Version July 2025
Please read the Disclaimer at the end of this page.
What are discharge instructions? —
Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of your child after getting medical care in the emergency department ("ED").
What should I know? —
Your baby is younger than 3 months, and they were seen in the ED for a fever. A fever is a rise in body temperature that goes above a certain level. In very young babies, a fever means a rectal temperature above 100.4°F (38°C).
The most common cause of fever in babies is a viral infection. This is most often due to a cold, the flu, an airway infection, or a stomach bug.
But in some cases, fever is caused by a bacterial infection. This can be very serious, especially in young babies. The doctor might have given you antibiotics to give to your baby. If so, it is very important your baby finishes all the medicine, even if they start to feel better.
You might be waiting on your child's test results. The staff will notify you if there are concerning results.
How do I care for my child at home? —
Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do to care for your child. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.
You should also:
●Call your child's regular doctor and tell them your child was in the ED. Make a follow-up appointment for the next day. If you cannot get an appointment for the next day, bring your baby back to the ED to be checked again.
●Give your baby all their medicines as instructed.
•Do not give fever-reducing medicines to your baby, unless the doctor told you to. This includes acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol) and ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin).
•Never give aspirin to a baby or child younger than 18 years old. Aspirin can cause a dangerous condition called Reye syndrome.
●Offer your baby regular feedings of breast milk or formula. This helps keep them hydrated.
●Dress your baby in lightweight clothes. This helps keep them from getting too warm.
●Keep your baby at home until their fever is gone for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicines. This helps prevent spreading the infection to others.
●Wash your hands often. Always wash after wiping your child's nose and changing diapers. Also wash before and after meals. This helps prevent spreading the infection to others.
●Do not smoke around your baby or let them be in smoke-filled places.
When should I get emergency help?
●Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:
•Your baby has a seizure.
•Your baby needs to sit upright to breathe, or cannot lie down.
•Your baby has trouble crying.
•Your baby makes a grunting noise when they breathe.
•Your baby develops blue, deep red, or purple spots that do not change when you press on them, or large purple spots that look like bruises.
•You cannot wake your baby.
•Your baby seems very sleepy or is breathing fast, and has 1 or more of these signs of severe fluid loss:
-Their skin is mottled and cool, and their hands and feet are blue.
-They do not have a wet diaper for longer than 6 hours.
-Their eyes or soft spot are sunken.
●Return to the ED if:
•Your baby cannot keep any fluids down, or has not had anything to drink in many hours and has 1 or more of the following:
-They are not as alert as usual, very sleepy, or much less active.
-They are crying all the time.
-They do not have a wet diaper for longer than 8 hours.
-Their skin is cool.
•Your baby is working hard to breathe – You might see skin pulling in between their ribs, below their rib cage, or above their collarbones.
•Your baby's nostrils are open wide when they breathe.
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if:
●Your baby is having trouble feeding normally.
●Your baby has a dry mouth.
●Your baby has few or no tears when they cry.
●Your baby's urine is dark.
●Your baby is less active than normal.
●Your baby has new or worsening symptoms.
Patient education: Fever in babies younger than 3 months (The Basics)
Patient education: How to take a temperature (The Basics)
