Exergen Temporal Scanner with Smart Glow

I admit, this thermometer’s unique way of taking temps, with a swipe of the forehead, takes some getting used to. But with a baby who is now about to be potty trained, the typical method of checking for a fever had become even more awkward than learning the swipe technique. It’s hard enough to get a diaper on a squirming toddler let alone remove one to take a reading. And since fevers always seemed to be something I wanted to check on when it wasn’t time for diaper change, I was ready to try anything.

After the in-ear thermometer I borrowed from a friend was a bust, the Exergen arrived just in time. It’s the one our pediatrician uses, so that made me feel confident. Because it measures core body temp just like the rectal thermometer I was using, it’s been easy for me to translate the readings to know whether I can take my son to preschool or not. With a little practice , it’s become easy for me to check my son’s forehead temp, even at the breakfast table while he’s eating before school. He doesn’t have to sit still for long at all. And it’s actually super easy to reset the thermometer when your child grabs it and pushes all the buttons (which my son loves to do)… just hold the button to scroll all the way through, beep, beep, beep.

The Exergen’s new design means infant parents don’t have to choose between fever fears and letting baby sleep. Because you don’t want to wake a sleeping, possibly sick newborn, it has soft illumination for night readings and a silent mode. My advice: Because the first fever can be such a shock, I encourage registering for the Exergen Temporal Scanner and figuring it out by practicing on yourself and your partner before baby. You don’t want to be stressed about figuring out the swipe technique while you’re already worried about your new little one.

By Kendra Smith

Kendra Smith is Pregnancy magazine's editor in chief. Her son was born in December 2011 and she can hardly believe where the time went. In addition to her expertise on this exciting phase in a women's life, she's a big believer in all things green, from cars (she drives a hybrid) to composting (yes, even her son's diapers). As a licensed skin care professional, she also blogs about natural beauty at theskindetective.com.