If your baby is sick, you'll need to take his temperature to determine whether he has a fever. You cannot use oral thermometers with infants because they are not able to hold the thermometer in their mouths. Taking an oral reading would present a choking hazard. The best and most accurate way to determine your baby's body temperature is by taking a rectal reading with a digital thermometer.
Step 1
Use a thermometer designed specifically for rectal readings. The thermometer should have a flexible tip and a wide handle that prevents you from inserting it more than 1 inch into your child's rectum.
Step 2
Clean the end of the thermometer with soap and warm water, or an alcohol swab. If you wash the thermometer with soap, rinse it with cool water.
Step 3
Coat the end of the thermometer with petroleum jelly or a disposable sleeve designed for rectal use. Coating the end makes it easier to insert the thermometer.
Step 4
Cover your lap with a clean towel and lay your baby over your knees, face down, with his legs dangling over the side. If your child is uncomfortable in this position, lay him on his back as if you were changing his diaper.
Step 5
Turn on the thermometer. Spread your baby's buttocks, gently, to expose the rectum. Gently insert the bulb of the thermometer into his rectum until the tip disappears -- approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch.
Step 6
Hold your baby's buttocks closed to keep the thermometer in place. Remove the thermometer when it beeps.
Step 7
Have baby wipes on hand. A rectal thermometer could stimulate him to have a bowel movement.
Tips and Warnings
- You may also take an under-arm or axillary reading. These readings are not as accurate and might register as much as two degrees less than the rectal temperature. The axillary method is best for getting a ball-park estimate. Ear thermometers are more expensive than digital thermometers and may not give an accurate reading if you do not insert them properly. If you use an ear thermometer, follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and consider a backup method for more accuracy. You might also be able to use a pacifier thermometer or the temperature reading strips that you stick to your infant's forehead. However, these methods do not provide as accurate a reading and should only be used to get a general reading.
Things You'll Need
- Rectal digital thermometer
- Soap
- Water
- Alcohol swab, optional
- Petroleum jelly, optional
- Thermometer sleeve, optional
- Baby wipes
