My daughter has been sick on and off for the past three months. Yes, three months. It was her first winter at day care (things they don’t tell you when you decide to have kids!).
Between nasty coughs, runny noses and crankiness, I was constantly keeping an eye out for a high temperature. Which is totally fine when your baby or toddler is happy and willing to sit there while having the digital thermometer stuck in their ear for a few seconds. When they are sick, however, those few seconds are hours.
My ongoing dilemma was when she was sleeping. They say to never wake a sleeping baby. Well… you NEVER wake a sleeping, sick toddler. So there I was, hovering over my sleeping daughter, trying to figure out whether her forehead felt ‘high temperature’ hot, or just hot. Holding the thermometer and wondering whether to risk taking her temperature and wake her, or to just go lie in bed, wide awake, on Dr Google worrying what a high temperature (if she even had one) would mean.
I feel like I’m not alone. I feel like there are many parents out there who face this dilemma. In fact, research from Nurofen for Children shows that 83 percent of parents found it stressful measuring a child’s temperature and 79 percent of parents avoid measuring temperature to avoid disrupting their child’s rest.1
Which is why my jaw hit the floor when I discovered FeverSmart Temperature Monitor by Nurofen for Children. Why hadn’t anyone thought of this before? Where was this device at the start of the snotty nose season? Sure, it came towards the end of the germs (please don’t let me be speaking to soon), but at least I found it in time to give me peace of mind for those last few weeks (and at least I’m ready and prepared for the next round).
OK, so what is it? It’s this little Z-looking smart patch that’s designed for children from birth onwards2, and sticks to your child’s underarm, sending their temperature to your phone through the FeverSmart app.
The best bit: you don’t have to hover over your child while they sleep and you don’t have to risk waking them up to check their temperature. Once it’s stuck under their arm, you can’t feel it (I tried it on myself).
While it comes with an instruction manual (one that’s easy to read, not like the Allen Key flat packs) and a how-to video in the app (for those of us afraid of manuals because of the Allen Key flat packs), here is how you use it:
1. Firstly, it comes with everything you need - the FeverSmart Temperature Monitor, four adhesive patches, base station, instructions, a Digital Temperature Monitoring App download link and AA Batteries. I’ll say that again, you don’t even have to buy batteries.
2. Pop the batteries in the base station and place the monitor on the base station to charge (it comes pre-charged, but the instructions recommend you charge it for two hours on the first go).
3. Download the free FeverSmart app by Nurofen for Children from the Apple App Store or the Google App Store. To check if your phone is compatible with the app, visit feversmart.nurofen.com.
4. Create an account within the app, entering your details and your child’s details. The app then takes you through pairing the monitor to your smartphone using Bluetooth and gives you the option to view the how-to video.
5. Grab the monitor and apply one of the adhesive patches to the monitor, then unpeel the other side and apply it to your child’s underarm. The monitor takes about eight minutes to warm up (you’ll see this on your phone) and then will start sending continuous, accurate3 and fast temperature readings direct to your phone. Place the base station within 1.5m of your child, which helps to boost the signal to your phone. Your child’s arm does need to be down and covering the monitor for it to work and it’s recommended to use a new adhesive patch every 24 hours.
6. There is a setting on the app for it to notify you when you child’s temperature reaches the high range. Otherwise it just plods along recording their temperature for your records (which is really handy when you are at the doctors trying to remember when and what their last temperature was).
And what else?
You know how you have that scrap of paper with the scribbles of what medicine you gave when and when you need to give the next dose. The scrap of paper that you can never find? Forget about it, on the FeverSmart app you can record when you gave the dose and set a reminder for yourself of when the next does is due according to the instructions on the medicine pack.
Also...
You know how when you are sitting at the doctor and they ask you if you’ve noticed any symptoms and you answer with, “There was some coughing, I think, in the middle of the night, actually maybe more like 5am, but definitely coughing.” There’s an option within the app to record when certain symptoms occurred including a time.
Guaranteed your doctor will love you for having all this information.
Final thoughts:
While this device is a little bit of genius, you still need to check on your child while they have a high temperature and seek medical advice if you have any concerns.
What's your best tip for when a child has a temperature? Have you tried this? Share with us below.
This content was created with thanks to our brand partner Nurofen.
This post is a paid post by Nurofen for Children. Any information about non‐Nurofen for Children products is the opinion of the author.
1 RB Consumer Australia Study Colmar Brunton 2015. Data on file.
2 Do not use on babies who are premature, of low-birth weight or small for gestational age.
3 Accurate within ±0.2°C with correct usage. Environment factors and child's position may result in greater variance.
The FeverSmart Temperature Monitor by Nurofen for Children is an innovative digital thermometer and app that accurately3 & continuously tracks temperature, providing parents with temperature monitoring assistance. Appearing on-shelves from mid-November 2017 at Chemist Warehouse and most other pharmacies.
Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional.