The short answer
Use a digital thermometer in the armpit. Sit your child on your knee, put the tip high in the armpit, hold the arm against the body until the thermometer beeps, usually about 15 seconds, and read it. A normal temperature is about 36.4°C, and 38°C or more is a fever. For a baby under four weeks, the armpit with a digital thermometer is the only method NICE recommends. Do not use a forehead strip, a glass mercury thermometer, or the mouth or bottom for a child under five.
See a paediatrician by videoMedically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Step by step
- 1
Use a digital thermometer
Switch it on and check the screen is ready.
- 2
Sit your child on your knee
Put the tip of the thermometer high in the armpit, against the skin, not the clothes.
- 3
Hold the arm against the body
Gently but firmly, until it beeps or for as long as the instructions say, usually about 15 seconds.
- 4
Read and write it down
Note the temperature and the time, and any medicine you have given, to tell the doctor.
Taking it in the armpit, step by step
The NHS advises the armpit for all children under five. Before you start, if your child has just been wrapped up tightly, had a bath, been running around or been in a hot room, let them cool down for a few minutes (without getting cold or shivery), because these can push the reading up.
Which thermometers to use and avoid
NICE recommends these methods for children from four weeks to five years:
- A digital (electronic) thermometer in the armpit: the best choice for home, and the only one for babies under four weeks
- A chemical dot thermometer in the armpit
- An infrared ear (tympanic) thermometer, which is quick but can mislead if it is not placed properly, more so in a baby's small ear
- Avoid: forehead strips, which measure the skin, not the body, and which NICE calls unreliable
- Avoid: glass thermometers containing mercury, which can break and release poisonous mercury
- Avoid: the mouth and the bottom in children under five, which NICE advises against for routine use
When you have no thermometer
A child who feels hotter than usual on the back or chest, is sweaty or clammy, or has flushed cheeks may have a fever. NICE tells doctors to take a parent's report of a fever seriously, so say so even if you could not measure it. Buy a digital thermometer when you can: a number helps the doctor decide how urgent things are.
What the reading means
Write down each reading and the time. Then:
- Under three months, 38°C or more: go to a hospital now
- Three to six months, 39°C or more: be seen by a doctor in person today
- Any age, a fever for five days or more: be seen by a doctor
- Any age, with a danger sign below: go to a hospital now, whatever the number
Go to a hospital now
How your child looks matters more than the number. Go straight to an emergency department if your child:
- Has a fit, or is very drowsy, floppy or hard to wake
- Is struggling to breathe, breathing very fast, grunting, or the chest sucks in under the ribs
- Has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue (on dark skin, check the palms and soles)
- Has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
- Cannot drink or breastfeed, or vomits everything
- Has a stiff neck, or a bulging soft spot on the head
- Is a baby under three months with a temperature of 38°C or more
What it costs on Mezo
One fixed price, paid online.
Common questions
What is a normal temperature for a baby?
About 36.4°C, though it varies slightly. A temperature of 38°C or more is a fever.
Should I add a degree to an armpit reading?
No. Tell the doctor the number on the screen and that it was taken in the armpit.
Can I check my child's temperature with my phone?
No. A phone cannot measure body temperature. Use a digital thermometer.
Should I bring the readings to a video consultation?
Yes. The temperatures with their times, and any medicine given with the time, are among the most useful things you can tell the paediatrician.
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Got a reading and not sure what to do?
Talk it through with a paediatrician by private video call, with your child beside you. The fee is shown before you pay, and if your child needs to be examined or tested, the paediatrician tells you where and how soon.
See a paediatrician by videoSources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Fever in under 5s: assessment and initial management (NG143). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guideline.
- How to take your baby's temperature. NHS. Patient information.
- High temperature (fever) in children. NHS. Patient information.
Links last checked 29 October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.