Thermometer - Mesa, AZ

The ear thermometers work pretty good if you position it correctly. I was hearing on the radio the other day about a new strip thermometer that you put on their forehead. It's supposed to take just a few seconds. I didn't catch the name, though. Sorry.

When my daughter was at the hospital with her broken arm, they took her temp with something pointed at her bellybutton. I found this on an internet search: Kidz-Med® Thermofocus® Non-Contact Clinical Thermometer. It says its infared and you point it at their forehead. It might be useful for when you wonder if they feel hot, but I think if your child is truly sick, your doctor will still want an honest temp taken under the tongue or even rectally if their young enough.

I have one of the thermometers that you use on the forehead. Exergen temporal scanner infared thermometer. So long as you do it proper it is very accurate and very easy... My girls actually like to have their temp checked! I got mine at Sam's Club (cheapest) but you can also get it at wal-mart and various other places. I have noticed that going from the center to I think the left side does tend to be more accurate. I recommend double checking which side when you are sure that your kid has a fever, (the side that is higher is the more accurate side then). The ped we go to uses it too but honestly... they don't do it right... they only do it behind the ear... the way you are supposed to do it is start mid forehead, holding the button down, then draw it across to the temple. If the person is sweating from the fever or for any reason (moisture can lower the reading and make it inaccurate) then while still holding the button you put it behind the ear for a moment. Sometimes kids are wiggly so it can take a few tries but usually its easy to do it and you can even do it when they are asleep without disturbing them. This thermometer is wonderful! It is expensive but you can usually get a $5 rebate maybe ask your ped about one. Believe me it is worth it to get it! You can check things out at http://www.exergen.com/ Good luck getting the right thermometer for you. And God Bless!
p.s. They recommend not using an ear one for the first few years because they are not as accurate for the little ears.

I love the forehead therm. It is fast and easy and very accurate.

We use an ear thermometer and I love it. It only takes a few seconds. My kids think it is so cool, that we have to do both ears. I think I paid around $50, but I assume it should last a lifetime.

We've had great luck with a forehead thermometer. It's very accurate - I tested it against a traditional mercury thermometer when we go it. I felt even better about it when our Dr.'s office started using the same one. My toddler is not one to stay still either, but will stay still long enough for this thermometer to do the job. Ours is the Exergen Temporal Scanner. The friend who bought it for us did a lot of research on it beforehand and it had very good ratings. It's gone down in price recently too - around $30-$40 instead of the $50-$60 it was three years ago.

A well meaning friend bought me one of those in the ear thermometers (but my kids screamed like I was trying to suck their brains out when I used it).
I used to sneak and do rectal ones while they slept (but that felt weird...taking off their pants when they were asleep...weirder as they got older)

My pediatrician uses one that you swipe across the forehead but I don't know if they sell those over the counter or not.

What we finally settled on were digital strips that stick on their foreheads and project the temperature (they sell tham at Walgreens). The boys liked wearing them when they were sick. If it read a certain temperature they got to do certain things...this helped with medication as well. They took their medicine to bring down fevers willingly if they could watch the numbers change on their foreheads (101...they got an organge juice smoothy...100...they got to sit up and watch a movie...99...they could have a sucker etc.)

Good luck.

We have 3 types. The traditional, the ear, and the temporal. I like the ear one the best. I find it to be more accurate as the child doesn't have to sit as still as when using the temporal. Also, it is easier for them to swat away the temporal and that messes you up.

Hi Sammy,

We have the ear one and the one you swipe on the forhead. My friend, who is a nurse, says the forhead one is the most accurate so I use that one most often. My daughter however, likes the ear one better and is very cranky when I do the one you swipe on the forhead. I got the forhead one at Costco or Sam's club but I am sure they sell them at Walmart too.

Hi Sammy,

I have a thermometer that I use for my 3 year old son and it works GREAT!! It is Exergen-Temporal Scanner 2000C (it works by going across the forehead and sliding it either to the right or left). Its something like they use at the doctor's office. I got it at Walgreens. Its more accurate than the one that you would use in the ear. I hope that this helps!

I. K.