The question parents ask most often: "At how many degrees is it dangerous?" The truth is that it is not the temperature alone but the overall picture that matters. A child with a 38.5°C fever who is playing is far safer than a child with a 38°C fever whose consciousness is clouded.

Critical Thresholds by Age

Age Situation requiring emergency evaluation
0-3 months ≥ 38°C — always an emergency
3-6 months ≥ 38.5°C with irritability
6 months - 18 years ≥ 40°C, a fever that does not come down, or accompanying red flags

10 Red Flags — Seek Care Without Delay

  1. A rash that does not fade under pressure (the glass test) — may be a sign of meningitis/sepsis
  2. Neck stiffness, discomfort with light
  3. Having a seizure
  4. Rapid, grunting, retracting breathing
  5. Constant drowsiness, inability to be woken, unresponsiveness
  6. Not passing urine for more than 8 hours, dry mouth, absence of tears
  7. Unstoppable vomiting
  8. Bluish discoloration of the lips and nails
  9. A fever lasting longer than 72 hours, or a "second peak" that falls and then rises again
  10. The combination of cold hands and feet with a high fever in the trunk

Overcome Fever Phobia

In most children the cause of fever is self-resolving viral infections. The goal is not to "reset" the fever but to comfort the child and watch for danger signs. For proper home care: How to Reduce Fever in Babies?

What Do We Look At in a Persistent Fever?

The focus during the examination: the eardrum (middle ear infection), the throat, lung sounds, urinalysis, and a blood count if needed. Finding the source of the fever is always more correct than blind antibiotics.