When a child starts to feel or act sick, the first thing most parents do is pull out the thermometer and take the little one's temperature. However, getting an accurate temperature on an infant or small child means removing the diaper and getting a reading via rectum, which is never easy on an already miserable child. In fact, learning to take a rectal temperature is one of the many tricks new parents must master.

"We always check our son's temperature whenever we think he feels hot to the touch," says Matt Kraycar, a dad from Bluffton, S.C. "But getting a rectal temp is never fun."

The task of managing a wiggly infant while taking a rectal temperature is something that many parents look to avoid by purchasing an alternative type of thermometer. Today, thermometer technology has advanced far beyond the slender glass stick thermometers filled with mercury. Parents can choose from numerous high-tech thermometers with digital readings, alarm signals and even infrared sensors. And the new thermometers go in ears, mouths and under arms – everywhere but in the rear!

However, parents often question the accuracy of these different thermometers available on the market. Is a rectal temperature still the gold standard in accuracy? And how important is an accurate temperature reading?

Fever is one of the body's natural defense mechanisms. It helps the body fight infection and overcome illnesses. But at the same time fevers make people miserable, especially babies.

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