Guide to choosing the right thermometer for your newborn
If children show the first symptoms of malaise, one of the first things to do is to check if they have a fever. It is normal, especially for a newborn in the first months of life, to contract some flu virus that leads to symptoms such as fever, so don't panic!
Often measuring a baby's fever is not as easy as it might seem: babies move, cry and therefore, among many products, it is necessary to have a baby thermometer that is quick to measure and easy to use as well as accurate.
Before proceeding with this article and discovering the list of the most suitable thermometers for newborns, we thought we would show you this video on how to pamper your baby during pregnancy.
The importance of the thermometer for the newborn
The thermometer is an elementary invention, but of fundamental importance for measuring body temperature and ensuring that it remains constant over time, facilitating the correct functioning of the whole organism.
It is not at all easy to measure the temperature of the little ones, this is because children and babies move constantly making it difficult to measure the fever in a precise way.
Since this operation is very important especially for understanding the causes of fever and proceeding with the right treatment, here is a list of all types of thermometers for the newborn.
See also
1 - Infrared thermometer
One of the best thermometers to measure a baby's fever is the infrared one. Very easy to use, it is placed in direct contact with the skin and in a few seconds measures the body temperature. Some models of the infrared thermometer may be equipped with a pointer that allows the measurement of fever even from a distance.
The advantages of buying a thermometer of this type are many: do not wake him while he sleeps, for example, while still managing to measure his temperature. Obtain an accurate result thanks to a function that adapts the measurement according to age. Finally, the display visible even in the dark and the possibility of silencing sounds and notifications so as not to disturb.
What are the cons of this type of thermometer? The main one is above all the high cost, a considerable expense to be taken into account. The most popular on Amazon, for example, costs around 40 euros.
Before launching into the purchase of this thermometer for your child, evaluate carefully and make a comparison with the other models that we are about to suggest.
2 - Digital or electronic thermometer
The digital thermometer is the direct successor of the mercury thermometer that was used so much in the past. It remembers its shape, except that instead of the mercury strip with all the numbers from 35 ° to 42 °, it presents a practical display where the baby's body temperature will be shown.
A few seconds are enough for the measurement, moreover the margin of error is not very significant: this means that it is a very precise and reliable thermometer.
Some models have a measuring bulb that can be preheated to avoid the unpleasant sensation of cold on the baby's skin.
In addition, these thermometers have a flexible probe that can respond well even in the case of sudden baby movements.
> Buy Chicco's thermometer with flexible probe for € 12.90 on Amazon
3 - Liquid crystal strips
The liquid crystal strips are designed to detect fever after touching the baby's forehead. How do they work? Each stripe is made up of a series of notches that light up or change color when they detect body temperature.
Unfortunately this is a product that provides a very inaccurate and unreliable method, so we mention it among all the body temperature measurement systems, but it is not at all suitable especially in the case of children.
4 - Galinstan thermometer
Galinstane thermometers have replaced mercury thermometers that have been declared toxic for some years. In fact, the use of the thermometer with mercury for children is highly discouraged due to the ease with which it can break up and disperse its toxic content in the environment.
The galinstane thermometer, on the other hand, contains an alloy of gallium, indium and tin called "Galinstan", which is absolutely not toxic.
This type of thermometer allows you to measure fever very accurately, but it takes some time to measure.
> Buy the one from Pic, on Amazon for less than 10 €
How to measure a newborn's fever
- Digital thermometer
The digital thermometer is the most recommended to measure fever and also used because of the ease of reading the result. It is generally used under the baby's armpit where it should remain for about 3 minutes. An acoustic signal will warn you when it is time to take it out and read the body temperature directly on the display.
This type of thermometer should not be used rectally for several reasons: first of all because the baby's bottom could have irritations that would alter body temperature, as well as having recently pooped.
We know that using the thermometer rectally is easier especially for the little ones, but care must be taken because it is very easy to cause small lesions on delicate skin.
Measuring the fever orally (under the tongue) would require a considerable cooperation from the child, not to mention the annoyance of having to hold the thermometer in the mouth for a few minutes.
- Classic infrared thermometer
Finally, for the infrared thermometer, just place it on the baby's forehead or temple for a few seconds; while the infrared one but with a remote pointer, it must be directed towards the child following the instructions contained in the package leaflet.
- Infrared ear thermometer
Some types of infrared thermometers also provide for measurement through the ear. Ear measurement is best avoided at home and left only to competent people to avoid damage to the eardrum. This method of measuring fever through the ear may not be accurate to due to an otitis (which would return a higher body temperature value) or the presence of a cerulean plug (which would detect a lower fever value than the real one).
The ideal conditions for measuring body temperature
As established by the Italian Society of Pediatrics, fever is a reaction of the body that favors the immune system, it is not serious and must absolutely not cause panic and concern in parents.
Only if the child shows obvious signs of discomfort can the fever be measured, and if it exceeds 38 ° it is good to administer tachipirina after consulting the doctor. The latter, in fact, will be the only one who can express himself for the right therapy. Sometimes children with fever are very active and lively, so in these cases the pediatrician may also decide to avoid the antipyretic.
Lowering the fever serves to relieve the state of malaise, to make the child feel better, avoiding complications and chills.
To avoid unjustified alarmism, we would like to remember that a temperature of 38 ° measured at the rectal level cannot be considered fever because the area has a series of factors to consider that we have talked about in this article (inflammation, faeces). Even the temperature of 37.2 ° at the axillary level cannot be considered a fever.
To measure the temperature correctly, the child must not be sweaty, hot and super covered and the environment must not be excessively hot. In practice, it makes no sense to do it immediately after he has played by jumping on the bed or after he has been near a radiator for a long time or if he is dressed in warm clothes. In all these cases the measurement cannot be considered reliable.
The evening is the time when the body temperature rises the most, and it is therefore also the time when a fever could occur, not to be confused with a simple state of heat.
The ideal is to measure the fever only when needed, when the baby or child is calm and in a not too hot environment.
Finally, all the mothers and fathers who read us it is good that they know that no system to detect body temperature is perfect, each has some critical issues, but for practicality and reliability, the use of the digital thermometer to measure the body temperature at the axillary level , is what we would like to recommend.
Final tips for parents
As parents it is normal to worry at the first sign of a child's fever, with this article on the thermometers best suited to various needs, we wanted to clarify and direct mothers and fathers in purchases.
Now is the time to do a quick review of the above, a sort of list to keep in mind to deal with the first seasonal ailments of the newborn.
- To measure a children's fever at home, the most recommended is the electronic thermometer to be used in the axillary way.
- Better to avoid the rectal temperature measurement because it is invasive and sometimes painful for the delicate skin of the newborn. The only thermometer suitable for this purpose is the one with a flexible probe.
- Oral measurement is not recommended because it can lead to the risk of breaking the thermometer, it is also annoying for the child.
- The mercury thermometer is not recommended because its internal components are toxic and were banned after a 2009 European directive.
- Measuring the fever in other areas of the body (ear, front, groin) does not offer the same reliability as the axillary measurement with a digital thermometer.
