When should you call a pediatrician for a child's fever

"It is important to keep in mind that children normally have higher temperatures than adults," says Tonya Perkins, MD, who practices internal medicine and pediatrics with Baptist Medical Associates.

In general, you should call your pediatrician or seek medical attention for fever when:

• An infant under 2 to 3 months old has a temperature at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Any child over 3 months of age with a temperature at or above 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if the temperature doesn’t respond to fever-reducing medications or has been present for more than two days.

"Remember that how high a fever is doesn’t necessarily tell you how sick your child is. Even if your child doesn’t have a fever, if your child is very irritable, isn’t playing or is not eating and sleeping well, you should still call your pediatrician," Dr. Perkins advises.

If your child is having regular fevers, especially if it is sometimes 102 or higher, you likely should see your pediatrician for an evaluation.

"You might also consider using a different method to check his temperature. Especially if you are checking his temperature using an axillary (under the arm) thermometer, you might confirm it with a rectal temperature the next time you think he has a fever," Dr. Perkins adds.