How to Take Your Baby's Temperature There are three main methods
for taking a baby's temperature: in the ear, in the armpit or
rectally. Using an oral thermometer isn't recommended until a
child is 4 or 5 years old (they're too squirmy before that).
Rectal temperature tends to be the most accurate, but we'll look
at all three methods. Ear and Forehead Thermometers The ear
thermometer is a quick method to take a baby's temperature, but
it also requires the most practice. Unless you get the sensor in
the baby's ear exactly right, you won't get an accurate reading
(it takes a few tries to get the hang of it). Ear thermometers
can't be used on babies younger than 3 months, because their ear
canals are too tiny. Once you're able to consistently get
accurate readings, an ear thermometer can be very reliable. The
forehead scanning thermometers are digital and fairly easy to
use on babies, but can be less accurate than the ear
thermometers. Forehead thermometer measurements are comparable
to an oral temperature from