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A Guide to Thermometers
A Guide to Thermometers
When a child starts to feel or act sick, the first thing most parents do is pull out the thermometer and take the little one's temperature. However, getting an accurate temperature on an infant or small child means removing the diaper and getting a reading via rectum, which is never easy on an already miserable child. In fact, learning to take a rectal temperature is one of the many tricks new parents must master.

"We always check our son's temperature whenever we think he feels hot to the touch," says Matt Kraycar, a dad from Bluffton, S.C. "But getting a rectal temp is never fun."

The task of managing a wiggly infant while taking a rectal temperature is something that many parents look to avoid by purchasing an alternative type of thermometer. Today, thermometer technology has advanced far beyond the slender glass stick thermometers filled with mercury. Parents can choose from numerous high-tech thermometers with digital readings, alarm signals and even infrared sensors. And the new thermometers go in ears, mouths and under arms – everywhere but in the rear!

However, parents often question the accuracy of these different thermometers available on the market. Is a rectal temperature still the gold standard in accuracy? And how important is an accurate temperature reading?

Fever Basics

Fever is one of the body's natural defense mechanisms. It helps the body fight infection and overcome illnesses. But at the same time fevers make people miserable, especially babies.

Running a fever can make little ones, and even adults, so miserable that they stop drinking. This is dangerous because the human body needs hydration, especially when working overtime to get over an illness. So when you or your child runs a fever, the typical response is to administer an antipyretic, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. This will make your child more comfortable, but it cuts the body's natural defense against the illness."If you reduce the fever, the child may be sick longer,t; says Dr. Charles Shubin, director of pediatrics at Mercy Medical Center Family Care in Baltimore, Md. "But it may be worth it for comfort and hydration."

The Importance of Accuracy

Because fever is not caused by a disease itself, but rather by the body's reaction to a disease, thermometer accuracy is not always critical in all children.

"You're going to be treating the kid, not the fever," Dr. Shubin says. "In older kids, it's not usually useful to know the height of the fever, only how miserable the kid is."

However, accuracy is critical for new babies because a fever may signify an infection capable of overwhelming their system and causing serious problems. In babies less than 2 months old, a rectal temperature of greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit needs a doctor's attention, Dr. Shubin says. This is why accuracy in infant temperature readings is so important.

Shopping for a Thermometer

When shopping for a thermometer to use on your child, consider the following types available on the market.

 

Types of Thermometers
  • Digital Thermometer
  • Pacifier Thermometer
  • Ear Thermometers
  • Temporal Artery Thermometers

 

Digital Thermometer 
Digital thermometers are like glass mercury thermometers, only new and improved. These don't require you to shake the mercury down, they cut the length of time it takes to get a good reading and usually signal with an alarm when the temperature is measured. Plus, you don't have to worry about your digital thermometer breaking and spilling hazardous mercury.

Digital thermometers can be used to take rectal and auxiliary (under arm) temperature readings in infants, and oral temps when your child is old enough to put the thermometer safely in his mouth. When you take your baby's rectal temperature with a digital thermometer, and you do it properly, you will get an accurate reading, which is why your child's temperature will most likely be taken this way at your doctor's office and at the hospital.

Pacifier Thermometer 
Giving a baby a pacifier is usually a breeze, which makes a pacifier thermometer a logical alternative for getting a temperature reading hassle free. These are usually made with the thermometer inside the nipple of the pacifier, with a digital screen on the front to show the temperature reading. However, according to Dr. Shubin, these aren't always accurate because many don't come equipped with alarm signals that tell parents when the reading is done and whether or not the thermometer has been in place long enough to get an accurate temperature. After all, pacifiers tend to slip out of busy little mouths.

Ear Thermometers 
Also called tympanic or aural thermometers, ear thermometers often use infrared sensors to gauge body temperature, and they usually work quickly. However, ear thermometers have not proven to be accurate, and temperature readings may vary. Again, for toddlers and older children, a small degree of inaccuracy may not be that important. But for new babies accuracy is critical, so although sticking a thermometer in your baby's ear for a few seconds is definitely easier than the rectal method, it may not be the safest way to gauge your baby's body temperature.

Temporal Artery Thermometers 
The latest member of the thermometer family is the temporal artery thermometer. This device gauges body temperature non-invasively with a scan of the forehead. And according to Marybeth Pompei, senior vice president and chief clinical scientist at Exergen Corporation, they are so gentle they can be used on a sleeping baby. And unlike many things in life, temporal artery thermometers don't seem to be too good to be true."Several studies have demonstrated the temporal artery thermometer to be at least as accurate as rectal temperature," Pompei says. "However, a study conducted by pediatricians from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital found in a study of infants 0 to 12 months that not only was it as accurate as rectal temperature, but when the infant's temperature is rapidly changing, the temporal artery thermometer was in fact better than rectal because it identified the rapid change approximately an hour to an hour and a half sooner than rectal temperature identified the change."

Although the less invasive methods of taking your child's temperature may sound like a great idea, keep in mind that accuracy is of utmost importance in the first few months of life. And make sure you learn how to properly use the thermometer you buy, because with kids in the house it will get plenty of use.