Baby care - taking your baby's temperature
Almost every baby gets a fever during his first year. Remember that fever is a sign of infection somewhere in the body. It's really a good thing, because it lets you know that your baby's body is fighting off the infection.
The best way to check your baby's temperature is to do so with a rectal thermometer. (Older children...by about four or five years of age...can have their temperatures taken orally.) A rectal thermometer is the kind with the short, round bulb.
Here's how you take your baby's temperature rectally:
1. Shake the thermometer down until it reads below 96 degrees. Hold it on the end opposite the bulb between your fingers and snap your wrist. (Watch out that you don't hit anything...they break very easily!) To read the thermometer, roll it slowly back and forth as you're holding it steady, until you see the indicator column down the center of the thermometer near the bulb end.
2. Rub the bulb end with rubbing alcohol, or soap and water, and rinse it.
3. Lubricate the bulb end of the thermometer with a little petroleum jelly.
4. Place your baby tummy-down across your lap, or on a firm surface like a changing table, even the floor.
5. Press the palm of one hand against your baby's back, right above his bottom. This should hold him in place.
6. Use your other hand to insert the thermometer into the anal opening. Be careful to only insert it about one-half to one inch. Hold the thermometer in place for two minutes before removing it and reading it. Talk to your baby to calm and distract him.
If the reading is above 100.4 degrees, your baby may have a fever. Check again in 30 minutes and if his temperature is still high, be sure to talk with your baby's doctor about what steps to take next.
You and your baby will certainly get to know your baby's doctor during her first year of life. That's because you'll be seeing him (or her) on a regular basis for check-ups.
Your baby's doctor probably checked your baby at the hospital, soon after his birth. Your baby's health will continue to be checked as he grows, with visits at about 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. These check-ups are to make sure your baby is growing and developing like he should. They're also a great time for you to ask questions.
Your baby's doctor will measure your baby's growth by weighing him and by measuring his length. Usually these measurements are noted on a growth chart, so you can see where your baby is in terms of how his growth compares to the averages.
Other areas your baby's doctor will check include his head and soft spot (to see that it's closing properly), his ears and eyes and mouth, his heart and lungs, his abdomen, his (or her) genital area, and his hips and legs. Your baby's doctor will also talk with you about your baby's development...for instance, if he's starting to smile, roll over, or so on.
Another important reason for your baby's regular check-ups is to keep his immunizations up to date. Your baby should receive most of these childhood immunizations before his second birthday. When he does, he's protected against ten major diseases: polio, measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella (German measles), whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, tetanus, Haemophilus (Hib) infections, and Hepatitis B. |
