Your Baby (An owner’s manual)
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Taking Your Baby’s Temperature
The most accurate way to take your baby’s temperature is rectally. To do so, you’ll need a digital rectal thermometer. Old-style mercury thermometers should not be used because of the potential exposure to mercury, which is toxic.
- To start, clean the end of the thermometer with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Rinse it with cool water. Do not rinse with hot water.
- Put a small amount of lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, on the end of the thermometer.
- Place your child’s belly down across your lap or on a firm surface, such as a changing table. Hold him by placing your palm against his lower back, just above his bottom.
- With the other hand, turn on the thermometer switch and gently slide the probe end of the thermometer 1⁄2 to 1 inch into the anal opening. Stop inserting the thermometer if it becomes difficult to insert. Never force the thermometer into the rectum.
- Hold the thermometer in place loosely with two fingers, keeping your hand cupped around your child’s bottom. Never force the thermometer or insert it too far.
- Hold in place for about one minute, until the thermometer beeps. Remove the thermometer and check the reading.
- Afterward, be sure to clean the thermometer in hot, soapy water.
Our Baby Tech Experts:
Ari Brown, M.D., coauthor of Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby’s First Year (Windsor Peak Press, 2005) Jennifer Shu, M.D., coauthor of Heading Home with Your Newborn (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005) Stacy Whitman, a freelance writer based in Sun Valley, Idaho, can now change a diaper with one hand and can’t remember the last time she cried.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN NEW PARENT MAGAZINE, FALL/WINTER ‘07
Comment by lisa on Dec 24 2008 05:46:40:
EEh rectal thermermator! Do babies finger nails come long at birth? Yellowish discharge from circumsized penis? This sounds more disgusting than scary. Oh well I guess i will be running back to the website for adivce in 3 months.
Comment by Sandra on Sep 03 2009 12:55:27:
My doctor would be MORTIFIED if any of her patients took a rectal temperature. She never would. The hospital my babies were born at never did. It’s simply not worth the stress on mom, or the possible discomfort for baby. An underarm temperature is absolutely adequate for diagnosing an illness – the very slight variation in degrees does not make the difference between having a viral infection and not having one. Four children and the thought of a rectal never ever entered my mind.
That being said, I rarely took temperatures anyways. The ERs are overflowing with mothers bringing baby in with a “fever” of 99.1. Fevers are a good thing. They serve a purpose. Taking a temperature every 10 minutes serves no purpose.
Pingback by Newborn Checklists « I LOVE MY KIDS!!! Blog on May 21 2010 01:03:49:
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Comment by Rachel Jones on Jun 11 2010 06:27:42:
When my son was 3 weeks old i went in for his circumcision appointment.. we went in and things went well.. it took awhile for the clot to form but after it did we were aloud to leave..
when i came home i noticed his diaper was full of blood the dr said this may happen about 20 minutes later i noticed that his diaper was full again.. i called his docter and she told me to take him to Primary Childrens hospital. His poor little penis would not stop bleeding.. i was mortified.. finally after waiting about 6 hours (i got to the hospital about 12 in the afternoon) they had to take his circumcision ring out and sew up his penis.. when the checked his hemadacrite (or however you spell it) and it was down to a 14 i believe sombody that is healthy is supposed to be like 45.. he had to have a blood transfusion and was in the hospital for 4 days.. So mothers please be careful when choosing circumcision. it can have harmful effects..