Fever in a baby younger than 3 months

During the first 3 months of life, babies are not always able to fight infections, so they need to see a health professional sooner than older babies and children with fevers.

It is difficult to evaluate health problems in a newborn. A visit to a health professional is needed to determine whether the fever is a sign of serious illness. A fever with other symptoms may mean a more serious illness.

A 2-month-old baby who has received the first DTaP or DPT immunization may have a fever up to 104F but may not need medical evaluation for this fever. If your health professional has given you instructions on how to treat your baby's fever after immunizations, follow those instructions. Watch your baby closely for other symptoms with the fever that you need to report to your health professional.

A health professional will look at the baby's breathing, skin color, activity, muscle tone, alertness, and facial expressions, and will want to know how the baby is feeding and sleeping.