First aid Illness and conditions

Child with a fever: what to do and when to call 112

Child with a fever: dress lightly, give drinks, paracetamol by age and weight. When to call 112 and see a doctor. Based on NICE NG143 and IFRC.

Prepared by the InCaseMap team · Steps translated from the Lithuanian text checked 5 October 2026 Updated 16 October 2026

In short: Dress a child with a fever lightly, do not cover them heavily and give them drinks; if they feel unwell, paracetamol by age and weight, as stated in the leaflet. Call 112 if a rash appears, there are seizures, breathing is hard or the child is listless. See a doctor as soon as possible if a baby under 3 months has 38 °C or more. All 38 first-aid instructions, based on state-institution and international guidelines (Lithuanian Ministry of Health, NVSC, VVKT, ERC, IFRC), are in the InCaseMap app and work offline — together with a map of hospitals, pharmacies and shelters.

What to do

  1. Dress them lightly, do not cover them heavily, give them drinks.
  2. If the child feels unwell – paracetamol by age and weight, as stated in the leaflet.
  3. Call 112 if a rash appears, there are seizures, breathing is hard, the child is listless or confused, has severe tummy pain, vomits and light hurts their eyes, or there are signs of shock.
  4. See a doctor as soon as possible if a baby under 3 months has a temperature of 38 °C or more, a child – above 39 °C, the fever does not go down with paracetamol or lasts longer than 3 days, or anything worries you.

What not to do

  • Do not sponge them with water – neither cold nor lukewarm.

Frequently asked questions

Should I sponge a child with a fever?

No — do not sponge them with water, neither cold nor lukewarm.

When should a child with a fever see a doctor?

If a baby under 3 months has 38 °C or more, a child is above 39 °C, the fever does not go down with paracetamol or lasts over 3 days, or anything worries you.

Sources

Based on: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), UK, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Translated from the Lithuanian text checked 5 October 2026.

Call 112 first and do what the operator says — their instructions come before this page; do not hang up until they tell you to. This page does not replace first-aid training.

You may freely use this text and its data, commercially too — just add a link: <a href="https://incasemap.com/en/first-aid-child-fever">InCaseMap</a> (more)

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