Temperatures - help?

[mummytomatildaandrose]

We have a little bit of a weird situation with our DD. We have to watch her temperature as if it gets too high she has febrile convulsions, so I have become a little obsessed with her temperature! As a response to this we have three thermometers - one for the ear, one under arm and one that is a sort of surface one for forehead or back of the neck. The problem with that is, when all of them give wildly different readings! This doesn't happen too often but has happened today - DD is a little warmer than usual - her ear temp is usually 35.8 and today it is saying 36.5. But when I took her underarm temp(which is normally 36.6) it flashed up as saying 38.1.

So, my dilemma is, does she have a temperature or not and should I send her to nursery? Apart from all of that, she seems fine!

Has anyone else experienced this?

SHe's kind of none of those things today - she's on quite good form really! Just a little bit of a runny nose and that seems to be it. We can't give her calpol unfortunately as that's her enemy as far as convulsions are concerned - although they reduce the temperature well, when it wears off, the temperature raises far too quickly and that is when the convulsions happen. Luckily homeopathy amazingly seems to work with her, thank goodness!

I think you're right about thermometers though - sometimes instinct is best.

I'd say just use the timpanic (ear) thermometer, and take a base reading one day when she is okay. Apart from that I'd say a dose of calpol too. Are you giving Belladonna for her temp? It works brilliantly on my dd1 too.

Temperature will differ depending on where you take it. There are tables comparing different temperatures with different thermometers. I would use the ear thermometer and ensure that you put a new cap on each time. Also, not the ear on which they have been sleeping as this will be hotter.

Also no ear thermometer if you suspect ear infection - common sense but surprising how many nurses don't think of this!
An underarm digital is usually pretty good and foolproof. An ear thermometer is only as good as the user, no easy with a wriggly child/baby