Best Rectal Thermometers

Comfort is important when choosing a rectal thermometer

Experts say rectal temperatures are the most accurate, especially for infants and babies. However, many parents are uncomfortable taking rectal temperatures with basic digital thermometers, fearful that they'll insert the probe too far. CBS' "The Early Show" features the Vicks Baby Thermometer V934 (Est. $20) in a segment that highlights the newest technologies. The rectal thermometer possesses a shorter probe tip for more comfortable insertion, reducing parent anxiety. This more user-friendly design has won design awards from the Infectious Diseases Society of America and from Medical Design Excellence Awards.

Another problem with taking infants' rectal temperatures with basic digital thermometers is the time it takes to obtain a reading, typically 30 to 60 seconds. Infants tend to squirm, making it stressful on both parent and baby to try to keep the baby still while taking their temperature. The Vicks Baby Thermometer, however, produces a measurement in just 10 seconds, and the soft, flexible tip is more comfortable for babies than the standard rigid probes.

The main concern cited with the Vicks Baby Thermometer is its round handle. While ergonomically designed to be held comfortably in an adult's hand, its shape lends to rolling on flat surfaces. This can lead to the tip coming into contact with tabletops, unless you're careful to disinfect it before putting it down -- easier said than done when you're dealing with a young, restless and possibly sick infant.

After your child turns 3, you'll need to find another digital thermometer that performs equally as well as the Vicks Baby Thermometer; this model is only recommended for infants and children through 3 years.

There are a few other thermometers with a similar short-probe design comparable to the Vicks Baby Thermometer, including The First Years American Red Cross 5-Second Rectal Thermometer (Est. $10) . This thermometer has one flat side on the handle, so it won't roll around on a tabletop like the Vicks Baby Thermometer. However, there are fewer owner-written reviews for this device, and feedback from parents is not as positive.

Among about 20 owners posting reviews to Amazon.com, for instance, about three-fourths of reviewers give it a 1-star rating. Reviewers like the flat-handle design, although they say this thermometer gives an error message more often than an actual reading. When it does offer a measurement, it varies widely between consecutive uses.

One parent even notes obtaining a reading of 105.9 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to a reading of 99 obtained using two different thermometers. When it comes to taking an infant's temperature, parents demand accuracy -- and the Vicks Baby Thermometer performs better in this regard.