A normal armpit (axillary) temperature for a baby is 36.5°C to 37.4°C (97.7°F to 99.3°F). Below 36.5°C is low. 37.5°C or above is a fever by the armpit method. Find your exact reading in the table below.
⚠️ Read this first
- Any fever in a baby under 3 months is an emergency — 38°C (100.4°F) rectal, or 37.5°C (99.5°F) or above in the armpit. Same-day doctor, even if the baby looks completely well.
- A LOW temperature in a newborn is also a danger sign — not just “baby is cold”. Sepsis in a newborn often shows as a low temperature. Below 36.0°C: go to hospital.
- Go now, at any temperature, if the baby is floppy or hard to wake, not feeding, breathing fast or grunting, blue or mottled, has a bulging soft spot, a stiff neck, a rash that does not fade under a pressed glass, or a fit.
- The number matters less than how the baby looks.
Normal Temperature Range by Measurement Method
| Method | Normal range (°C) | Normal range (°F) | Fever = | Notes for Indian parents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axillary (armpit) | 36.5 – 37.4 | 97.7 – 99.3 | ≥ 37.5°C / 99.5°F | Most used in India. Safe, but least accurate — can read ~0.5°C low. Hold arm down against chest, 3–5 min (or till digital beeps). |
| Rectal | 36.6 – 37.9 | 97.9 – 100.2 | ≥ 38.0°C / 100.4°F | Most accurate under 3 years. This is the reading all “fever in newborn” rules are written against. |
| Oral | 35.5 – 37.4 | 95.9 – 99.3 | ≥ 37.5°C / 99.5°F | Only from age 5. Not for babies. |
| Tympanic (ear) | 35.8 – 37.9 | 96.4 – 100.2 | ≥ 38.0°C / 100.4°F | Unreliable under 6 months (ear canal too small). |
| Temporal / forehead (infrared) | ~35.8 – 37.9 (device-dependent) | ~96.4 – 100.2 | Follow device manual | Screening only. NICE (NG143) says forehead chemical-strip thermometers are unreliable and must not be used. Confirm any abnormal IR-forehead reading with an axillary digital thermometer before acting. |
Method guidance (NICE NG143):
- Under 4 weeks: electronic thermometer in the axilla.
- 4 weeks – 5 years: electronic axillary, OR infrared tympanic.
- Do not routinely use the oral or rectal route in children 0–5 years (NICE). AAP still prefers the rectal route under 3 months for accuracy. If your baby is under 3 months and the armpit reading is 37.5°C or above, do not re-take it and do not wait — call your doctor.
Newborn normal (WHO, axillary): 36.5–37.4°C. (37.5°C and above is a fever by the armpit method.)
Baby Temperature Lookup Table: What Your Reading Means
Assume axillary unless stated. Add ~0.5°C to get the approximate rectal equivalent.
| Reading (°C) | °F | What it is | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below 32.0 | <89.6 | Severe hypothermia | Life-threatening | EMERGENCY — hospital now. |
| 32.0 – 35.9 (covers 35.5, 35.7, 35.8) | 89.6 – 96.6 | Moderate hypothermia (WHO) | Danger sign. Can be sepsis, not just cold — a newborn with a serious infection often runs LOW, not hot. | GO TO HOSPITAL NOW, ANY AGE. Do not try to re-warm at home first and do not wait 30 minutes. Skin-to-skin and cover the head while travelling. |
| 36.0 – 36.4 (covers 36.2, 36.4) | 96.8 – 97.5 | Cold stress / mild hypothermia (WHO) | Slightly below normal — the single most-searched band. Very often a measurement issue (thermometer not snug in armpit, arm not held down, cold hands, AC on). | Not an emergency by itself. Re-take correctly. Warm baby (skin-to-skin, cover head, remove damp clothes), feed, re-check after 30 min. Should climb to ≥36.5. If it does not rise, or baby is <3 months, or feeding poorly / sleepy / floppy → doctor same day. |
| 36.5 – 37.4 (covers 36.5, 37.0) | 97.7 – 99.3 | NORMAL | This is the target range. Babies normally sit around 36.6–37.2. | Nothing. No fever, no low temperature. |
| 37.5 – 37.9 | 99.5 – 100.2 | Fever by the armpit method (WHO danger threshold is ≥37.5) | Borderline/low-grade — but this IS a fever in a baby under 3 months | UNDER 3 MONTHS = EMERGENCY. Call your paediatrician now for same-day assessment; go to hospital if you cannot be seen immediately. Do not wait for the reading to reach 38. Over 3 months: watch, keep hydrated, undress a layer, re-check. |
| 38.0 – 38.4 | 100.4 – 101.1 | FEVER | The 38.0°C / 100.4°F line is the one every guideline uses. | UNDER 3 MONTHS = MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Go to hospital / see a paediatrician the same day, even if the baby looks completely fine. 3–6 months: call the doctor today. Over 6 months and well: fluids, monitor, paracetamol per doctor’s weight-based dose. |
| 38.5 – 38.9 | 101.3 – 102.0 | Fever | — | Same as above. Any age: doctor if fever lasts >48–72 h, or any danger sign. |
| 39.0 – 39.9 | 102.2 – 103.8 | High fever | — | Under 3 months: emergency. Any age with a danger sign: emergency. Otherwise same-day doctor. |
| 40.0 and above | ≥104.0 | Very high fever | — | See a doctor immediately, any age. |
The number matters less than how the baby looks. A baby with 37.0°C who is floppy, not feeding and hard to wake is sicker than a baby with 38.5°C who is alert and feeding.
Worried specifically about a reading below normal? Read our companion guide: Low body temperature in a baby: when to worry and what to do.
Hard Safety Rules — Read These First
- In a baby UNDER 3 MONTHS, ANY fever is a medical emergency — that means 38°C (100.4°F) or above rectally, OR 37.5°C (99.5°F) or above in the armpit. See a doctor the same day / go to hospital, even if the baby looks well and has no other symptom. Fever may be the only sign of a serious bacterial infection (sepsis, meningitis, UTI). Do not give paracetamol and wait. (AAP.)
- A LOW temperature in a newborn is also a danger sign. Newborns with sepsis often present with hypothermia rather than fever. Below 36.0°C: go to hospital now, at any age — do not warm and wait. WHO treats an axillary reading of ≤35.5°C (or ≥37.5°C) in a young infant as a danger sign requiring referral. Never dismiss a low reading in a baby under 3 months as “just cold”.
- Do not give aspirin to a child. Do not give any medicine to a baby under 3 months without a doctor. Paracetamol dosing is by weight, not age.
- Do not sponge with cold water or alcohol. Do not over-bundle a feverish baby.
- DANGER SIGNS — go to hospital NOW, at ANY temperature (high, low, or normal):
- Lethargic, hard to wake, or moving only when stimulated
- Not feeding / refusing feeds / unable to suckle
- Floppy (limp) or, opposite, stiff limbs / convulsions / fits
- Fast breathing (≥60 breaths/min in a young infant), grunting, severe chest in-drawing
- Blue, grey or mottled skin, or blue lips
- Bulging fontanelle (soft spot), stiff neck, non-blanching rash (doesn’t fade under a pressed glass)
- Persistent vomiting, no wet nappy for 8+ hours (dehydration)
- Any fever in a baby under 3 months
Common Readings, Answered
Is 35.7°C low for a baby?
Yes — and it needs a doctor now, not a blanket. 35.7°C is in the moderate-hypothermia band (32.0–35.9°C). It can be caused by a cold room, AC, under-dressing or a bath — but in a baby, and especially a newborn, a low temperature can be the first sign of sepsis (a serious infection). A sick newborn often runs cold, not hot. Do not warm the baby and wait to see what happens. Take the baby to hospital now, at any age. Keep them skin-to-skin and cover their head on the way.
Is 36.0°C or 36.2°C normal for a baby?
36.0–36.4°C (which covers 36.2°C) is the cold stress / mild hypothermia band per WHO — slightly below normal, and the single most-searched band. It is very often a measurement issue (thermometer not snug in the armpit, arm not held down, cold hands, AC on). It is not an emergency by itself. Re-take correctly, warm the baby (skin-to-skin, cover the head, remove damp clothes), feed and re-check after 30 minutes; it should climb to ≥36.5°C. If it does not rise, or the baby is under 3 months, or is feeding poorly / sleepy / floppy → doctor same day.
Is 36.4°C low for a baby?
36.4°C sits at the top of the 36.0–36.4°C cold-stress band — just under the normal range. Treat it exactly as above: re-take correctly, warm and feed the baby, and re-check in 30 minutes. It should climb to ≥36.5°C.
Is 36.5°C or 37.0°C normal for a baby?
Yes. 36.5–37.4°C (which covers 36.5°C and 37.0°C) is the normal target range. Babies normally sit around 36.6–37.2°C. There is no fever and no low temperature — nothing to do.
How to Take an Armpit (Axillary) Temperature Correctly
The 36.0–36.4°C band is dominated by mis-measurement, so a correct reading matters:
- Place the thermometer tip snug in the centre of a dry armpit.
- Hold the baby’s arm down against the chest so the armpit is fully closed.
- Wait 3–5 minutes, or until a digital thermometer beeps.
- Cold hands, a loose fit or the arm not held down can all make the reading read low — if the number looks off, warm the baby and re-take before acting.
Armpit readings are the least accurate method and can read about 0.5°C low. Add ~0.5°C to estimate the rectal equivalent.
When to Get Help
- Any fever in a baby under 3 months — 38°C (100.4°F) rectal, or 37.5°C (99.5°F) or above in the armpit — go to hospital / see a paediatrician the same day, even if the baby looks well.
- Any low reading (≤35.5°C) in a baby under 3 months — same-day doctor.
- Any danger sign at any temperature — go to hospital now.
For a deeper walk-through of low readings, causes and warming steps, see Low body temperature in a baby: when to worry and what to do.
This is general information and not a substitute for advice from your pediatrician. In an emergency, call 112 or 108.
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