1 Insert thermometer
Assess result
1 Find pulse
2Assess result
70 FAMILY ILLNESS
Assessing symptoms
( children)
When a child is not well, temperature, pulse, and breathing rate are important symptoms to assess. To monitor your child’ s growth, use the height and weight charts( opposite) to assess whether he or she is within normal ranges.
MEASURING BODY TEMPERATURE
1 Insert thermometer
• Place a digital thermometer under the tongue( for a child over 7) or under the armpit and leave it until you hear it“ beep,” indicating that it has measured the temperature.
• Insert the tip of an aural thermometer into the ear. The reading is taken in 1 second.
2
Assess result
• For a mouth or ear reading, a result above 100.4 ° F( 38 ° C) indicates a fever.
• For an armpit reading, a result above 99 ° F( 37.4 ° C) indicates a fever.
Hold the digital thermometer securely in place
TAKING A PULSE
1 Find pulse
• For a baby, place two fingers on the inner side of the arm, halfway between the elbow and the armpit.
• For a child, place your fingers on the inside of the wrist, just below the base of the thumb.
2Assess result
• Count the number of beats you can feel in one minute.
• A rate of around 140 beats per minute is normal for a baby,
120 per minute for a toddler, and 100 per minute for an older child.
• Note the quality of the pulse: if it is regular or irregular, strong or weak.
Find a pulse on the inside of the arm