Need a Good Ear Thermometer

I use an ear thermometer with my dd and I've never had a problem. You do have to make sure that you stick it in the ear though. I was told that ear thermometers are not accurate in children under 3. When my dd was sick and had to be taken to the ER, the ear temp at home and the rectal temp at the hossy were exactly the same. I use this one http://www.bebesounds.com/products_lightedthermometer_des...,

I work on the medical equipment in a hospital and I will tell you that the ear thermometers are hard to use correctly, and something as simple as being dropped can cause the thermometer to lose its accuracy. We have to check accuracy on them every six months (or less if the department calls us because the don't think they are reading right) and almost always have to re-calibrate them during those checks. I use a temporal thermometer at home. These are much tougher, and calibration is almost guaranteed for up to 5 years on some brands.

Our doctors in the emergency room call ear thermometers "random number generators", and in my experience that's pretty much what they are. There are so many factors that can change the reading, from the angle you hold them at in the ear canal to the amount of wax in the child's ear, that none of our doctors will trust an ear thermometer reading. If you REALLY want to know what a small child's temperature is, I hate to tell you but rectal is the way to go. Sorry... I know nobody likes to stick a thermometer up their baby's rear.

Use a forehead one like they use in the doc offices. Ear ones are not accurate for kids under age 3 or even 4. They are very hard to use accurately due to the angle and size of a baby's/toddler's ear canal.

We use a temporal scan thermometer that seems to be very accurate and it is very easy. It costs about $30 at Walmart and even allows us to check my daughter's temperature while she sleeps. My daughter hates having her ears touched.

I paid over $50 for an ear thermometer (I had always wanted one but could never afford one)... just to find out I couldn't even get it to work right! It is totally inaccurate (even the nurses I spoke to agreed that they are not accurate) and I would get a different reading every time. I agree with the last post ~ I was recommended the Vick's Speed Read from a dear friend and I absolutely love it! It is FAST and accurate! (like 8 seconds fast) It also changes color to let you know immediately if it is a low grade fever, high fever, or normal.

I agree with Christina & Debbie. My ped. told me that because a small child's ear canal isn't straight and the ear thermometers need to bounce off the ear drum, it will never get an accurate reading. My doctor's office now uses those thermometers that scan across the forehead and like them as well as those that they've used under arm. Expensive, but could be worth it.

According to some recent studies done on ear thermometers, they miss fevers up to half the time. I would recommend just using a digital thermometer under the arm, and add one degree to the reading. For instance, say the thermometer stops at 99.0, then the actual temperature would be 100.0.

D.

I am 31 and have been married almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer - it's $50 at Babies R Us and drugstore.com...but I got it from WalMart for $30. It's quick...easy...painless. I love it! My daughter (who is 2) actually likes it too...she wants to do it :-) When you read the product description you understand why it's so effective :-)

I have been told over and over by several different doctors that all the commercial ear thermometers are not accurate until the child is 3. It would be good for your oldest. I talked to my pediatricians and got their input. Your best bet would be to ask their doctors.

I have never had a good experience with these. I wouldn't waste the money on it - stick to a good underarm/rectal, I love my vick's speed read - they are cheap and while not always fun to use - they are much more accurate - taking the ear temp is easy to mess up. I bought one and anytime I used it I didn't trust it so I would end up using the underarm one anyway. Something you might consider instead - they're also expensive, but I believe more accurate and easy to use is a the kind you rub over their forehead and then around the ear - that's what our peds office uses.