.

If your child starts to have a fit you should:

Phone 999 for an ambulance to bring your child to hospital.

You should not:

Try to take your child to hospital yourself.

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Fever Guidance in Children Under 5.

Caring for your child with a fever

What to do when your child has a fever Preventing dehydration

Look for signs of dehydration:

Clothing

Medicines to reduce temperature

Sponging

Checking on your child

The tumbler test

Febrile Convulsions

If you notice any of these, you should:

You should not:

If your child starts to have a fit you should:

You should not:

Share this...

Were you prepared for the visit today?

Related Information

The Work Life Balance

Burnout at work

Part 2 – Delivering Information

Social Media

School

Exercise in the home

Was this information useful?

How was your visit today?

Treatment Feedback - Tools for Hospitals

News & Blog

Part 2 – Delivering Information

Part 1 – Scanning QRs

Introduction Video

Burnout at work

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