To get them a thermometer as a new baby gift?

[TheBabyAteMyBrain]

Mutual friends of me and dh are due their first baby in Dec, they have a large family and friend circle and the child will be the first grandchild, so they will be inundated with cute outfits, blankets, toys, gifts for mum.

Speaking with dh last night I said it would be a good idea to get them a Braun Thermoscan thermometer as a new baby gift as it's been a life saver for us and our two dc. Dh thinks it's a boring gift and we should do the usual personalised blanket or cute outfits. I think it's practical and will be used straight away from first vaccinations and is one of the things people tend to forget to buy when preparing for a first baby.

So, AIBU? Would you have appreciated a thermometer or should I get the usual bits for a new baby?

@nolongersurprised well, I've already mentioned two ways I have used a thermometer reading. One was to tell the hospital what my daughter's temperature had been over the previous 24 hours when she had a kidney infection. The other was to gauge when I needed to give her more Calpol. So to me a thermometer has been extremely useful.

@TheBabyAteMyBrain - I think the Thermoscan sounds like a practical and useful gift - maybe you could add something like a copy of a classic children's book - Winnie the Pooh, for example - so there's something fun (but not exorbitantly expensive) too.

I've already mentioned two ways I have used a thermometer reading. One was to tell the hospital what my daughter's temperature had been over the previous 24 hours when she had a kidney infection. The other was to gauge when I needed to give her more Calpol. So to me a thermometer has been extremely useful.

I’ve had a DD with a kidney infection too. We Took her to hospital and said, “She’s been hot at home”. They took her temp and she had a fever. They found her UTI. Her admission wasn’t contingent on recorded temperatures at home.

I don’t give Calpol for an elevated temp if they’re not miserable. Why are you giving it? A high temp isn’t dangerous.

So why does the GP bother to take a temperature then? Why not just feel them and go from there. The NHS guidance specifically states at what point you should seek immediate further advice with small babies. Clearly the level of temperature does have some relevance.

Obviously you factor it in to your overall assessment but i don't understand why you'd want to be guessing when you can just take the temp?!

The one in the Scottish Baby box is fine if you haven't anything else, but it takes so long to take a reading that DS would scream as we held his arm down or wriggle so much it was inaccurate.
He was really ill with fever after his vaccines and we bought a Braun in ear one the next day.
Wouldn't go back now.
And to a PP the difference between warm and a fever is just one degree - you cannot accurately judge that with the back of your hand (otherwise the NHS would save a fortune by not buying any).

So yes OP, if they don't have one (and even if they are in Scotland and got one in the baby box) I'd buy it.

I think it's a great idea. Of course parents of babies and young children should have a thermometer, they're so prone to fevers with illness and it's useful to know how high temps get so you know what you're dealing with.

Alternatively I made up a basket for a friend recently contsining:

Sudocreme
Ibuprofen
Paracetamol
Infacol
A teethy ring
A sponge
A bath duck that tells you when water is too hot
A free flow beaker

Think I may have kut some little scratch mittens and a hat in there too but generally it was all the little things that you might need Nd not gave thought to get.

And they don't last "for years" unless you plan to use them as tea towels

My 14 year old still uses his!

nolongersurprised high temperatures can lead to febrile convulsions and a dose of calpol can prevent them.

This is a myth and responsible for over treatment of many harmless fevers. Simple, uncomplicated febrile convulsions are not prevented by giving antipyretics. Most occur in the first 24 hours and are associated with the rate of rise of the temp, often before you know they are unwell.

In children with epilepsy fevers can lower the seizure threshold, but that’s different.

As a parent, how high a temp is in a hot child isn’t relevant to me. I know they’re hot and I can tell when their temp settles. It’s the other markers of unwellness that I’ve focused on - what’s their perfusion like, are they responsive, do they seem distressed or in pain, can they drink. I’m also reassured when there’s a non concerning reason for the fever. Children can be desperately unwell with a normal temp at home and vice versa.

While fevers can be concerning for parents, doctors will usually be more concerned about what is causing the fever, and not what the child’s temperature is. It is more important for you to monitor any symptoms of the underlying illness, rather than the fever itself.

This is from one of the Australian children’s hospital’s information sheets. I suppose if you can’t judge whether or not your child has an elevated temperature by touching them then a thermometer might be useful.

Body thermometer is a good idea - not a bath one though - in my experience they're useless - water just needs to feel cooler than you would like. Our bath thermometer put 'safe' way too cold for our babies - they screamed, we notched the heat up slightly and happy bathtimes followed.

I’m surprised. My doctor always asks for a fever history. I suppose it depends on the doctor.

But doctors do still take temperatures, they take them pretty much constantly. If you take a temperature you know for sure if they've got a fever or not. I don't think that's wildly controversial.

If you're happy to just judge fever/no fever and base a call based on that (and any other symptoms obviously) fair enough but I think realistically the vast majority of parents prefer something a bit more definite.

Sorry but that's a 💩 present

I agree with your Dh, really boring.

I agree with your DH, really boring.

oops sorry not sure what happened there. Oh for a 30 second edit button on here.

I would of loved this present!

We got the Thermoscan with a voucher once as had cheaper ones previously. Find it great. Would have been delighted to receive it as a gift. Especially handy when little and ill as could check temp without waking the child

I would have really liked that as a present, some may say boring, I see it as practical.

I think you should go for it and get a gift receipt, just on case, but I think it would be recieved well.

Hands down, the single best gift I received when I had my first child was a box containing nappies, wipes, some flannels and baby wash.

However, I think that a thermometer is a very thoughtful gift, I would have really appreciated that, too.

Gosh, I still use a thermometer as an adult. I had a fever a few months back. I was at home on my own and getting to the point where I was struggling to maintain my focus on reality. I had a thermometer any it meant I could track my temperature (reached nearly 40 degrees which given I usually run cold at 36 was very high) and that I could see if it was getting worse and I needed to call someone home.

Still, I'm a data lover so I guess if I can quantify something I will.

But, @Nacreous- if you had felt like that you should have called someone home, whatever your temperature was!

But why? Everyone was away. That would have been a total pain. As it was it went down again over the course of 12 or so hours with regular dosing of paracetamol and ibuprofen. I was fine. I knew my temperature was then coming down. I wouldn't have felt less terrible after making other people come home, I would have just felt terrible with other people there.

Sorry- I’m baffled. If you feel too ill to be alone then call someone home. If you don’t- don’t. Regardless of temperature.