An accurate baby thermometer is very necessary to ensure you the peace of mind that your baby is all right. If the thermometer is not accurate, giving higher readings can give you unnecessary stress over baby’s health and lesser readings can delay your actions towards taking him to a doctor or giving medicines.

Baby thermometers are little different to the thermometers for the adults. There is no single baby thermometer which you can say best and instantly pick for your child. Best thermometer is the one which is most suitable for the age of your child and the needs of your child.

For a smaller child, less than 3 months old, a rectal baby thermometer is recommended. It is the most accurate for small babies and when your child has fever, the most important thing is to provide the accurate details ( temperature) to the doctor about the baby’s problem.

For a baby over 6 months an ear thermometer is chosed over the others. An ear thermometer is one which is used at the point of ear canal. The ear canal is grown sufficiently large to accomodate this thermometer upto this age and in this way a correct reading is obtained.

For a child of 4-5 years a normal thermometer, which is used by the adults, can be used.

The most important thing while chosing a thermometer for you child is how he reacts to different ones. The one most comfotable for him should be chosed and the one fidgeting him should be avoided.

There are most famously two types of thermometer available in the market –

1. The old glass (mercury) thermometer
2. Digital thermometer.

Glass thermometers are the very first commercialy made thermometers. They are still being used widely as they deliver a surity of accurate reading because of the transparent wall, direct method and the well known process of comparison to every one. Glass thermometers take some time to give final reading after contacting them to a body part. The readings have to be taken by comparing the height of the mercury column and the mathematical number at the similar height. That number is the body temperature of the child.

In a digital thermometer, the process is very much easier than the glass thermometer. Just switch on the thermometer, put it into the mouth or any other proper body part of the baby and leave it. After a while a beep sound will indicate that the final reading has been taken and you can read that reading directly on a digital screen on the thermometer. Only good quality digital thermometers should be used for the perfection of calculation.