Author Archive
Jan 15, 10 | Posted by: David Melbye, M.D.
What kind of thermometer should I use?
Everyone should have at least one thermometer in their house, the question is which kind? There is actually a pretty simple answer to this question, a digital electric thermometer. What about mercury, ear and temporal scan thermometers? Let’s go through those one by one.
I don’t think a lot of people have glass mercury thermometers anymore, but if you have one you should get rid of it because it can break and release hazardous amounts of mercury into the air. Remember how our parents thought it was cool to watch the mercury beads roll around in a bowl? Sometimes I wonder how any of us survived.
A lot of people have ear thermometers which if used correctly can be reasonably accurate. The problem is if your child’s ear canal isn’t perfectly straight, has any ear wax or if the sensor isn’t at the right angle with the ear drum because your kid is squirming around the reading will be incorrect. So they may be accurate according to the box, but in reality they are very rarely used correctly and do not give an accurate reading.
Temporal Scan thermometers are relatively new so their reliabilty has yet to be verified. According to the companies that make them, the major “benefit” of the temporal scan thermometer is that they are easy to use when your kid is asleep. My response to the would be why in the world would you check your kids temperature while they are sleeping? You should leave them alone and go to bed yourself.
So you should have 2 digital electric thermometers in your house, one labeled “rectal” to use on anyone 3 and under and one labeled “oral” to use for anyone 4 and older. You should wash your themometers with lukewarm soapy water or rubbing alcohol and rinse them with cool water in between uses. You should also make sure not to get them mixed up…
Dec 8, 09 | Posted by: David Melbye, M.D.
Board Games
Now that the weather is taking a turn for the worse, I guess it had to happen, we are going to be spending more time indoors. The good news is “Uncle Mike” got us some board games for Christmas last year that my four year old and I love to play. Her two favorite games are Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. The bad news is, I never win. It really is uncanny, she beats me about 90% of the time, and I’m not letting her win. I mean I understand how my “spinner” skills could have eroded over the years which would explain my complete inability to compete in Chutes and Ladders, but Candyland is just the luck of the draw right? Most of the time when we play Chutes and Ladders I am somewhere between square 15 and 25 when Kate is spinning to win. At least in Candyland I will occasionally be near Princess Frostine when I lose. The best part is after she wins she will write both our names on a piece of paper and then says, “Look, I circled Kate and crossed off Dad.” I have no idea where she came up with that idea. Thankfully she never acts like that around other kids or her Mom, or sister, or anyone else really. I think she just likes to beat me. She’s pretty much the New York Yankees of board games in our house. If you are looking for a fun indoor activity this winter I would recommend board games, as long as you don’t mind losing…
Share with us your favorite board or indoor game.
Aug 31, 09 | Posted by: David Melbye, M.D.
Are you ready for some Football?
The football season is underway for most teams. If your child is playing football remember that it is a safe sport as long as the proper protective equipment and pads are used. Unfortunately injuries can still occur, and one of the more serious of these are concussions. We have learned a lot more about concussions in the past few years and they are now receiving the concern and caution they deserve. More »
Aug 2, 09 | Posted by: David Melbye, M.D.
Transitioning to Whole Milk
Turning one is a big milestone for kids (and parents) and among other things it is also the time to start the transition to drinking whole milk. There are a number of different ways to go about it, but this is the strategy I recommend. More »
Jun 23, 09 | Posted by: David Melbye, M.D.
Summer is here, now it’s too warm!
I guess we can file this in the “be careful what you wish for” category. Everyone wants to be outside during the summer, but heat advisories need to be taken as seriously as the dreaded cold and wind chill advisories. More »
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