Thermometer Recommendations???

[littlepickle]

Hi :)

I am trying to get all the necessary baby stuff sorted out before Elise makes an appearance, and one of the things on my list is a thermomenter. I was going to get an ear thermomeer, but I was watching a program last week where doctors were saying that they are not very accurate. Can anyone recommend a thermometer? Is just a basic digital underarm type better? I thought that yu guys would be the bes people to get advise from on this, everyone has always been so helpfull!!

Any advice appreciated :D

[mum2littleman]

if it helps - i got lucas both but i use the one for under his arm more for the same reason as u stated got it in a safty first pack- around $15there are a few handy thing to have in the pack...
:) i almost forgot how exciting it is getting everything ready for bub:thumbsup:



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:smiliedance: louise 20
:barf: lukey 25-11-2005

[Cheeky Little Monkey]

My daughter was in Special Care Unit for 6 days after she was born and the one the hospital used was one that can scan the forehead without touching the baby or you can hold it directly on their temple. It reads the temp in a few seconds.Being a first time paranoid mum I went out and bought the same one. The prices for these range from $65 to $100 plus. Expensive but has been a worthwhile investment for us. Plus I love playing with it :D You can get them at Target and most chemists.

[aardvark]

I have a braun thermoscan.

I measure over half a degree different to between my left and right ears.

DD#1 will register 36.4 with the thermoscan when a digital thermometer under her tongue gives 39.8.

My GP does not trust them, but his wife (also a GP) does.

Part of the trick I think is to know the differences between ears in each family member, and to know what their temperature is when they are well, so you can monitor changes, more than the temperature itself.

I liked it because DD#2 would get hysterical with a thermometer under her arm, but I still prefer a basic digital one, which is MUCH cheaper, and far more reliable.

[pegasus]

All hospitals these days use the ear ones, so I guess your doctor might just be a bit wary of the cheap ones. I'm certain all of the nurses I've worked with have taken a lot more temps with their thermometers than any doctor, as well as having seen a fair few studies in the hospitals to make sure that these are the best kind. Most of the public don't use them though due to their expense - there just isn't the need, and unless your child has a health issue, it probably isn't worth you spending $80 rather than $15.

I always had a normal thermometer (you can use under the tongue or the arm), but when my son started having seizures and we needed to monitor his temps very closely, we went out and bought a thermometer that reads aurally (ear) and across the temple. The reason for this is that when my son is burning up with a fever, there is no way I can keep a thermometer under his arm without pinning his arm to his side (for the three minutes needed) and distressing him quite a bit.

The ear thermometers are more accurate, but need to be used in the correct manner and cleaned as detailed to keep them working well. In the hospitals they cover them with "condoms" which you don't use at home. I have compared my digital electric, mercury and aural one and they all read about the same (so long as you realise that temps taken under the arm are about 0.5degrees less), but the 3-in-one (takes temp across the forehead, aural and room temp) is much quicker. Surgipack 3-in-one - retails at about $80.

[rynosmum]

There was a thread a while back on this and many people swore against the aural (ear) thermometer. I have always had one though and swear by it. Esp when you're testing temps on a sleeping bub in the middle of the night. You can do the test then go into the light to check the temp.

As Aardvark says though, knowing your child's resting temp limits is essential so you are aware when a reading jumps. And it's true, the reading can differ slightly from ear to ear.

Our GP's use them and so did the hospital we took Ry to when he was ill once.

I'm very confident in the reading ours provides. It's also a Braun thermoscan.

[Chickadee]

A newborn bub's ear and ear canal is so small that it's sometimes difficult to get an ear thermometer to read properly. As I understand it, the thermometer needs to take a reading off a specific part of the inner ear and so has to be aimed correctly. If not positioned right the thermometer will be aimed at a different ear part and so you may get a wrong reading. I bought one and the directions said that for infants you need to take a reading, then turn the whole thing by 180o and take another reading. When dealing with a crying squirming baby this requires 2 people and was far from easy :(

My hospital used an ear thermometer for me but always used an underarm one for DD. So I went and bought one (a digital one) and found it much much easier to use - simply tuck under her arm while giving her a cuddle.

[annsam]

My understanding is:
the forehead ones are not the most accurate
the ear ones (which I have) are too big for a newborns ear and the reading do fluxuate so much depending on if you have it in properly or not but ive found it ok all in all.
the good old mercury ones are the most reliable, you put them under the arm but it has to be there for 10 minutes.
the digital under the arm ones only have to be a couple of minutes and are the second most accurate.

I was told all this as a nursing student.

Hope it helps.

[mummy sam]

i have a forhead one and from mem it is childcare, it's in all the preg mags (not the reason i got it) it was about $65 but i thought it was well worth it :thumbsup: It is simple and easy to use and like previously mentioned i heard it is the most accurate.
I just got it in target

[Tristans_Mum]

I have a 3 in 1.
It does ear, forehead and room temperature.
It is great and only cost $65 from chemist
It is about 6 cm long so can fit in baby bag wightout taking up room
Not sure of name but can find box if anyone is interested. :)

[Tam-I-Am]

I also have a braun thermoscan, and have found it the most unreliable cr@ppy thing ever! Sorry to those who like them, but i've found DD's ears are too small for it to fit in, she hates having it inserted into her ears, and if you take 10 different readings, you get 10 different outputs (including on myself or DH). So I'm not a fan.

I had a cheap digital under-arm thermometre that I bought in the supermarket about 5 years ago that cost about $10 and that is so much more reliable. So I would advise - don't go spend the money on a digital ear thermometre. I'd be interested in hearing from others who have a forehead thermometre though, cause I've been thinking of getting one of these lately - are they any good?

[littlepickle]

Hi!
Thanks everyone for taking the time to let me know your experiences and advice. I really appreciate it.
I was originally looking at getting a forehead thermomenter, I gather they are more reliable than the ear thermometers. I will also get a digital underarm thermometer incase I need it. I guess the ear thermometers are better for older babies and children raher than tiny babies .. hmmm oh, maybe I should just get a mercury one to start off with and see how I go from there. I agree though that knowing your babies normal resting temperature would definitely help regardless of which thermometer is used.
Thanks again everyone:D