A reader asks: My child (one-year-and-three-months old) was suffering from fever (39C) and vomiting. We took her to a doctor, who said that she has throat infection and gave her antibiotics and fever-reducing medicine.
But now, whenever we check her temperature, we get different readings from left and right ears. The right ear is showing 38C and the left is showing 38.7C. We purchased a new thermometer, but we still get same variance in temperature when we check left and right ears. We would like to know which temperature reading should be considered more accurate: right ear or left ear?
Dr Chaitanya Varma (Pediatrician, ASTER, Dubai) replies: The normal temperature in children is 36.4 degrees. However, fever is quite common in babies and small children. Ear thermometers use infrared thermometry to measure the temperature of the tympanic membrane. Based on the conditions of the ears, user technique and the probe readiness the temperature difference between both ears of the same person can range from 0.6 to 1.2 degrees Centigrade. It is recommended that only one ear; either the right or the left should be used to monitor the temperature during the fever period. If two immediate measurements of the same ear are also different then the higher of the two values can be taken as the temperature reading.
Try using a thermometer under the armpit of the child for a more accurate reading, instead of ear thermometer. However, certain circumstances can cause changes in the thermometer reading, such as if the child has been wrapped up tightly in a blanket, or placed in a very warm room, has been cuddling a hot water bottle, or is wearing a lot of clothes. In such cases, wait for the child’s body to cool down and take the child’s body temperature again after sometime.
Some babies and children get fever as soon as they have their routine vaccinations. These normally get cleared by themselves, but if they don’t then it is best to show the child’s doctor at the earliest. Children during fever can be a little irritable, so avoid getting angry at them and anything which can upset them, as this may increase the fever. Make sure that the child is drinking a lot of fluids and does not get dehydrated, as the child tends to feel thirstier during fever.
Disclaimer: This blog is a conversation and is not an alternative for treatment. The recommendations and suggestions offered by our panel of doctors are their own and Gulf News will not take any responsibility for the advice they provide.
