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33 years
Plz i need to know about the ear thermometer for kids It gives me a 38.4 c but the rectale thermometer gives me 37.7 Which one i have to believe? ??
Nov 8, 2015

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
Well, this very much depends on the age of your child and the way you are placing the thermometer probe in the ear canal. You see, ear thermometers measure the temperature of the body by reading the infrared heat coming from the eardrum. The use of this category of thermometers is not recommended in babies under the age of 6 months because the readings are usually less than accurate. If the child is older than 6 months, then you need to make sure that you are properly placing the thermometer probe into the ear canal. There is still the possibility of excess ear wax which makes the temperature reading incorrect. So preferably, stick to the rectal thermometer.
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