When fever is a warning sign, how nest protection works, safe medicines for babies and for breastfeeding mothers.
Nest protection
Mother → Antibodies → Baby
- How it works: at the end of pregnancy your baby gets your antibodies through the placenta (Nestschutz). Formula-fed babies get it too.
- How long: feverish illness is rare in the first 3 months; protection fades after that and is gone by about 9 months.
- What it covers: only illnesses you have had or been vaccinated against. Breastfed babies also have fewer stomach bugs.
- Not covered: whooping cough, meningitis, tetanus. That is why vaccinations start early (infektionsschutz.de).
Fever
- Normal in older babies
- Fever is a useful defence against infection
- Up to 40°C is common in children and not dangerous in itself
- Febrile seizures are rare and not life-threatening
- See your Kinderarzt the same day
- Urgent: call 112
- Very drowsy or limp
- Struggling to breathe
- Call 112
Medicines for your baby
- Right age, right dose: only medicines approved for your baby's age; never change the dose yourself.
- No adult medicines: and no leftovers from siblings.
- Pain relievers: only when the cause is known, and only briefly. Ear pain, for example, can be harmless or serious.
- Fever medicines: ibuprofen or paracetamol ease discomfort for a few hours but do not speed up recovery. Mild infections often need no medicine.
- Essential oils: danger: camphor, eucalyptus, thyme or menthol near the mouth or nose can stop breathing. Not under age 3 (Kinderärzte im Netz).
- Herbal drops and syrups: can contain a lot of alcohol. Ask your doctor or pharmacist first.
Medicines while breastfeeding
Many medicines can be taken without stopping breastfeeding, but always check with a doctor first, including for over-the-counter products. Commonly suitable options:
- Pain: ibuprofen, paracetamol
- Antibiotics: penicillins, cephalosporins, erythromycin, roxithromycin
- Cough: acetylcysteine (ACC), ambroxol
- Blocked nose: decongestant or saline nasal sprays
- Asthma: salbutamol, terbutaline, inhaled corticosteroids
If you take long-term medication for a chronic condition, you can usually continue it while breastfeeding (Embryotox).
Staying home with a sick child
If your child is ill and needs you at home, you can take paid sick-child days (Kinderkrankentage).
- Who: parents with statutory health insurance, if the child is under 12, also insured, and nobody else in the household can look after them.
- How many days in 2026: 15 working days per child for each parent, 30 for single parents. With several children, at most 35 days per parent, or 70 for single parents (§ 45 SGB V; TK overview).
- Money: your employer must let you stay home but does not have to pay you. Instead your Krankenkasse pays Kinderkrankengeld, usually 90% of the net pay you lose.
- Doctor’s note: you need a certificate from the paediatrician for the Krankenkasse. If the practice knows your child, the doctor can issue it after a phone or video call, for up to 5 days (TK).
- Hospital: if your child is treated in hospital and you are admitted with them for medical reasons, you can also get Kinderkrankengeld for that time.
- Private insurance or civil servant? Different rules apply. Ask your insurer or employer.
Sources
Official German sources, most of them in German.