Fever is often the first sign of an illness in children. When your child has a temperature it can be a worrying and stressful time.
However a high temperature is simply one of your child’s ways of fighting infection and increasing protection against disease. Fever can be caused by an infection such as ‘cold or flu’ or from an infection associated with immunisation.
Fever is regarded as having a body temperature usually above 37.8ºC.
Fever can occur when your child has a ‘cold or flu’ or following childhood immunisations (for more please see immunisation section on page 6). Symptoms may vary according to the underlying cause of fever, but some common signs to look out for include:
- Irritability and lethargy
- Restlessness during the night
- Pale with cool hands and feet but hot forehead, tummy and back
- Vomiting suddenly
- Loss of appetite
- Shivering uncontrollably
- Hot and flushed all over
- Febrile convulsion
