Are Ear Thermometers Accurate??

I have had such problems with ear thermometers! We also bought a Braun after having another brand and neither works! I am too, still using a rectal thermometer. I don't know if there is an ear thermometer out there that works-but I certainly feel your frustration!

We have a Braun that we have used since my son was 1 and it is great! It has always been accurate for us. We purchased it at Babies R Us for around $30.

I was just recently at my daughter's doctor and he told me not to use the ear thermometer. The best is the rectal or under the arm, which isn't that accurate either. When my daughter was sick I took an ear temp and a rectal temp and the ear temp was off by 2 degrees! I guess is you do use it, add 1-2 degrees. I know it isn't fun taking it the other way but atleast it will be more accurate. I just give my daughter a toy to hold while I am taking it. Good Luck!

How much does it matter?

What you're looking for, rather than temperature, is signs of dire illness. A high temperature isn't necessarily a 'problem' in terms of health - but a relatively low temperature with a floppy, lethargic child who can't sit up to drink is. Delusional and hallucinating is a bad sign, but just having a temperature is the body's healthy response to fighting off germs.

Most medical professionals (after they ask for the number, they really are stuck on what they can write down, sometimes!) will readily admit that the appearance and behaviour of the child is far more important to the diagnosis than the number.

Frankly, an underarm reading, plus 2 degrees, is as accurate (with no risk at all of the always-deadly but rare 'rectal rupture' that is very difficult to achieve without a rectal thermometer -- in my opinion, that is way too much risk for a not-nearly-important-enough number!).

I never took my kids' temperature: I could tell when it was a bit elevated, and I could tell when it was a lot elevated. I didn't really need any additional information about the actual numbers.

I am an MA in busy Internal Med office and we have yet to find an accurate ear therm. They are always off by a couple of degrees, no matter how much $$ the docs spend on one! At home, I always rely on the digital rectal thermometer or axillary digital temp. (I prefer rectal until the kids are old enough to protest!!) IMO, there is too much at stake where my kids temps are concerned!
~L.

I have not found an ear thermometer i could rely on. I never got an accurate reading. It would say I was normal and then after resetting and trying again it would say i was burning up. I have found the forehead one to be more accurate.

Throw your ear thermometers away! They are not accurate. They measure the heat that bounces from the ear walls. If ther is 1 miniscule piece of wax or builup or even water in your childs ear it skews the results. As we all know the difference of 1 or 2 degrees makes a huge difference when it's your baby. Mercury themometers are not a good idea either. They break very easy and the mercury can be very hard to pick up and terrible for the health of everyone in the house (even in small amounts). Get a digital thermometer it can be used rectally or under the arm (add a degree).
Best of luck!

Lisa, I work in the health care field. Ear thermometers are not 100% accurate - even the ones used in the hospital. For day to day life it is fine. It does give you a rough idea and the difference in your children's temperatures could be just that - they are different. The average temperature. 98.6, that has been assigned to humans was done on a bunch of college age men - it does not take in to account that men, women, children and people in general are different. It's just a guideline. The rectal temp you took is the absolute most accurte. You can use a thermometer under the arm (axillary) too. I base where I take a childs temperature on how sick they appear. If a child is lethargic it's automatically done rectally. If they're still filled with lots of energy, either oral if they're old enough to hold it in their mouth or axillary.

I think a digital thermomether under the arm is the best way to take a childs temp. Ear thermometers are not as accurate.

I myself have never used ear thermometers on my children for the simple fact of friends and family say it doesn't work, and suggested I spend my money on a cheap thermometer that I can use under the arm or rectal. I have two boy's and with 4 year old I of course have to take the temp under his arm, with the 5 month old I take a rectal temp (always accurate!) With the arm temp I add a degree or 2 and go from there. As a mother use your best judgement and instinct and go with it when it comes to how they are feeling! hope all works out for you.

Not sure how old your DD is but they are definitely not accurate for children under 6 months.

We use an ear thermometer, not sure of the brand. It definitely isn't perfect but I like how it gives me a quick guideline. Often, I notice that if they are very off and I try again, the lower temp is usually higher. I assume it is because I didn't have quite a clear shot down the ear canal. So, I am pretty happy with it.

However, I just use it as a quick guideline and if I was ever concerned with a fever, I would back it up with taking a temperature in another method.

I am an RN and no ear thermometers are not accurate. The most accurate is a rectal thermometer and the next most accurate is underarm or axillary thermometer. Best of luck hope your kids are better.

Hi there, I also use a Braun ear thermometer and completely agree with you, the reading can be dramatically different sometimes. But I have learned there is a trick to it. I have learned to tug the ear a bit while putting in the tip of the thermometer in such a way that it is fit snuggly into the ear canal opening and pointing that direction also. When I do this, I get pretty accurate readings but for good measure I always take it about three times just in case (ex. right ear, left ear, right ear) and then take the average (because it usually varies slightly). It might not be an absolutely perfect reading but with a little practice, it is possible to learn to take readings that are not off by degrees anymore, but by small fractions at most. :)

Nope, I don't think the ear thermometer is accurate at all! Once my son was burning to the touch and the ear thermometer said his temp was 99. The rectal temp said 104. HUGE difference. He was almost a year old at that time. I realized the ear was totally inaccurate. I've tried practicing on myself because I heard there was some trick to pulling on the ear. Even in myself I will take it 3-4 times in a row and get huge variances. I would stick with a cheap walgreen/cvs digital thermometer. I will never trust the ear themometer again.

Hi Lisa,

I have never tried an ear thermometer but I have used a rectal thermometer on my kids when they were little. A rectal thermometer reads out about a degree or two higher than the actual temperature. You can also put the thermometer in the arm pit, hold it there for a few minutes and take the temperature in this manner. I hope you get some good responses from mothers who have used the ear type.
Good health to you and your family.

Grandma of 9