Nov 13, 2009 3:11 pm US/Eastern
Finding The Right Thermometer For Your Family
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
With H1N1 cases on the rise, everyone's watching for symptoms like fever- especially in kids. These days there are dozens of different kinds of thermometers on store shelves and it can be difficult to choose the best one for your family.
Mom Therese Delashmutt always had trouble taking her son Gabe's temperature. There was no way he'd keep a thermometer under his tongue, or his arm for that matter.
"We tried each one, a new one every time he got sick and when it didn't work we'd try another one," she said.
There are so many options out there. The National Institutes of Health is
conducting a study comparing the accuracy of oral, ear and forehead, or temporal, thermometers. The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends the old-fashioned mercury models for environmental reasons, but when it comes to digital devices, experts say choosing one has more to do with the age than type of thermometer.
Resource: American Acad. of Pediatrics Thermometer Guide
WHICH TYPE?
For kids under 6 months, Dr. Jennifer Shu of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an unpopular choice. "The most accurate way to do it is through a rectal thermometer but a lot of parents don't want to do that on a regular basis if the baby might not be that sick, so it's perfectly fine to do an underarm thermometer."
Experts suggest you double check an underarm reading over 99 with a rectal reading before heading off to the doctor. If the child is older than six months you can try an ear thermometer or the temporal type. "Swipe it across the child's forehead and behind the ear and that tends to be very reliable also for 6 months and over," Shu said. "It's very easy because the child doesn't have to sit still for very long and it's incredibly fast and painless."
That's the method that worked for Therese. "At first he was hesitant and then he was all about holding his hair up."
There are also strips that sit on the forehead, pacifier type models, even some that light up for easy readings in the dark. The AAP says don't worry if one type is a degree or two off from another method. The key is to tell your doctor how the fever was figured.
Dr. Shu advises, "Tell us how you did it. Try not to do any adding or subtracting at home and we'll just take the whole picture into account."
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Watch out for things that will impact the information you get. For example, if the patient just ate something cold or hot, the number will reflect that. Allow for outdoor interference, especially with some methods.
"If the child has been outside in the cold for a while it could be inaccurate if you take a temperature with an ear thermometer right away, so wait for about 15 minutes and let the child's temperature warm up to the regular body temperature and the room temperature as well," Dr. Shu explained.
One more piece of advice from the doctor: don't just consider fever in how sick a child is. Also consider changes in mood, alertness and sleeping and eating habits when you decide if your child needs a doctor.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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