by Lindsay Maddox

Created on: July 18, 2008   Last Updated: October 09, 2010

As children we've all shared this common experience: you start feeling yucky and go to your mom for comfort. Mom's first maternal instinct is to place her hand on your head to feel if you have a fever. It's almost as if fever checking is a sixth sense of moms, as if they are somehow so in tune with their little ones that they just know when a forehead is just a little bit warmer than usual. But, even the most intuitive mom needs a more accurate temperature reading than just, "You feel a bit warm." Thus the thermometer becomes every mother's staple. Depending on the age of your child and their demeanor, there are many different ways to take your child's temperature and many types of thermometers to choose from.

INFANT (Newborn-3 months)

Rectal
Because it is nearly impossible (and unsafe) to place a thermometer under an infant's tongue, many moms choose to take a rectal temperature. First, you will need a digital thermometer, which is relatively inexpensive and can be found at any drugstore. Second, comes the tricky part. Lay your baby down on their belly on a bed pillow and place your hand on their back. (I also recommend placing a towel or two underneath their body, as we had a major pee accident while doing this one time.) Make sure you apply lubrication to the thermometer, and insert it about to 1" into their bottom. Your baby may get mad (and who wouldn't), so make sure you're holding them firmly and offering kind and gentle words and caresses.

Axillary
Another less invasive technique is to take an axillary (under arm) temperature. This is not as accurate as the other forms of temperature taking, but gives you a fairly good idea of your child's temperature. To take an axillary temperature, simply place the digital thermometer underneath your child's bare armpit and hold their arm down to keep the thermometer in place.

Ear
An ear thermometer isn't recommended for babies 0-3 months because their teeny little ear canals make the temperature taken from the ear inaccurate.

Other methods

Forehead thermometer- This product is basically as reliable as feeling the child's forehead with your hand. It isn't as accurate as the oral and rectal methods.

Pacifier thermometer- While an excellent idea, this is also not an accurate gauge of your child's true temperature.

BABY AND TODDLER (3 months to 4 years)

With a baby and toddler, you can use any of the aforementioned methods including the ear thermometer. Again, the axillary method is the least accurate. It is still difficult in this age range to take your child's temperature orally.

CHILD (4 years and older)

After about the age of 4 you can begin taking their temperature orally. Taking their temperature under the arm, in the ear, and rectum is still useful, although the latter is, and will always be, the least fun.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED A FEVER

Your newborn is considered to have a fever when their temperature comes back at 100.4 degrees or higher. If your Newborn-3 month old has a temperature exceeding 100.4, call your doctor.

You should also call the doctor if your older child has a fever higher than 102.2 degrees. And, of course, if they are acting abnormally such as not taking fluids, or vomiting excessively, you should pick up the phone and call your doctor.

Source: http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html

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