![]() Oral Temperature is More Accurate than Axillary Keep a log of their temperatures, times and if any medicine is given to provide to their pediatrician should seeing them become necessary. There is no need to add or subtract a degree. The rectal temperature reading is accurate. ![]() Always clean the thermometer with rubbing alcohol after use and label it, so it is not accidentally used orally.Keep the thermometer in place for one minute or until it makes a beep sound indicating the reading is complete. Alternately, you can let the child lay on their back and lift their legs up to their chest while taking their temperature. Hold the thermometer loosely between fingers with the hand cupped over their bottom. Insert ½ to 1 inch of the thermometer into the rectum. Have child lay face down on a hard surface to restrict movement.Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly onto the end of the thermometer. Clean thermometer with rubbing alcohol and rinse off.To measure your child’s temperature rectally: However, these are not nearly as accurate as their digital counterparts.įor the most accurate reading, temperatures should be checked rectally if a child is younger than three years of age. Today, most pharmacies offer mercury-free thermometers. While you probably grew up with a glass thermometer containing mercury, they are not considered safe. To assist parents, we have devised a Temperature 101 Tip Sheet for the most precise temperature checking. However, you will probably get plenty of pushback if you come to take your 14-year-old’s temperature with a rectal thermometer. Rectal temperatures are most accurate regardless of age. The best way to check a child’s temperature varies based on age. That means knowing the most precise way to check a child’s temperature and having the right tools to do it. Or worse, incorrectly check his temperature.Īs parents, when our child is sick we want reliable answers fast. Which one is accurate? Surely the highest? When your child is sick, the last thing you want to do is rely on a method that gives unreliable readings. But you wonder why his temperature varies so much depending on what type of thermometer you use. A core (rectal) body temperature of 100.4° F (38.0° C) or higher in adults, and 99° F (37.2° C) (armpit) or 100.4° F (38° C) (rectal) in babies under one year is considered a fever.Ī fever isn't usually a concern unless it reaches 103° F (39.4° C) or higher.Evan has a fever. Technically, 99.9° F would be considered a fever only in babies under one year and only when measured axially (in the armpit), but not in adults. Normal temperatures can vary throughout the day, with lower temperatures occurring in the early morning and higher temperatures in the late afternoon, sometimes reaching 99.9° F (37.7° C) in adults. It is believed this is due to a combination of more accurate thermometers, lower rates of infection, and lower metabolic rates because people weigh more on average today than they did in the 1800s. The standard of 98.6° F (37° C) as a normal average oral temperature was established in the 1800s but recent studies have shown the average body temperature has dropped to 97.5° F (36.4° C). A core (rectal) body temperature of 100.4° F (38.0° C) or higher in adults, and 99° F (37.2° C) (armpit) or 100.4° F (38° C) (rectal) in babies under one year is considered a fever.Ī fever is a higher-than-normal body temperature, which is not an illness in itself, but a symptom that often occurs when the body is fighting an infection. ![]() A temperature of 99.9° F (in the armpit) would be considered a fever only in babies under one year. Normal temperatures can vary throughout the day (lower temperatures in the early morning and higher temperatures in the late afternoon).
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