When to Take a Child With a Fever to A&E in Singapore
A high number on the thermometer is rarely the reason to go to A&E. How your child looks and behaves matters more. This is a simple decision guide for parents in Singapore: when to call 995, when to go to the nearest 24-hour A&E, when a GP or polyclinic is the right call, and when watching at home is fine.
With a feverish child, the hardest question is not what the temperature is, but where to take them. For a child over 3 months, the number on the thermometer is rarely the deciding factor. How your child looks and behaves tells you more.
Use the sections below as a quick decision guide. If anything in the first two applies, act on it now. Babies under 3 months are a separate case, covered further down.
Call 995 now
These signs need an ambulance, not a car ride. Calling 995 means care can start on the way.
Call 995 if your feverish child has any of these:
- !A seizure or fit, or is shaking and unresponsive
- !Is unconscious, or so drowsy you cannot wake them properly
- !Is struggling to breathe, breathing very fast, or going blue around the lips
- !Has a rash of small red or purple spots that do not fade when you press on them
- !Is floppy, or their skin looks blue, very pale, or mottled
→ What to do during a febrile seizure, step by step
→ The rash test that tells you to act fast
Go to the nearest A&E
These signs do not need an ambulance, but they should not wait until morning. Take your child to the nearest 24-hour A&E or children's emergency. Several hospitals across Singapore have 24-hour emergency services, so go to whichever is closest.
Go to the nearest 24-hour A&E if your child:
- !Is much more drowsy or harder to rouse than usual, even between fever spikes
- !Is breathing faster than normal, or you can see the ribs or tummy pulling in with each breath
- !Is not drinking, and has had far fewer wet nappies or less urine than usual
- !Has a stiff neck, a bad headache with a fever, or bright light hurts their eyes
- !Has cold hands and feet with a fever that keeps climbing despite medicine
- !Has pain that is not settling, or keeps crying in a way you cannot soothe
→ What happens when you take a feverish child to A&E
When a GP or polyclinic is enough
Most feverish children do not need A&E. If your child is over 3 months, is alert when the fever eases, and is still drinking, a GP or polyclinic during opening hours is the right level of care. See one if:
- The fever has lasted more than 3 days without a clear cause.
- Your child has ear pain, a sore throat, pain passing urine, or another specific symptom that needs checking.
- The fever keeps returning over several days and your child is not picking up between spikes.
- You are simply not sure, and want a professional to take a look.
A GP can also check for dengue and other causes with a blood test when a fever has no obvious source, which matters in Singapore.
Babies under 3 months are different
The rules above are for children over 3 months. For a younger baby, a fever is treated more cautiously because illness can be harder to read at this age. A temperature of 38.0°C or above in a baby under 3 months needs urgent assessment, even if the baby looks well and is feeding.
Do not give fever medicine first to see if it settles. Have your baby seen at the nearest 24-hour children's emergency, and call 995 if they are also drowsy, floppy, breathing fast, or not feeding.
→ Fever in a baby under 3 months: what to do
When watching at home is reasonable
A child over 3 months who is feverish but drinking, responsive when the fever eases, and settling with comfort and medicine can usually be watched at home. The fever itself is part of how the body fights infection, and a high number alone is not harmful.
Offer fluids often, dress them lightly, and give paracetamol or ibuprofen by weight for comfort once your child is uncomfortable or the fever is 38.5°C or above. Keep checking on them, including overnight, and move up a level if any of the signs above appear.
Keeping a simple record of each temperature and the time and dose of any medicine makes it much easier to answer a doctor's questions later, and to see whether things are getting better or worse.
→ Toddler fever of 39°C: when to monitor vs seek help
→ How long does a fever usually last in a child?
Frequently asked questions
Is a high fever on its own a reason to go to A&E?+
Usually not. For a child over 3 months, how your child looks and behaves matters more than the number. A child with a fever of 39.5°C who is still drinking, responsive, and settles after medicine is in a very different position from a child with a lower fever who is drowsy, struggling to breathe, or hard to wake. Treat the child, not the thermometer.
My baby is under 3 months and has a fever. Where do I go?+
A fever of 38.0°C or above in a baby under 3 months needs urgent assessment, even if the baby looks well. Go to the nearest 24-hour children's emergency, or call 995 if your baby is also drowsy, floppy, breathing fast, or not feeding. Do not give fever medicine first to see if it settles.
When should I call 995 instead of driving to A&E?+
Call 995 if your child is having a seizure, is unconscious or very hard to wake, is struggling to breathe or going blue around the lips, or has a rash of small red or purple spots that do not fade when pressed. In these situations an ambulance can start care on the way, which is safer than driving.
It is the middle of the night. Should I wait until morning to see a GP?+
For the emergency signs in this guide, do not wait. For a child over 3 months who is feverish but drinking, responsive, and settling with comfort and medicine, it is usually reasonable to watch overnight and see your GP or polyclinic in the morning if the fever continues or you are worried.
How many days of fever is too many before seeing a doctor?+
A fever lasting more than 3 days without a clear cause is worth a review by your GP or polyclinic, even if your child seems otherwise alright. In Singapore this also lets the doctor check for dengue and other causes with a blood test if needed.