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 child is between 3 months and 3 years old, and they were seen in the ED for a fever. A fever is a rise in body temperature that goes above 100.4°F (38°C).
The most common cause of fever in children is a viral infection. This is most often due to a cold, the flu, an airway infection, or a stomach bug.
The doctor thinks it is safe for your child to recover at home.
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 do the following:
●Call your child's regular doctor and tell them your child was in the ED. Make a follow-up appointment if you were told to.
●Encourage your child to rest as much as they want. But don't force them to sleep or rest.
●If your child is uncomfortable because of fever, you can give them over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin). Read the instructions carefully. Never give aspirin a child younger than 18 years old.
●Offer your child lots of fluids to drink. Offer your baby regular feedings of breast milk or formula. This helps keep them hydrated.
●Dress your child in lightweight clothes. This helps keep them from getting too warm.
●Keep your child 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 and your child's 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 child 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 child has a seizure.
•Your child needs to sit upright to breathe, or cannot lie down.
•Your child has so much trouble breathing they can only say 1 or 2 words at a time, or your baby has trouble crying.
•Your child is very tired from working to catch their breath.
•Your child makes a grunting noise when they breathe.
•Your child 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 child.
•Your child passed out, 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 urinate for longer than 24 hours.
-Their eyes or soft spot are sunken.
●Return to the ED if your child:
•Cannot keep any fluids down, has not had anything to drink in many hours, and has 1 or more of the following:
-Your child is less alert than usual, very sleepy, or much less active.
-Your child is crying all the time.
-Your baby does not have a wet diaper for longer than 8 hours.
-Your older child does not urinate for longer than 12 hours.
-Your child's skin is cool.
•Has trouble breathing when lying down or sitting still
•Is working hard to breathe – You might see skin pulling in between their ribs, below their rib cage, or above their collarbones.
•Has a stiff neck
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if:
●Your child's fever is not gone after 3 days.
●Your child cannot do their normal activities because of trouble breathing.
●Your child is having trouble feeding normally.
●Your child has a dry mouth.
●Your child has few or no tears when they cry.
●Your child's urine is dark.
●Your child is less active than normal.
●Your child has new or worsening symptoms.
Patient education: Fever in children (The Basics)
Patient education: How to take a temperature (The Basics)
