You need to be able to measure your baby's temperature reasonably accurately - babies don't have the same level of control over their body temperature that adults do. Touching your baby's forehead or neck with your hand will give you a rough guide - but don't use your baby's hands to try and estimate their temperature as the temperature of the extremities and body can be quite a bit different depending upon environmental conditions.
This is just a rough guide of course. Sometimes that will suffice, but there will be other occasions when you will want a more accurate measurement. Using a thermometer of some type would be the obvious solution - but which of the variety of thermometer types available is best for you and your baby?
Conventional Glass Tube Mercury Filled Thermometers These are very accurate - but there's always some risk of breaking and they do require to be kept in place for a minimum time period in order to obtain a good reading. They require to be placed under the arm, in the mouth or in the rectum. Any of those positions could be somewhat difficult if you have an unhappy, fractious baby as the patient.
Digital Stick Thermometer Very similar to a traditional stick type thermometer, byt battery powered, made from plastic as opposed to glass and incorporating a digital display which will help to avoid errors due to reading. Place it under your baby's arm for thirty seconds and you will get a pretty accurate reading.
Plastic Strip Thermometers These are simply held against your baby's forehead and kept there for around 15 seconds. They change colour to indicate temperature. They are cheap, pretty easy to use and fairly accurate. However, it is possible to misread them. If there is perspiration on the baby's forehead, then this can lead to an inaccurate reading.
No Contact Scanner Thermometers Babies don't enjoy being poked and prodded with strange objects anymore than the rest of us do - so no contact scanning thermometers are an excellent choice as they don't come in contact with the body. No contact thermometers work by taking an infra-red reading of the skins temperature. A good point to do this is at the temple where the skin is very thin. However, perspiration can still have an effect on the accuracy of the reading. Most thermometers of this type have a digital readout.
Ear Thermometers The ear is considered to give the most accurate reflection of the body's core temperature and should give you a fast and accurate reading. Most ear thermometers come with disposable caps which you put over the tip and then throw away after each use to make it hygienic. Digital readouts are normal and negate any user error.
All of the thermometers listed above will work. Which one you choose will probably depend a lot on your own personal preferences.
If you want to minimise the possibility of reader error, then a thermometer with a digital display probably makes a lot of sense.
A non contact thermometer, or an ear thermometer, is probably a good choice if you want to avoid upsetting your baby.
From the point of view of accuracy, the ear thermometer type is the best choice.
The ear thermometer option may be a good overall choice for both you and your baby.
This is just a rough guide of course. Sometimes that will suffice, but there will be other occasions when you will want a more accurate measurement. Using a thermometer of some type would be the obvious solution - but which of the variety of thermometer types available is best for you and your baby?
Conventional Glass Tube Mercury Filled Thermometers These are very accurate - but there's always some risk of breaking and they do require to be kept in place for a minimum time period in order to obtain a good reading. They require to be placed under the arm, in the mouth or in the rectum. Any of those positions could be somewhat difficult if you have an unhappy, fractious baby as the patient.
Digital Stick Thermometer Very similar to a traditional stick type thermometer, byt battery powered, made from plastic as opposed to glass and incorporating a digital display which will help to avoid errors due to reading. Place it under your baby's arm for thirty seconds and you will get a pretty accurate reading.
Plastic Strip Thermometers These are simply held against your baby's forehead and kept there for around 15 seconds. They change colour to indicate temperature. They are cheap, pretty easy to use and fairly accurate. However, it is possible to misread them. If there is perspiration on the baby's forehead, then this can lead to an inaccurate reading.
No Contact Scanner Thermometers Babies don't enjoy being poked and prodded with strange objects anymore than the rest of us do - so no contact scanning thermometers are an excellent choice as they don't come in contact with the body. No contact thermometers work by taking an infra-red reading of the skins temperature. A good point to do this is at the temple where the skin is very thin. However, perspiration can still have an effect on the accuracy of the reading. Most thermometers of this type have a digital readout.
Ear Thermometers The ear is considered to give the most accurate reflection of the body's core temperature and should give you a fast and accurate reading. Most ear thermometers come with disposable caps which you put over the tip and then throw away after each use to make it hygienic. Digital readouts are normal and negate any user error.
All of the thermometers listed above will work. Which one you choose will probably depend a lot on your own personal preferences.
If you want to minimise the possibility of reader error, then a thermometer with a digital display probably makes a lot of sense.
A non contact thermometer, or an ear thermometer, is probably a good choice if you want to avoid upsetting your baby.
From the point of view of accuracy, the ear thermometer type is the best choice.
The ear thermometer option may be a good overall choice for both you and your baby.
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