Taking Your Child's Temperature (for Parents) (2024)

FAQs

Taking Your Child's Temperature (for Parents)? ›

Kids 6 months to 3 years old: A rectal temperature is best, but you can use a temporal artery, ear, or axillary method. Kids 4 years or older: An oral temperature is best if child can properly hold the thermometer under the tongue.

For instance, taking a rectal temperature is the best way to get an exact reading for children under 2 years of age. But most children don't like to have their temperature taken this way. Although taking a temperature under the armpit isn't as precise, it will let you know whether your child has a fever.

AAP Recommendations

In its clinical practice guideline, AAP addresses many questions raised in evaluating otherwise well-appearing infants between 8-60 days old who develop a fever at or above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

Turn the thermometer on and place the tip under one side of your child's tongue toward the back of the mouth. Help the child hold thermometer with their lips and fingers not teeth. Keep the lips sealed over the thermometer until it beeps. Check the digital reading.

Conclusions: Based on our observations, it is found that an average of temperature of both sides of axilla represents the axillary temperature more accurately and to get the correct oral equivalent of axillary temperature one should add 1 degree F to the mean axillary temperature.

Temporal artery thermometers.

These thermometers use an infrared scanner to measure the temperature of the temporal artery in the forehead. This type of thermometer can be used even while a child is asleep.

Rectal (in the anus) temperatures are the most accurate. Forehead temperatures are the next most accurate. Oral and ear temperatures are accurate if done properly. Armpit temperatures are the least accurate, but you can use this method to screen a child of any age.

A child older than three months who has a rectal temperature less than 102°F (38.9°C) and who is otherwise healthy and acting normally does not require treatment for fever. Caregivers who are unsure if their child's fever needs treatment should contact the child's health care provider.

A temporal thermometer will read at about 0.5 to 1 degree lower than an oral thermometer, so you need to add 0.5 to 1 degree to get what your temperature would read orally. For example, if your forehead temperature read as 98.5°F, you could actually have a low-grade fever of 99.5°F or higher.

Untreated fevers above 105.8 degrees F (41 degrees C) can be dangerous. If your body temperature reaches this level, your organs will begin to malfunction and will eventually fail.

What is the fever rule for children? ›

Infants younger than 3 months of age whose temperature reaches 100.4°F (38°C) or higher should be evaluated by a doctor because fevers in infants can indicate a serious illness. In kids between 3 months and 3 years of age, a fever of 102.2°F (39°C) or higher requires a call to your pediatrician.

Bundling a child who is less than three months old in too many clothes or blankets can increase the child's temperature slightly. However, a rectal temperature of 101°F (38.5°C) or greater is not likely to be related to bundling and should be evaluated.

Normal body temperature is around 98.6°F, though it may fluctuate slightly higher or lower throughout the day. A fever starts with any temperature that reaches 100.4°F or above. A temperature between 100.4°F and 102.2°F is considered a low-grade fever; a temperature above 102.2°F is considered a high fever.

Any serious symptoms occur such as trouble breathing. Fever goes higher than 104° F (40° C) Any fever occurs if less than 12 weeks old. Fever without other symptoms lasts more than 48 hours if age less than 2 years.

A child has a fever when the temperature is at or above one of these levels: 100.4°F (38°C) measured in the bottom (rectally) 99.5°F (37.5°C) measured in the mouth (orally) 99°F (37.2°C) measured under the arm (axillary)

There is no need to add or subtract a degree.

Kids 6 months to 3 years old: A rectal temperature is best, but you can use a temporal artery, ear, or axillary method. Kids 4 years or older: An oral temperature is best if child can properly hold the thermometer under the tongue. If not, you can use a rectal, temporal, ear, or axillary method.

In all cases, rectal temperatures are the most accurate. However, measurements of temperature in the mouth (for children older than 4 or 5 years) is accurate when done properly.

The best way to get reliable readings is by inserting a digital thermometer into the child's bottom (rectal temperature). You don't need to see a doctor or go to the hospital if the fever isn't that high. Only about 1 out of 100 children with fever have a serious medical problem.