What is the average temperature for toddlers

If your child has a fever, the most important thing is to make sure your child is drinking enough to avoid dehydration : If your breastfed child is younger than six months, offer extra breastfeeds. If your formula-fed child is younger than six months, offer the usual amount of formula. If your baby is older than six months, keep breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. You can also offer your child clear fluids like water. You can buy these from pharmacies and many supermarkets.

You might need to give your child smaller amounts of fluid, but more often. Here are some other things you can do to make sure your child is comfortable: Dress your child in light clothing. One layer less than your child usually wears is about right. Avoid cool baths, sponging and fans. These can actually make your child more uncomfortable. Back to Health A to Z. A high temperature is very common in young children. The temperature usually returns to normal within 3 or 4 days.

A normal temperature in babies and children is about A high temperature is the body's natural response to fighting infections like coughs and colds. Many things can cause a high temperature in children, from common childhood illnesses like chickenpox and tonsillitis, to vaccinations. Use a digital thermometer, which you can buy from pharmacies and supermarkets, to take your child's temperature.

Hypothermia can be life threatening if left untreated. Seek medical assistance as soon as you notice signs of hypothermia.

To diagnose hypothermia, your doctor will use a standard clinical thermometer and check for physical signs. They may use a low-reading rectal thermometer if needed. In some cases, your doctor may order a blood test to confirm the cause of your hypothermia, or to check for infection. In mild cases, hypothermia may be harder to diagnose but easier to treat. Heated blankets and warm fluids can restore heat.

For more severe cases, other treatments include blood rewarming and using warmed intravenous fluids. Read this article in Spanish. Need to get rid of a fever fast? Read about side effects, warnings, and other factors to help you decide which fever reducer is best for you or your…. When should you break a fever, and when should you let it run its course?

Here's everything you need to know about when and how to break a fever. Snow and freezing temperatures have hit the East Coast. Weather like this can put your health at risk in many ways, but you can take steps to protect…. Be prepared to deal with all sorts of weather. All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. British Columbia Specific Information Body temperature is a measure of the body's ability to generate and get rid of heat.

Topic Overview Fever is the body's normal and healthy reaction to infection and other illnesses, both minor and serious. Fever Temperature varies depending on how you take it. The most common ways to measure it are: Under the tongue. In the armpit. In the rectum. In the ear. Causes of fever It is not unusual for a preschool-aged child to have 7 to 10 viral infections in a year. Common causes of fever include: Viral infections , such as colds, flu , and chickenpox.

Bacterial infections , such as a urinary tract infection. Low body temperature If a low body temperature is your child's only symptom, it is not something to worry about. Check Your Symptoms Do you think your child may have a fever or chills?

How old are you? Less than 3 months. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms. If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Has your child had a fever seizure? Fever seizures are uncontrolled muscle spasms that can happen when a child's body temperature goes up quickly. Has your child had surgery in the past 2 weeks? Does your child have symptoms of shock? Does your child have symptoms of heatstroke? Does your baby seem sick? A sick baby probably will not be acting normally. For example, the baby may be much fussier than usual or not want to eat.

How sick do you think your baby is? Extremely sick. Baby is sick sleepier than usual, not eating or drinking like usual. Do you think your baby may be dehydrated? Are the symptoms severe, moderate, or mild? Do you think your child may be dehydrated? It can be harder to tell in a baby or young child than it is in an older child. The symptoms in a baby are different than the symptoms in an older child.

Is your child having trouble drinking enough to replace the fluids he or she has lost? Little sips of fluid usually are not enough. The child needs to be able to take in and keep down plenty of fluids. Is your baby having trouble breathing? Sometimes babies may have trouble breathing because of a stuffy nose. If your baby's nose is stuffy, clearing the nose with a rubber bulb may help.

Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild? Is your child having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? The symptoms of difficulty breathing in an older child may be different than symptoms in a baby or young child.

Is your child drooling and unable to swallow, cry, or make sounds? Is your child's ability to breathe:. Getting worse? Staying about the same not better or worse? Getting better?

Does your child have symptoms of a serious illness? Did you take your child's temperature? This is the only way to be sure that a baby this age does not have a fever. If you don't know the temperature, it's safest to assume the baby has a fever and needs to be seen by a doctor. Any problem that causes a fever at this age could be serious. Rectal temperatures are the most accurate. Taking an axillary armpit temperature is also an option. This would be an axillary temperature of Has your child had an immunization vaccine within the past 24 hours?

It's common for children to have a mild to moderate fever after getting immunized. Have tiny red or purple spots or bruises appeared suddenly? Does your child seem to be in pain? How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine? Signs of pain in a baby or toddler are different than signs of pain in an older child. Does your child have shaking chills or very heavy sweating?

Shaking chills are a severe, intense form of shivering. Heavy sweating means that sweat is pouring off the child or soaking through his or her clothes. Does your child have a health problem or take medicine that weakens his or her immune system?

Besides fever, do you have other symptoms of a more serious infection? Does your child have a rash that looks like a sunburn? How high is the fever? The answer may depend on how you took the temperature. Mild: How high do you think the fever is?

Mild or low. How long has your child had a fever? Less than 2 days 48 hours. From 2 days to less than 1 week. Do you think that a medicine or a vaccine may be causing the fever? Think about whether the fever started soon after you began using a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine. Or did it start after you got a shot or vaccine? These include: Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.

Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner. Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners anticoagulants , medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse. Recent health events , such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.

Your health habits and lifestyle , such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel. Try Home Treatment You have answered all the questions. Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms. Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect. You may need care sooner. For example: The baby may be fussy or cranky mild dehydration , or the baby may be very sleepy and hard to wake up severe dehydration.

The baby may have a little less urine than usual mild dehydration , or the baby may not be urinating at all severe dehydration. For example: You may feel tired and edgy mild dehydration , or you may feel weak, not alert, and not able to think clearly severe dehydration.