Your child cries when picked up or moved. Your child has chills. Your child's normal temperature is 98.6 degrees by mouth. Your child's normal rectal temperature is 99.6. Fevers cannot be accurately judged with a thermometer strip placed on the forehead.
Fevers usually get higher at night and come down in the early morning.
Fever is a sign that your child's body is working to defend itself against the cause of the illness. Most children can handle high fevers, but a few will have seizures. These seizures happen when the fever becomes high very quickly. If your child is under 8 years of age, the fever can be high without meaning your child is very sick. For example, a child of 2 to 5 years may have a fever of up to 104 degrees with something as common as a cold.