Taking temperature in a baby is not just in the hospital or clinics when you are in monthly check-ups. It is a part of your infant care responsibility as well. It is not as easy as taking temperature of an adult. Babies may not allow thermometers in their mouth and even if they do, it will be difficult to make them keep it still under their tongues for full two minutes, as infants do not have full muscle control to do so. They will only try to chew on the glass using their jaws and newly sprouted teeth and may even cause the glass to break, which can become a very dangerous situation with all the mercury inside their mouth. Here are tips to do it properly:

* An oral thermometer can be used over four years of age as they can put it under the tongue easily.

* Forehead strips are the easiest one to use on children and are easily available too but they are not trusted enough to get an exact reading. However, they are good for children who are a year old or older.

* Underarm temperature represents external body temperature, which may be lower than internal temperature and lead to false assumptions and diagnosis.

* While some people may prefer taking ear temperature, it can be a little challenging to place the thermometer right to get a good reading. It may also be hurtful to children who have ear infections.

* The best way to take a temperature in a baby is via rectal route. It is the recommended route to use. Rectal temperatures represent the body temperature most accurately too as the oral temperature may vary with the temperature of something the baby has just eaten or drunk.It can be taken for about 3-5 minutes.

* For taking rectal temperature, use digital rectal thermometer and apply petroleum jelly on it. Insert it one inch into the rectum and keep it there for about a minute or until the thermometer beeps. Remove the thermometer and note the reading. Babies may have a bowel moment just as you remove the thermometer from their rectum.