My Child Has a Fever and Won’t Eat: When Should I Worry?
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It is very common for children to eat less when they have a fever. During a short illness, I am usually much more interested in whether a child is drinking and staying hydrated than whether they finish their meals.
Don't force food. Offer fluids frequently and let appetite return as your child begins to feel better.
Call your pediatrician if your child is refusing fluids, urinating much less than usual, repeatedly vomiting, becoming unusually sleepy, or showing other signs of dehydration or significant illness.
- Reduced appetite is common when children have a fever.
- Fluids are generally more important than solid food during a short febrile illness.
- Don't force a sick child to eat.
- Offer small amounts of fluid frequently.
- Watch how often your child urinates.
- Dry mouth, no tears, decreased urination and unusual sleepiness can be signs of dehydration.
- Repeated vomiting or inability to keep fluids down deserves medical attention.
- Babies younger than 3 months with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher need prompt medical guidance.
Why Won't My Child Eat When They Have a Fever?
Loss of appetite is extremely common during childhood illnesses.
When children have fever, they may feel tired, achy, nauseated or simply uninterested in food.
A sore throat, stuffy nose, cough, mouth sores or upset stomach can make eating even less appealing.
Parents naturally worry when a child who normally eats well suddenly refuses breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But during a short illness, eating less for a day or two is usually much less important than whether the child can maintain adequate hydration.
When a child with fever doesn't want to eat, I don't start by counting bites. I start by asking about fluids and urine.
A child can temporarily eat very little and generally do fine. A child who stops drinking can become dehydrated much more quickly.
Should I Force My Child to Eat?
No.
Forcing food usually creates unnecessary stress for both the child and parent and may make nausea or vomiting worse.
Offer food without pressure.
If your child wants a few bites, that's fine. If your child isn't interested, focus on fluids and try food again later.
Appetite usually begins to return as the illness improves.
What Should My Child Drink?
The best choice depends partly on your child's age and the illness.
For older infants and children, appropriate fluids may include:
- Water
- Breast milk
- Formula
- Oral rehydration solution when appropriate
- Other fluids recommended by your child's healthcare professional
If your child is vomiting or reluctant to drink, small frequent amounts may be easier to tolerate than a large cup all at once.
What About Babies Who Are Breastfeeding?
Continue offering the breast frequently.
A sick baby may nurse for shorter periods but want to nurse more often.
Pay attention to swallowing, wet diapers and your baby's overall appearance.
If your baby is feeding poorly or producing substantially fewer wet diapers, contact your pediatrician.
What About Formula-Fed Babies?
Continue offering your baby's usual formula unless your healthcare professional advises otherwise.
Do not routinely dilute formula with extra water in an attempt to increase hydration. Formula should be prepared according to the manufacturer's directions unless a healthcare professional gives you specific instructions.
How Can I Tell If My Child Is Getting Enough Fluids?
One of the most useful things parents can monitor is urination.
A child who continues to urinate reasonably regularly is generally more reassuring than a child whose urine output has dropped dramatically.
Also look for:
- A moist mouth and tongue
- Tears when crying
- Reasonable alertness
- Ability to take and keep down fluids
You don't need to measure every ounce your child drinks.
Instead, look at the overall pattern:
- Is my child taking fluids throughout the day?
- Is my child keeping those fluids down?
- Is my child still urinating?
- Is the mouth moist?
- Does my child become somewhat more alert when the fever comes down?
What Are the Signs of Dehydration?
Dehydration occurs when a child loses more fluid than they are taking in.
Warning signs can include:
- Urinating much less frequently than usual
- Very dark urine
- Dry mouth or tongue
- Few or no tears when crying
- Sunken appearance around the eyes
- Increasing weakness or unusual sleepiness
- Difficulty drinking
Babies may also have substantially fewer wet diapers than usual.
Does Fever Cause Dehydration?
Fever can contribute to increased fluid loss.
Children with fever may breathe somewhat faster, sweat more, and simply drink less because they do not feel well.
Vomiting or diarrhea can increase fluid loss even further.
That's why hydration deserves particular attention during a febrile illness.
What Foods Should I Offer?
There is no special fever diet.
If your child wants to eat, offer familiar foods that are easy to tolerate.
Examples might include:
- Soup
- Toast
- Rice
- Crackers
- Bananas or other familiar fruits
- Yogurt if tolerated
- Other foods your child normally enjoys
There is usually no need to insist on a particular food simply because your child is sick.
Does My Child Need the BRAT Diet?
Parents may be familiar with the traditional BRAT diet—bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
These foods can certainly be offered if your child likes them, but most children do not need to be restricted to only those foods.
As appetite returns, a child can generally move toward their usual age-appropriate diet.
What If My Child Only Wants Popsicles?
During a short illness, a child who accepts cold fluids or an ice pop but refuses solid food may still be getting useful fluid.
Cold liquids can also feel soothing when a child has a sore throat or mouth discomfort.
The goal is not nutritional perfection for a day or two. The immediate priority is keeping the child hydrated while the illness improves.
What If My Child Has a Sore Throat?
Swallowing may hurt, which can make both food and fluids less appealing.
Cool liquids and soft foods may be easier to tolerate.
Contact your pediatrician if your child has significant throat pain, difficulty swallowing, drooling, breathing difficulty, or persistent fever.
What If My Child Has Mouth Sores?
Mouth sores can make drinking painful.
This deserves particular attention because a child who avoids fluids because the mouth hurts can become dehydrated.
Offer frequent small amounts of fluids that your child tolerates.
Contact your pediatrician if pain prevents your child from drinking adequately.
What If My Child Is Vomiting?
If vomiting is present, large amounts of fluid at once may trigger more vomiting.
Small, frequent sips are often easier to tolerate.
An oral rehydration solution may be useful when vomiting or diarrhea is causing significant fluid loss.
If your child repeatedly vomits everything they drink or cannot maintain hydration, contact your pediatrician.
A few sips every several minutes may accomplish more than one large glass.
When a child is nauseated or vomiting, think small and frequent rather than trying to make them drink a large amount all at once.
What If My Child Has Diarrhea Too?
Fever combined with diarrhea can increase the risk of dehydration because fluid is being lost through the gastrointestinal tract.
Continue offering appropriate fluids and watch urine output closely.
Contact your pediatrician for significant or persistent diarrhea, blood in the stool, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, or signs of dehydration.
How Long Can a Child Go Without Eating?
There is no single number that applies to every child.
During a brief illness, many otherwise healthy children eat very little for a day or two and then gradually regain their appetite.
What matters is why the child is not eating, how long the illness has lasted, whether fluids are being taken, and whether other concerning symptoms are present.
Persistent refusal to eat deserves discussion with your pediatrician, particularly when it continues after the fever begins to improve.
When Should Appetite Come Back?
Appetite often returns gradually as the fever and other symptoms improve.
Your child may not immediately eat a normal-sized meal.
Start with small amounts and let your child's appetite guide the pace.
A child who continues to refuse food after otherwise recovering from the illness may need further evaluation.
Should I Give Fever Medicine So My Child Will Eat?
Fever medicine is generally used to improve comfort rather than simply to make a child eat.
If fever, headache, body aches or throat discomfort are making your child miserable, appropriate treatment may make drinking and eating easier.
But medication should be given according to your child's age, weight, product instructions and your healthcare professional's guidance—not simply to increase appetite.
What If My Child Is Drinking but Not Eating?
In an otherwise healthy older infant or child with a short illness, this is often reassuring.
Continue offering fluids and small amounts of food without pressure.
If the child remains hydrated and begins eating again as the illness improves, temporary appetite loss is usually not a major concern.
What If My Child Is Neither Eating Nor Drinking?
That is more concerning.
A child who refuses both food and fluids is at greater risk of dehydration.
Contact your pediatrician, particularly if urine output is decreasing, vomiting is persistent, the child is unusually sleepy, or the illness is worsening.
What If My Baby Is Younger Than 3 Months?
Young infants require special attention.
If your baby is younger than 3 months and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, contact your pediatrician or healthcare professional promptly.
Poor feeding in a young infant can also be an important sign of illness and should not simply be attributed to the baby “not feeling hungry.”
Contact your pediatrician if:
- Your child is refusing fluids.
- Your child is urinating substantially less than usual.
- Your child's mouth is very dry or there are few or no tears when crying.
- Your child repeatedly vomits or cannot keep fluids down.
- Your child has persistent diarrhea with signs of dehydration.
- Your child has significant throat or mouth pain that prevents drinking.
- Your child remains unusually sleepy or weak.
- Poor appetite persists even as the illness otherwise improves.
- Your child has persistent fever or is becoming more ill.
- Your baby is younger than 3 months and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.
Seek emergency medical care if your child:
- Is struggling to breathe
- Is extremely difficult to wake or unresponsive
- Has blue, gray or markedly pale lips or skin
- Has a seizure
- Cannot drink and appears severely dehydrated
- Has severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
- Appears seriously ill to you
Common Questions About Fever and Loss of Appetite
Is it normal for a child not to eat with a fever?
Yes. Reduced appetite is very common during childhood illnesses. During a short illness, maintaining hydration is usually more important than eating normal-sized meals.
Should I force my child to eat when sick?
No. Offer food without pressure. If your child is not interested, focus on fluids and offer food again later.
How do I know if my child is dehydrated?
Decreased urination, dry mouth, few or no tears, dark urine, unusual sleepiness and inability to drink can be signs of dehydration.
Is drinking more important than eating during a fever?
During a brief illness, yes. A child can usually tolerate eating less temporarily, while inadequate fluid intake can lead to dehydration.
When should I worry if my child won't eat?
Contact your pediatrician if your child also refuses fluids, shows signs of dehydration, has persistent vomiting or significant pain, is becoming increasingly ill, or does not regain appetite as the illness improves.
What should I feed my child after the fever improves?
Let your child gradually return to their usual age-appropriate diet as appetite returns. Small portions may be easier at first.
The Bottom Line
A child eating very little during a fever is common and usually does not mean something is seriously wrong.
During a short illness, hydration matters more than finishing meals.
Don't fight over food. Offer fluids frequently, provide small amounts of familiar foods when your child is interested, and let appetite return gradually.
Watch urine output, alertness and your child's ability to drink.
If your child stops drinking, becomes dehydrated, repeatedly vomits, is unusually sleepy or is becoming progressively more ill, contact your pediatrician.
Related Fever Resources
Have another question about fever? Explore the complete Fever in Children Parent Guide for practical pediatric guidance about temperatures, fever medicine, hydration, warning signs and when to seek medical care.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Fever: When to Call the Pediatrician.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Signs of Dehydration in Infants & Children.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Drinks to Prevent Dehydration When Your Child Is Vomiting.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Managing Acute Gastroenteritis Among Children: Oral Rehydration, Maintenance, and Nutritional Therapy.
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