Comparison of Three Methods of Taking Temperatures in the Well Baby Nursery

Body temperature measurement is one of the standard vital sign measurements in newborn
babies in order assess their health status. Temperatures are taken on a regular basis
throughout the newborn's stay on the well-baby floor. A temperature that is elevated above
the normal range for age or depressed below the normal range for age may be a sign of
illness in a newborn. There are many methods that may be used to record this temperature.
Traditionally, axillary (under the arm) and rectal (in the rectum) sites have been used.
Recently, a new method of temperature measurement has become available. Temporal artery
thermometers are a non-invasive method to measure the baby's temperature by means of a light
that is shone on the forehead that can read your baby's temperature quickly. It is not
clear whether this method is accurate in the newborn period.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of temporal artery temperature
measurement. This will be achieved by comparing the axillary measurement, rectal
temperature measurement, and temporal artery temperature measurement taken at approximately
the same time in each infant. These measurements will be compared to each other to
determine if temporal artery thermometry is as reliable a measurement as rectal and / or
axillary temperature measurements.

Hypothesis: Temporal artery thermometry of the immediate newborn infant is an accurate
measurement of temperature in this age group.