Parents of infants 3 months old or younger who have fever of 100.4 o F or higher are advised to immediately seek medical attention. Newborns have weak immune systems and fever at this age can be a sign of serious illness. The human body does a fairly good job of regulating its temperature, usually in the range of 96-100 o Fahrenheit. There is also normal variation between people. Chills occur when the fever is rising.
Sweats occur when the fever is breaking.
The body s temperature can rise for reasons other than fever. For example, runners will raise their temperature when they run on a hot day. This is not called fever, the term for this is hyperthermia . The Truth About Fever Fever is not harmful. Indeed, when we are ill, fever is a natural and useful part of the body s attempt to combat the illness.