What is a temperature?

Temperature is a measurement of how hot the inside of the body is.  Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees F or 37 degrees C. Your child’s  temperature may be higher when she is sick.

Accurately determining your child’s temperature is important in managing her illness.

The best way to tell whether your child has a fever is to take her temperature with a thermometer.

Touching your child’s skin or forehead may not tell you whether she  has a fever because her skin can be cool to the touch even though the  inside of her body is very warm.

How should I take my child’s temperature?

By rectum (age 4 and under)

The most reliable way to get an accurate reading on your baby’s temperature is to take it rectally with a digital thermometer.

• Shake the thermometer so that the mercury (silver line) is below the numbers.

• Lubricate the silver tip of the thermometer with Vaseline®.

• Lay your child on her stomach and spread the buttocks so that the  rectum is visible. Alternatively, you can lay your child on her back and  lift up her legs by the ankles so the rectum is visible.

• Insert the thermometer into the rectum about 1/2 – 1 inches with a slight downward direction.

• Hold the thermometer in place for 2 minutes.

• Remove the thermometer and wipe off the lubricant. Read the degree  of the temperature exactly where the mercury (silver line) stops.

• Temperature above 100.4 degrees F or 38 degrees C is a fever.

• It is easy to confuse 100.4 degrees and 104.0 degrees. Visit our refresher on how to read a thermometer.

By mouth (age 4 and over)

• Make sure your child has not eaten or drunk anything for several minutes before you take her temperature.

• Shake the thermometer so that the mercury (silver line) is below the numbers.

• Place the silver tip of the thermometer under your child’s tongue.

• Have your child close her lips around the thermometer. Be careful that she does not bite down on the thermometer.

• Keep the thermometer under your child’s tongue for 2-3 minutes.

• Remove the thermometer and read the degree of temperature exactly where the mercury (silver line) stops.

• A temperature of 100.4 degrees F or 38 degrees C is considered a fever.

• It is easy to confuse 100.4 degrees and 104.0 degrees. Please refer to the how to read a thermometer page.

If your child has a fever, use a fever-reducing medication. Take your  child’s temperature every 2-4 hours until the fever is controlled.

Use acetaminophen (Tylenol®, Tempra®, or Panadol®) or ibuprofen  (Advil®, Motrin®) for fever, pain, and discomfort. Avoid ibuprofen,  however, if your child is dehydrated or is not eating or drinking well.

Follow the package instructions to determine the appropriate dose by your child’s WEIGHT or age for acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Warning signs – Call our office for advice if:

Your child is less than 6 months old and has a temperature above 100.4 degrees F, Call Our Office Now.

Your child is older than 6 months and has a temperature above 102.5 degrees F, Call Our Office Now.

The thermometer breaks while taking your child’s temperature, Call Our Office Now.

Your child has any signs of dehydration such as no tears while  crying, dry lips and mouth, fewer wet diapers (around 6 per day is  normal), or sunken eyes, Call Our Office Now.

You have any questions or concerns, or if you have any doubts about the severity of your child’s symptoms, Call Our Office Now.