Baby Thermometers and Checking for Fever?

I too recommend the Exergen Temporal Thermometer. I have literally tried 6 different ones until discovering this one. It's fast for those squirmy toddlers and most of all it's repeatable. It's also self cleaning!

Try a "Braun" ear thermometer they cost a little more, but they are worth every cent. I have three others, and have ended up using only the "BRAUN". I spent a lot of money to
find out this fact.
Good Luck,
C. S.

There is a vicks brand that has a thermometer it is blue and has a blue case. I love it. It is universal for kids or babies and it works in only 6 seconds! It also has a light that will tell you if the reading is normal (green), mild (yellow), and HIGH (red). I usually take my daughters temp rectal (9 months old) she doesn't mind it.

I definitely recommend the EXERGEN TEMPORAL ARTERY THERMOMETER!!!! It is so simple to use. You just swipe it accross the forehead and it's done in a second. It's the only one I would ever use as it is so simple and very accurate.

It is always best to check rectal temps as they are the most accurate. I have treid several brands of thermometers - the best we have come across is the generic CVS pharmacy brand. It has three settings - for the mouth, in the armpit, or in the rectum. It is very fast and accurate. You can buy covers for it or just use aquaphor on the tip for easy application.

Good luck.
S.

Hi E.,

Well, I think the digital thermometers with the flexible tip are pretty good. There's no need to take rectal temps. We've stopped doing it that way because of the potential for injury. Under the arm is fine. The normal is between 98.0 and 99.0. Those digital thermometers for the ear don't work well for children under 2 years old. Their external ear canal is curved up and the ear drum is a small target for the light beam to find; so, ear temps won't be anywhere near accurate.

Remember to take baby's temp in the morning and in the late afternoon or early evening. The temp will go up slightly in the evening when little ones are sick. Be sure that he's well hydrated. If he breastfeeds well, he'll be fine. If you give formula, you might try giving him no more than 1 oz. of water once or twice a day in addition to regular feedings. The bottled baby water or tap water that has been boiled and then cooled to room temp before feeding is fine.

Contact the pediatrician if the temp is 100 degrees (F) or higher under the arm. The doctor might recommend giving Baby Tylenol given alternately with Baby Motrin seems most effective for temperature 100.0 or more. You'd give the correct dosage on the bottle instructions (Tylenol)once, and when the next dose is due give the Motrin according to that bottle instructions. It's best to check with you pediatrician before giving any medications.

If it's not quite that high, strip the little guy down to a diaper and t-shirt while in the house and take his temperature again in 30 minutes. He should cool down in a short time. If it remains 100.0 or more, give the baby doctor a call.

Well, E., I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

C. Murillo
cindythenurse

Fevers are VERY misunderstood.

When a child (or an adult) has a fever it's actually the body working properly. For example, Strep grows really well at about 101 degrees, so then the tempertaure in the body gets up to 102 or 103 to fight it off, since most bacterium are temperostatic (meaning they only grow in a 1-2 degree range). Then you medicate your kid and the drugs only bring down the temperature by 1-2 degrees...allowing a perfect growing ground for that bacterium - then the kid is "sicker" longer and has a recurring fever. The drugs don't allow the child's immune system to function correctly, but one thing it does is relax the parent's more than anything.

You might want to read these articles...

http://www.adjustbacktohealth.com/articles/aa603.htm

http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_hea...

I have never used my baby thermometer on a regular basis, as I go off of how they are feeling more than anything. One child can act lethargic (which allows the child to rest and alloes their body to focus on healiing - they shouldn't be running around) at 101 and another can be at 106. My son at 2 years old have a fever of 105 and I just held him and let him decide if he was thirsty or hungry - he was neither. I put him down for a nap and 3 hours later, he awoke cooler. He also had a high temperature at 8 months - for 40 hours and when he awoke, he had 4 teeth...but it certainly looked like a cold with runny nose and everything.

I forget the technical name for it, but I like the one that goes across the forehead - I bought it for around $30 at Costco. Whatever you choose a good thing to do is to take the thermometer to the doctors office & check his temp. at the same time as the nurse to make sure it's accurate. I did that with mine & it was exactly the same.

Congratulations on getting your little one to 7 months without a cold before now! My husband and I bought three different types of thermometer before giving up. I hate to tell you this but the only way you're going to get a true temperature reading is rectally. Ew! Use a little vaseline to lubricate the thermometer and good luck.

Honestly, most of the time we take our son's temperature under the arm and add two degrees. :>)

M.

hi there
I have 4 different thermometers, one for the under arm, one for the forehead, and two for the ear. out off all of them, I think Braun has the most accurate reading. Whenever I check one of my daughters temp, I normally check twice (one on both sides of the ear) to see if it is the same, and it is unlike all the others, they are always different the second or even therid time around. Braun is the one I use, I hope that helps. As to know if your son has a fever just by touch, check to see if his hands and /or feet are warmer than usual. I hope your son feels better soon.

I have the thermometer that scans the forehead. It works great and as the kids get older they like to try it on us. It is an easy way to do it. My youngest 4 months, doesn't mind the safety first pacifier, because it is the same as her pacifiers. I know you can get the head scan one from Wal Mart for about $30. It's nice because you can take your own temperature and theirs at the same time to make sure the reading is correct. I love it.

My name is Amanda and I am a single mom of three(11,9,7)and the best thing That I found was a thermometer for the ear. Now, they are all pretty good and are more accurate than when my kids were younger. And the thermometers for infants and adults do differ a litttle. Most regular digital thermometers are made to take oral temps. only unless it states on the package or in the directions that it will work for axillary(armpit). But with the swelling of the arms I would take him back to the doctor and express you concerns.

E.,
I like the Thermoscan by braun, you insert into the ear canal, works great. I check each ear and then I do it again the determine the most accurate temp.

Emily

Hi E.. I think any digital thermometer will do, but I have to tell you that checking under the arm definitely is not as accurate as the tush. I avoided doing this for quite awhile with my son because I was afraid of hurting him, but the doctor told me it's really the only way to get an accurate temperature. Also, thankfully, my son really doesn't seem distressed by it. The challenge is to get them to stay still long enough! If you can get your husband to come with you and distract your son with silly faces or whatever that would probably help. They run higher than we do, anything over 101 I would call the doctor. Hope this helps!

Go for the ear thermometer. If doctors and nurses use it, then it must be pretty good deal. We had the expensive temporal thermometer that you just run across the forehaed and it seemed like a great idea until my daughter got very ill and the thermometer was saying her temp was 100, but when we got to the ER it was 104. We even had the thermometer with us at the ER and we scanned her again in front of the doctor and it said 101 and the ER's read 104 again. We changed the batteries and such..but our doctor informed us that the temporal ones arent a great indicator of accurate temp. So dont waste your money on one that wont always give you the appropriate temp. Just get an ear thermometer or go for the old fashioned Rectal for the most accurate temp..but be really careful you can do harm if it's not done right or inserted too far. I say if the ear temp is high then just go to the doc. Good luck

HI E.,

I purchased a digital ear thermometer from Braun in Babies R Us. It was about $30. We have tested it with the one in our doctor's office and it is only off and 0.5-1.0 degree. You gently tug the ear and press the button. It takes the temp in about 10-15 seconds. Works great on adults too. Good luck!

D.

I don't know the name of the brand, but I would get a set that has the rectal and regular one for babies. My doc told me to add 1 degree if you take it under the arm. I would try the rectal, I was told that is most accurate. If you get the right one you can't put it in too far and it will be over quick!! :)
If your babies temp gets to 104 then call Dr. and they will determine if you need to bring him in. I know that sounds high but again that's what my doc told me. Good luck, I was so scared when my son got his first cold with a temp, but we made it through...you will too! :)

EXERGEN TEMPORAL ARTERY THERMOMETER.

Cheapest at Costco, Walmart, or Amazon (usually retails for ~$50 at Toys/Babies R Us, Walgreens, etc)
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10038059
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=393...
http://www.amazon.com/Exergen-Temporal-Artery-Thermometer...

me personally i think any thermometer will work but the best way to get an accurat reading on a baby is rectal

I found a thermometer that is a pacifier. It works really well and it's easy to keep in their mouth. My kids never liked the underarm way even, and I've compared the readouts, and it seems accurate.

Hi E.,

When you take the temp under the arm you need to add a degree. It has been so long since I took that Home Health Aid class I can't remember if you subract one degree from the mouth or the bum. But I do know you add one for under the arm. I have 3 girls 13 (14 in 1 week) 10 and 8. We always take temps under the arm. I use a digital thermometer. I have found that if you can keep your little as still as possible the reading is better. I never forked out the money for the therm. for the ear. I could always tell if the girls had fever by their eyes. They get the glossy film and looked soo tired. Now I put my cheek/chin area to their forhead and can tell if it is under or over 100. Well, I hope you can get the info you need.

Amber

Normal for the armpit is 1 degree less than oral. Regarding brand of digital thermometer, I found the Timex brand (at RiteAid) to be quick like it says on the package. (We have ~6 others that said they were less than 1 minute but not really.) Babies' normal temp. is higher than childrens'/adults' although I can't remember what it is - ask your doc. In addition, you only need to call your doc when it gets up to 103 degrees.

I saw that someone mentioned the pacifier type of thermometer. We had one of those, but found it was too big; they spit it out. However, we only used the green pacifier from the hospital which is smaller than most store brands. So in other words, if your child uses the larger type of pacifier, it may work. The brand that we had was Safety 1st.

Hi E.,

Many factors can attribute to your child's temperature. Here's a quick article for you regarding fevers and temperatures:

http://journals.gagazine.com/juicyfruit/how-to-tell-if-yo...

Rectal is the best way to get an accurate temp for kids and adults. I never cared for the under arm, its ticky. my mother found me a thermometer that was also a pacifier. Since my son loved the pacifier (ugh) I used that. I don't know if they make them anymore, my son is 7 now so its been awhile since I've been down the baby isle. But try looking for one. I know they also make ones that you stick on the baby's head, but they were hard to read and it was like trying to take a bandage off. (ouch!) Good luck!

We have the Braun ear thermometer. We usually take it from both ears to get an average. If it's 100 or above, we usually then use a rectal digital thermometer for accuracy. You can do the underarm temp but just remember to add 1 degree after 2 min. If it's high, I would then recommend rectal. The other PP responses were excellent.

Hi. That sucks when the babes get sick :( We just got a new thermometer because of the same problems you mentioned.. A thermometer that you just hold to the forehead for 6 seconds.. It's awesome because you can do it when they're asleep and not wake them, when they're eating, crying, whenever. And it's very accurate. The only disadvantage is you have to hold it for 6 seconds...But we like it ;)

Hi E.. I am a Pediatric ER RN and for this 7 month old your best source for obtaining accurate tempurature is rectally. You will need to DO IT CORRECTLY and follow proper instuctions. (look it up on the internet for correct instruction) This will provide you with the correct temp. I do not recommend ear thermometers because if not done correctly can provide incorrect information and under the arm at this age is not accurate. Once the child is older you can take axillary temps (under the arm) but remember the rules with that, you must add 1 degree to that number to give you a more accurate reading. You do not add or subtract any other numbers to any other temperature readings from any other source on the body. I thought I would clarify that as many people have confusion over that. Also a digital store bought thermometer is great, just make sure you mark it as RECTAL use ONLY and clean it appropriately. Good luck!

Hi E.,
Digital thermometers are the best. They are more accurate. Also, rectal temperature is more accurate than under arm. 100 F is considered low grade fever, over 103 F is high fever.
Hope he gets better soon.
I.

I really like the ear thermometer, from babiesrus.com. It was $40 but works well for adults and kids. Plus, it has a memory! If it goes above 102, call the dr. or if it is a low-grade 101 and below for more than 3 days, you call the doctor. They don't want to hear about a 101 and below unless it won't go away. Just give him Motrin and you'll see it drop after 20 minutes.

Braun TermoScan has been a wonderful thermometer for out family. It reads temperatures in 5 seconds and easy to use. I bought it Target w/ gift card. I believe it was around $40.00. Well worth the money. My husband and I even use it. There are also the thermometers that stick under the arm and can be left there for a few hours, I believe Vicks makes them. The base of the neck, palms of hands sometimes indicates a fever coming on. At around 102-103 is reason for attention, if it keeps rising, call doctor. 105 temp. is serious. You can put child in a lukewarm bath, that should help to reduce the temp. Fever reducer and pain relievers work great, just make sure to give the right dose and not to many doses w/in a 24 hour period. Ifants only need a little dose. I depend on my local pharmacist alot of times to answer my ques. They are very informative.

A temperature at or above 100.4 is considered a fever. But the most important thing to go by when your child is sick is how they are acting. Some kids can have a 103 fever and act perfectly fine and some can have a normal temperature and act miserable. The one who was acting miserable would worry me more than the one with the fever. It just all depends!

I use a Safety 1st thermometer and it works great. If you take the temp under the arm it's normal for it to be about 1 degree lower than if you take it orally. Rectally is still the most accurate way to take a temp.

As far as I know, there is not a specific difference in the baby vs adult thermometer. However, for a baby, the most accurate temperature is obtained rectally. The normal temperature range for a baby his age is anywhere below 100.1F
Liz, RN, mom of two beautiful kids

A rectal thermometer is the most accurate. With our son we used one until he became older. Now, we use a digital ear thermometer which gives a reading within 1 second which is great since our little 18 month old is extrememly squirmy and hates getting his temp taken. The only problem is it was $50 but WELL worth the money. If you take a temp under the arm, you generally need to add a degree to it to get your child's actual temp as they are not as accurate.

Hope this helps.

You should use a rectal thermometer to get a accurate reading for a child under 2. It's uncomfortable for the baby, but it is the best way to do it. I was given a thermometer from the hospital I gave birth at the works wonderfully, but I am sure any digital thermometer will work.

You can use the same thermometeryou would for adults, digital. When you take a temp. under the arm you add one point to it. exp. 100.0 would be 101.0. A baby or young child woul have a temp. if it was 100.3 or higher. If its 100.3 up to 102.5 usly just Tylonal would do, but if it goes above 102.5 you would want to alternate tylonal and Motrin for babys or young children. Perforably every three hours exp. Tylonal 3 hrs later Motrin 3 hrs later Tylonal so on. I hope this helps you. I have two daughter 5 and 8. The youngest one gets sick offten and has extensive (multiple) specialist Doctors. Hope your son feels beter.

I have a 19 month old daughter and, since she was your son's age, have been using a Braun Thermoscan that goes into her ear. It seems to work pretty well. Our pediatrician gave us good advice, however, about using an ear thermometer: WHenever you take a temp, take it in BOTH ears. One: it'll give you a more accurate reading if you check twice; and TWO: if there is a significant difference between the two ears, it may be a sign of an ear infection.

Hope that helps!

K. P.

Just in case you weren't aware, when checking your son's temperature under his arm, always add one digit to the final number. If his final temperature is 98.9, then you need to add one digit to make the "real" temperature 99.9. The opposite goes for rectal temperatures. Subtract one digit. Maybe this is why your son's temperature always seems low when you take it under his arm.

Go for the Braun Thermascan Ear thermometer. Easy to use and accurate and best of all the kids don't mind it either. Always take the temperature in both ears for accuracy.
Good luck
S.

yes,,digital & some aquafor gel for lubricating the thermometer. during a diaper change. insert in tushy( 1/2 of a inch) not to far. it will go off( beeping).maybe 10 seconds. you will eventually learn just by puttiung your hands/lips to his forehead.you will want to hold his legs from kicking,,sung a song for distraction. get some tylenol between colds & teeth coming in for the next 2 years it will not go to waste. i would worry a little after over 100.? not extreme worry,, concern. also when giving medicine. again on changing table & squeeze right in his mouth while he is on his back. have some tissues ready just in case. peace,J.

I like the Braun ear thermometer. It is a little more $ but well worth it. Armpit thermometers are inaccurate by a degree or two, according to our pediatrician.
Hope this helps!

Our pediatrician recommends taking the temp under the arm, then adding one degree. I thought that didn't sound like a very accurate guage, but she reminded me that it's more how they are acting than how high the fever is.