Infant and toddler health (6)
- Vaccines: Top 5 myths about childhood vaccines
- Thermometer basics: Taking your child's temperature
- Infant development: Speech milestones from birth to 24 months
- see all in Infant and toddler health
Newborn health (21)
- Baby bath basics: A parent's guide to newborn baths
- Crying baby: What to do when your newborn cries
- Feeding your newborn: What you need to know
- see all in Newborn health
Infant health (16)
- Sick baby? When to seek medical attention
- Infant formula: Which formula is right for your baby?
- Infant formula: 7 steps to prepare it safely
- see all in Infant health
Toddler health (10)
- Parenting tips for toddlers: Encouraging good behavior
- Child safety: How to prevent burns
- Child safety: How to prevent drowning
- see all in Toddler health
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Thermometer basics: Taking your child's temperature
The best way to take your child's temperature depends on his or her age and ability to cooperate. Understand thermometer options — and when to seek medical help for a fever.
By Mayo Clinic staffIf your child feels warm or seems under the weather, you should probably take his or her temperature. Sounds simple enough — but if you're new to it, you probably have a few questions. Which type of thermometer should you use? Is an armpit temperature good enough? Are the thermometer rules different for babies and older children? Here are answers to these questions and more.
Know your thermometer options
Years ago, a glass mercury thermometer was a staple in most medicine cabinets. Today, mercury thermometers have largely been replaced by digital thermometers.
Regular digital thermometers use electronic heat sensors to record body temperature, often in 30 seconds or less. Regular digital thermometers can be used in the mouth, armpit or rectum. Digital ear thermometers, also called tympanic thermometers, use an infrared ray to measure the temperature inside the ear canal. They're even quicker than regular digital thermometers, often measuring body temperature in just a few seconds. A digital pacifier thermometer is another option for young kids.
If you want to invest in a single thermometer for the entire family, a regular digital thermometer is probably best. If you'd like the option to use an ear thermometer or a pacifier thermometer, you might want to keep one of each on hand, too.
Age matters, too
The best type of thermometer — or the best place to insert the thermometer, in some cases — depends on your child's age.
- Birth to 3 months. For newborns, use a regular digital thermometer to take a rectal temperature. Lubricate the tip of the digital thermometer with petroleum jelly. Lay your baby on his or her back, lift your baby's thighs, and insert the lubricated thermometer one inch into your baby's rectum. Stop if you feel any resistance. Hold the thermometer in place until it beeps.
- 3 months to 4 years. For older infants and toddlers, you can use a digital ear thermometer or a digital pacifier thermometer. Carefully follow the instructions that came with your thermometer. You can also use a regular digital thermometer to take a rectal temperature or an armpit temperature. When you place the thermometer under your child's armpit, make sure it touches skin — not clothing. Hold the thermometer in place until it beeps.
- 4 years and older. By age 4, most kids can hold a digital thermometer under the tongue for the short time it takes to get a temperature reading. Place the tip of the thermometer under your child's tongue and ask your child to keep his or her lips closed. Remove the thermometer when it beeps. If your child has been eating or drinking, wait at least 20 minutes to take his or her temperature by mouth. If your child is too congested to breathe through his or her nose, you may need to take an armpit or rectal temperature — or use a digital ear thermometer.
(1 of 2)
