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Oct
What Types of Thermometers Are Used for Taking Temperatures in Babies. For best results in babies and toddlers up to 3 years of age the American Academy of Pediatrics advises taking the temperature in the rectum.
Here is how to take an oral temperature.
Taking baby temperatures. A normal temperature in babies and children is about 364C but this can vary slightly. A high temperature or fever is usually considered to be a temperature of 38C or above. Your baby may have a high temperature if they.
Feel hotter than usual to touch on their forehead back or stomach. Feel sweaty or clammy. There are 3 main places to take a babys temperature.
For best results in babies and toddlers up to 3 years of age the American Academy of Pediatrics advises taking the temperature in the rectum. This is done by placing a thermometer in the babys anus. Dont take an oral temperature until your child is at least 4 years old.
Infant under 3 months old. Ask your childs healthcare provider how you should take the temperature. Rectal or forehead temperature of 1004F 38C or higher or as directed by the provider.
Armpit temperature of 99F 372C or higher or as directed by the provider. How to Take a Rectal Temperature in Your Baby Buy a digital rectal thermometer to use. Place a thick slab of petroleum jelly on the base of the thermometer the end with the.
Place the tip of the thermometer under your childs tongue toward the back of the mouth and ask your child to keep his or her lips closed. Remove the thermometer when it signals that its done and read the number. If your child has been eating or drinking wait 15 minutes to take his or her temperature by mouth.
Taking a babys temperature is a bit more complex than simply sticking a thermometer under their tongue. Unlike older children babies cannot hold an oral thermometer in their mouths. How you take your babys temperature will depend on their age and your personal preference.
The Importance of Digital Thermometers. Once your child is 4 years old you can take a temperature by mouth. Here is how to take an oral temperature.
If your child has had a hot or cold drink wait 30 minutes. Turn the thermometer on and place the tip under one side of your childs tongue toward the back of the mouth. Learn some tips that may make you feel more comfortable taking your babys temperature.
Working with Parents Magazine American Baby Family Circle and wwwp. How Do I Take My Babys Temperature. You can take a childs temperature a few different ways such as via the rectum rectally mouth orally ear under the arm axillary.
Concerned your newborn has a fever. Here are two simple techniques you can use to take a babys temperature from NYU Langone Medical Center experts. How to take your childs temperature Place the thermometer inside the top of the armpit.
Gently close the arm over the thermometer and keep it pressed to the side of the body. Hold your child still. Leave a digital thermometer in until it beeps about 10 seconds.
Your child has a fever if the rectal temp is above 1004 F 38 C. Do not take rectal temperatures in young children with leukemia or other cancers. In babies 364º C or 975º F indicates a normal oral temperature with slight variations.
However if the rectal temperature shoots up to 38º C or 1004º F it may be an indication of fever warranting a call or a visit to the babys paediatrician. What Types of Thermometers Are Used for Taking Temperatures in Babies. If your baby feels warm take the temperature with a rectal thermometer.
A fever is a temperature of 1004 Fahrenheit or above. Call your doctor immediate. Taking your babys temperature rectally will give you the most accurate result and the best tools for this are rectal thermometers which are designed specifically for this purpose.
Look for one with a flexible tip and a wide handle that wont let you insert the thermometer more than an inch. Inserting it farther can perforate your childs rectum. For babies younger than 3 months youll get the most reliable reading by using a digital thermometer to take a rectal temperature.
Call the doctor if your infant is younger than 3 months old and has a temperature of 1004F 38C or higher. For babies between 3 months and 6 months old a digital rectal thermometer is still the best choice. For best results in babies and toddlers up to 3 years of age the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends taking the temperature rectally by placing a thermometer in the babys anus.
This method is accurate and gives a quick reading of the babys internal temperature.