Instructions for the Digital Ear Thermometer for a Baby

Digital ear thermometers are very popular among parents, for taking a baby's temperature. Also called tympanic thermometers, they are considered less accurate than standard digital oral or rectal thermometers. With some practice, however, and when used only on babies older than 3 months, ear thermometers can give a parent a good idea of the child's temperature. Digital ear thermometers are commonly used with older babies, toddlers, children and adults in urgent care facilities, because of their ease of use. They are considered to be more comfortable for these patients.

Things You'll Need

• Digital ear thermometer

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Instructions

• 1

  Turn on the digital ear thermometer, according to the manufacturer's instructions. If necessary, or recommended by the manufacturer, clean and disinfect the thermometer.

• 2

  Place the tip of the thermometer gently into your baby's ear canal until the infrared probe is seated completely in the ear. Be careful not to apply more pressure than is necessary in placing the probe into the ear canal, to avoid serious injury. Follow the manufacturer's specifications for exact probe placement and ear canal depth.

• 3

  Press the "Read," "Temp" or any other type of probe activating button on the thermometer, as listed in the instructions.

• 4

  Keep the probe in the ear canal while it reads your baby's temperature. Wait for the thermometer to indicate that a reading has been recorded. This step may differ among products.

• 5

  Remove the thermometer from your baby's ear. Record the temperature reading from the digital thermometer display. If you receive an error message, consult the printed instructions.