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.
Obviously this is just an approximate guide to your baby's temperature. There will be many occasions when you want a more accurate indication. The best thing is to use a proper thermometer of course, and there are a variety of different types available. Which is the 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 Contact Thermometers Hold these against your baby's forehead for about fifteen seconds and the plastic strip type thermometer changes colour to indicate temperature. They are easy to use, cheap and reasonably accurate. It is possible to misread them however. If there is sweat on the baby's forehead then this can impact upon the accuracy of the reading.
Non Contact Scanning Thermometers Nobody likes being poked or prodded when they're ill and babies are no exception. So non contact scanner thermometers are a great option since they don't require to touch any part of the body. They use infra-red (perfectly harmless) to take a reading of the skin temperature. Points where the skin is thin - such as the temple for example - are good points to take readings. Surface perspiration can still reduce the degree of accuracy obtained.
Ear Thermometers The ear is considered to yield the best reflection of the core body temperature and you should be able to get an accurate reading very quickly. Disposable caps, which you can put over the sensor tips and then discard after use, can be fitted to most ear thermometers. Digital displays are usually incorporated in this type of thermometer.
All of the thermometers listed above will work. Which one you choose will probably depend a lot on your own personal preferences.
A digital readout is a good option if you want to be sure of avoiding reader error.
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.
All thing considered - the ear thermometer may very well be the best choice for both you and your baby.
Obviously this is just an approximate guide to your baby's temperature. There will be many occasions when you want a more accurate indication. The best thing is to use a proper thermometer of course, and there are a variety of different types available. Which is the 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 Contact Thermometers Hold these against your baby's forehead for about fifteen seconds and the plastic strip type thermometer changes colour to indicate temperature. They are easy to use, cheap and reasonably accurate. It is possible to misread them however. If there is sweat on the baby's forehead then this can impact upon the accuracy of the reading.
Non Contact Scanning Thermometers Nobody likes being poked or prodded when they're ill and babies are no exception. So non contact scanner thermometers are a great option since they don't require to touch any part of the body. They use infra-red (perfectly harmless) to take a reading of the skin temperature. Points where the skin is thin - such as the temple for example - are good points to take readings. Surface perspiration can still reduce the degree of accuracy obtained.
Ear Thermometers The ear is considered to yield the best reflection of the core body temperature and you should be able to get an accurate reading very quickly. Disposable caps, which you can put over the sensor tips and then discard after use, can be fitted to most ear thermometers. Digital displays are usually incorporated in this type of thermometer.
All of the thermometers listed above will work. Which one you choose will probably depend a lot on your own personal preferences.
A digital readout is a good option if you want to be sure of avoiding reader error.
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.
All thing considered - the ear thermometer may very well be the best choice for both you and your baby.
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