Feel your baby's neck to check their temperature: how and why

Why feel the neck and not the hands?

Your baby's hands and feet often feel cool even when the rest of them is comfortable. The NHS says not to worry if their hands or feet feel cool, as this is normal. The back of the neck, the chest and the tummy give a much more honest reading.

Adding socks, a hat or another blanket because toes feel cold is one of the most common ways babies end up overdressed. Overheating can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), so the neck check is worth learning.

How to check your baby's temperature by feeling the neck

The check takes a few seconds and you do not need to wake your baby.

• Wait about 10 to 15 minutes after settling your baby or going outside
• Warm your own hand first if you have just come in from the cold
• Slide two fingers under the collar onto the back of the neck, or onto the upper chest or tummy
• Feel for warmth and dampness, not for an exact number
• Adjust by one thin layer, then check again 10 to 15 minutes later

Signs your baby is too hot

The NHS says remove one or more layers of clothing or bedding if your baby's skin is hot or sweating. The AAP lists sweating, a hot chest and flushed skin as signs of overheating.

• Sweaty neck, chest or tummy
• Chest or tummy feels hot to the touch
• Flushed skin

Signs your baby is too cold

If the back of the neck or the chest feels cool to your warm hand, add one thin layer. At night, the NHS says add a layer of clothing rather than extra blankets. Outdoors, a hat is fine and useful in the cold, but take it off straight away when you go indoors or climb into a warm car, bus or train, even if that wakes your baby.

Feeling the neck is not a fever check

The neck check tells you whether your baby is dressed right. It cannot tell you whether they have a fever. If your baby seems unwell, use a digital thermometer under the armpit. The NHS says a high temperature is 38°C (100.4°F) or more, and if your baby has just been wrapped in a blanket, wait a few minutes and take the reading again.

Call NHS 111 or your GP if your baby is under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher, or 3 to 6 months with 39°C or higher. Call 999 (or your local emergency number) if your baby is drowsy and hard to wake, struggles to breathe, or has blue, grey or paler than usual skin, lips or tongue. The NHS also says not to wrap a child with a fever in too many clothes or bedding.