Parents are urged to check their child’s temperature every four to eight hours and to call a physician if a child under 6 months of age has a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher, or if a child older than 6 months has a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) or higher. Prompt medical care is required for children under 2 who have a fever for more than 12 hours, or for children older than 2 whose fever persists for more than two days.

Fever in an infant who is 3 months old or younger should always be reported to a healthcare professional, preferably a pediatrician, as it often indicates a potentially serious infection.

Parents should notify a physician of their child’s fever if the child has a history of a disease that suppresses the immune system – such as diabetes, sickle cell anemia or cancer – or is taking corticosteroids. In addition, any child whose fever is accompanied by any of the following symptoms also should receive medical attention:

• Abdominal pain
• Blue lips, nails and tongue (cyanosis)
• Breathing difficulties
• Difficulty waking
• Drooling
• Inconsolable crying that lasts for hours
• Joint pain
• Lethargy
• Loss of mental alertness
• Marked drowsiness
• Stiff neck and pain when bending head forward
• Mental confusion
• Pain during urination
• Recent and spreading rash or purple spots on the skin
• Seizure
• Severe headache
• Severe throat swelling
• Swelling of the soft spot on the head (fontanel) in infants

Children with a fever who also experience stiff neck, inability to bend the head forward or heightened sensitivity to bright lights also should see a physician. These symptoms may indicate meningitis, a serious inflammation of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis requires immediate emergency medical attention.