Ear/underarm temp diff?
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Topic: Ear/underarm temp diff?
Posted By: Faraway
Subject: Ear/underarm temp diff?
Date Posted: 21 July 2007 at 9:59am
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Hi everyone I hope you can help me with this!
Last night we took Kaleb's temp with an underarm thermometer and it was 38.6 then took him to A&E and it was 38.7 with ear thermometer. I worried because it had risen after giving him pamol, but the nurse told me that the it would have been higher at home if we'd taken it with the same thermometer. SO... does anyone know what the temperature difference between underarm and ear is? (On my thermometer instructions it says there is a 0.5 difference between arm and oral so could it be the same?) Means poor little Kaleb probably had a temp of 39 before we took him 
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Replies:
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 21 July 2007 at 10:36am
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We took Andrew's this morning at 5.30am with both under his arm 39.1 and in his ear 38.4 . We gave him some pamol and then I checked it again at 7am and it was down to 37.4 underarm. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 21 July 2007 at 11:12am
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Kathryn, we got told the .5 difference is correct to go by when I asked the doctor the other day.
How is poor little Kaleb? Feeling better today I hope  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Faraway
Date Posted: 21 July 2007 at 12:32pm
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He's not feeding and not happy being held - really grizzly and even dummy isn't helping too much. To make matters worse he hasn't been poos in a couple of days except for a tiny bit yesterday. Plunket told me yesterday to put his coloxyl drops into some water but he isn't even taking that
Have just put him back into his cot and hopefully he'll drift off to sleep then might wake up hungry and take more than 20mls. Becks I think Kaleb's temperature would've been about 39.1/.2 before we took him to doc (not that they could do anything but I didn't want to not go...) and when we left at midnight last night it was 38.3 (ear) |
Posted By: Sarah Beth
Date Posted: 21 July 2007 at 2:16pm
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an ear thermoter is not acutlaly that accurate as you have to make sure you put it on a certain part of the inner ear which is hard to do on adults let alone infants. It is a good indication though.
Best way to get a temp is rectaly, but quite honestly who wants to do that to bubs! Hope things settle down for you son though Kathryn, I know how horrible it is to worry when they aren't well, hopefully it passes quickly ------------- "> 
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Posted By: Kels
Date Posted: 21 July 2007 at 9:04pm
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Yeah SB the ear thermometers are only accurate if you know how to use them correctly I hoope Kaleb is feeling much better. Its so awful having an unwell wee one. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Busy mum to Miss 15yrs, Miss 10yrs and Master 4yrs |
