Cool as a Cucumber
Written: Dec 23 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: inexpensive and non-toxic
Cons: not accurate enough to be the only thermometer in the house
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| rivotter's Full Review: Forehead Fever Thermometer |
With two kids, and elderly mother-in-law and two parents in the house, any
ordinary "first-aid" item gets quite a work out in our house. After watching my kids (now aged 7 & 12) break two glass mercury thermometers while shaking them down, I decided that we needed something simpler and less expensive in the house. (Mercury is fascinating and VERY POISONOUS, so the possible health hazard of broken thermometers sent me through the roof!)
The solution - these Gerber brand "fever strips." They are perfect for those times when your kids claim to feel "hot all over" and look like they have an earache or the flu. (Of course we all know that some of their claims have more to do with upcoming math tests than with viruses!) My mother-in-law is inclined to kiss the little darlings' foreheads, but that just seems like another opportunity for her to catch the flu, too. With her pushing 78, adding her to the infirmary is not on my to-do list. So I insist the kids take their own temps with Gerber fever strips.
The Gerber Forehead Fever Thermometer is about the size of those magnetic strips you can get at craft stores to make refrigerator magnets. They are thin and flexible. The display "lights up" in color with the temperature of the forehead on which you place it after less than a minute. The technology behind it is basically like that of a mood ring -- the color changes to indicate the amount of heat detected. You can even entertain a cranky but not seriously ill child by standing him in front of the bathroom mirror to watch the colors change while he holds the fever strip on his forehead. (Yes, even sick kids need a little lift every now and then.)
I have to admit, though, that these are not the most accurate thermometers in the household. I would not recommend that you use them for a very young infant, who might have trouble maintaining his or her body temperature. I also would not recommend them for a child or adult who is lethargic and not responding, or feels very hot and dry to the touch. We DO keep old fashioned glass and mercury thermometers in the house for those times when accuracy is a must. If anyone registers 100 degrees or more on the Gerber, I immediately go for the "under-the-tongue" routine with the real thing. Fortunately, this rarely happens, so the kids can participate in their own care by taking their own temps with the Gerber "fever strips."
The advantages of the Gerber "fever strips" are:
* the low price
* they are unbreakable
* they are easy to read with no training
* they are non-toxic and unbreakable
The disadvantages are:
* they are not as precise or accurate as other thermometers
* they are easy to lose since they take up very little space
Even so, they are a good item to have in your medicine cabinet, and even in your first-aid kit.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rivotter
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Member: Beth
Location: Silver Spring MD
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 40 members
About Me:
Avg public servant, Sunday school teacher and mom-in-mini-van.
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