Most accurate way to take a babies temp that isn't rectal ?

[LizzeyBenett]

So obviously rectal temp Is most accurate however my 9 week old is very petite and I'm extremely hesitant also it's not the best if you have to keep checking temp . She had a high temp after her 2 month vaccinations and we ended up in hospital they advised not to use an in ear thermometer as it's not accurate under 6 months but to instead use an under arm digital . The problem I have with that is last night again she was very warm more so her head that say her torso . The in ear said 38.1 and the under arm was saying 37 which is a huge difference and the difference between treating a temp and not ... I'm inclined to believe the in ear as this morning she isn't hit at all and temp seems to have returned to normal

It was always under the arm when mine were babies. I wouldn't ever have attempted rectal.

Read the instruction leaflet that came with the thermometer. There are different thresholds for diagnosing a fever for the different places you can take a temperature from.

I think you're getting yourself in a bit of a muddle over it. Treat the child, not the temperature anyway. Some children crack on with a 38 temperature and others are floored with it. I've never thought to stick anything up my child's bum, we just use an under arm thermometer.

Read her temperature and also use your own instincts and intuition. You haven't mentioned how she is in herself.

You're overthinking it. Look at how the child is behaving, not the number on a thermometer. Under the arm is adequate. Never rectal.

When my DD was in neonatal ICU they used (and recommended) in ear

Who the hell is managing to do rectal temperatures on a baby? Under the arm is fine

It's technique usually. You need to make sure the bulb of the thermometer is right up in the armpit.
If it's not right in the armpit it can read low.
Lift the babies arm up, place it right in the armpit making sure that enough of the tip is covered and not poking out the back. Put the arm down and hold the arm just below the shoulder and press it in towards her body.

You don’t treat the child and not the temperature when it’s a baby under 3 months. If there is any possibility of a temperature and it is not related to jabs, i.e outside of the first 48 hours following vaccinations, then the baby needs to be taken straight to a+e to be seen. If however it is within the first 48 hours post vaccines you can treat at home with paracetamol and keep an eye on feeds/nappies etc. Again, if the fever is there and NOT related to vaccinations, do NOT give paracetamol and take baby to be seen.
Once baby is over 3 months old you can generally treat most fevers at home. I would normally recommend an underarm thermometer as usually the ear thermometer would not go in far enough. However like I said, have a very low threshold for taking baby to hospital if you think she’s had a fever over 38 and not vaccine related x

If your baby is not well then you don’t need a thermometer to tell you that- you’re her mum, you know when she’s not herself.

You should offer her pain relief or whatever regardless of whether she’s 37 or 38.

I use a scan forehead one. I do me then child. So even if not 100percent accurate it lets me know if really high.

I tend to just tell though, lips on forehead, hand on upper thigh, always gives me a good idea on mine.

When my baby was very poorly in hospital he would always have underarm temp taken

This. If the dc felt boiling hot to touch and was acting unwell I'd give calpol. If they seemed fine, even with a temp of 38.1 I wouldn't. I've always used under arm to monitor rises and falls as opposed to focusing on the exact temp.