What to feed a baby with fever is mostly a fluids question: keep breast milk or formula going, add sips of water, dal ka pani or thin rice kanji after 6 months, and offer small portions of soft, familiar food only when your baby shows interest. Yes, you can and should give milk during fever. The rules are the same in the monsoon and dengue months and in the winter viral season from November to February; here they are by age, with the red flags that matter more than any menu.
Quick Takeaways
- A fever is a temperature of 38 °C or higher; the NHS advises plenty of fluids, breastfeeding as normal and food only if the child wants it.
- Milk is allowed during fever at every age: breast milk and formula are the best fever fluids for babies, and a toddler who drinks cow's milk can carry on if it sits well.
- From 6 months, add sips of boiled and cooled water, dal ka pani and thin rice kanji; from 8 months, thin unsweetened buttermilk; ORS only when a doctor advises it.
- Food during fever should be small, soft, warm and familiar — runny khichdi, curd rice, mashed banana, suji porridge — and never a new food.
- In dengue season the WHO advises paracetamol and warns that ibuprofen and aspirin raise the risk of bleeding; severe signs often appear after the fever falls.
- See a doctor the same day for any fever under 3 months, 39 °C or more at 3–6 months, fever lasting 5 days, refusal of fluids, fewer wet nappies or difficulty breathing.
Can I Give Milk to My Baby During Fever?
Yes. Breast milk is fluid, food and comfort in one, and the NHS fever guidance says to keep breastfeeding as normal through a fever. Formula stays at its usual strength, never diluted. For toddlers over 12 months, cow's milk and curd can stay if the child takes them happily; stopping milk "because of the fever" has no basis. India's IAP Infant and Young Child Feeding Guidelines ask parents to continue breastfeeding and feeding through illness and to feed more during recovery.
What to Offer by Age During Fever
Fluids first, then food, in small portions through the day.
| Age | Fluids to keep going | Foods to offer if interested | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | Breast milk or formula only | Nothing else — milk is food and fluid | On demand; shorter, more frequent feeds |
| 6–8 months | Milk feeds, sips of boiled and cooled water, thin dal ka pani, rice kanji | Runny moong dal khichdi, mashed banana, suji porridge | A few spoons every 2–3 hours |
| 8–12 months | As above, plus thin unsweetened buttermilk (chaas) | Curd rice, soft idli soaked in dal, stewed apple | Small meals 4–5 times a day |
| 12–24 months | As above, plus milk if tolerated and clear vegetable soup | Khichdi with ghee, curd rice, roti soaked in dal | Small meals and snacks; follow appetite |
A straw makes small sips easier for a miserable baby resting on your shoulder. The 3-in-1 Sensory Silicone Straw Training Cup is 100% food-grade silicone, for 6 months and up, with a window marked 50–200 ml so you can see how much has actually gone down. For everyday water amounts, see our guide on water for a 6-month-old baby.
How Much Should a Feverish Baby Eat?
Less than usual, and that is fine for a few days if fluids keep going in. Force-feeding often ends in vomiting. Watch the nappies rather than the plate: the NHS lists nappies that are not very wet, sunken eyes and no tears when crying as signs of dehydration, and any of them means a doctor the same day.
What Should You Not Feed During Fever?
New foods, heavy foods and sugary drinks. A fever is the wrong week for a first egg: if a rash appears, you will not know whether the illness or the food caused it. Fried food sits badly on a slowed digestion, and glucose water or packaged juice can loosen stools. Honey stays off the menu until 12 months, and no food lowers a temperature. If the fever comes with loose motions, our guide on what to feed a baby during diarrhoea covers ORS, zinc and that food plan.
What Changes in Dengue Season?
The medicine rule and the watch-list. The WHO dengue fact sheet says fever and pain can be managed with paracetamol and that ibuprofen and aspirin should be avoided because they increase the risk of bleeding. From the monsoon until mosquitoes thin out in early winter, treat any fever as possibly dengue until a doctor rules it out, and give paracetamol only at the dose your paediatrician sets.
The WHO also notes that severe symptoms often come after the fever has gone. Go to hospital the same day for severe tummy pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums or nose, blood in vomit or stool, rapid breathing, restlessness, pale cold skin or unusual weakness.
When Is a Fever a Doctor Visit, Not a Menu Change?
Age and behaviour decide it, not the number alone. The NHS advises urgent advice for a baby under 3 months at 38 °C or higher, 3–6 months at 39 °C or higher, a fever lasting 5 days, a rash with fever, or signs of dehydration. Go to hospital for difficulty breathing, grunting or ribs sucking in, blue or grey lips, a rash that does not fade under a pressed glass, a stiff neck, a fit, or a baby who is hard to wake.
What to Do This Week
- Keep a thermometer, a paracetamol syrup dosed by your paediatrician for your baby's weight, and ORS sachets at home.
- Write your baby's current weight on the medicine box so night-time doses are not guesswork.
- Have two fever meals your baby already likes, such as moong dal khichdi and curd rice, so nothing new is tried while unwell.
- Boil the straw cup daily while your baby is sick; our guide to cleaning a straw cup covers the routine.
- After the fever, add one extra meal or snack a day and a spoon of ghee in khichdi until appetite returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I give milk to my baby during fever?
Yes. Breast milk and formula are the best fever fluids for babies and should continue as normal, often in shorter, more frequent feeds.
What is the best food for babies during fever?
Soft, warm, familiar food in small amounts: runny moong dal khichdi, rice kanji, mashed banana, suji porridge, and curd rice from 8 months. Fluids matter more than food, so never force a meal.
Should I give ORS to my baby with fever?
Give ORS when a doctor advises it, usually when fever comes with vomiting, loose motions or signs of dehydration. For fever alone, milk feeds, water, dal water and kanji usually suffice.
My baby is refusing food during fever. Is that dangerous?
A day or two of eating little is common if your baby is still drinking. The concern is fluids: fewer wet nappies, a dry mouth, sunken eyes or no tears mean a doctor the same day.
Can I give banana or curd to a baby with fever?
Yes, if your baby already eats them. Mashed banana and room-temperature curd rice are gentle fever foods; pause curd only if the fever comes with loose motions that dairy seems to worsen.