Dr Spock and rectal temps

Yes. My mom had the book and I remember sneaking looks at the baby OTK with the rectal thermometer in his bottom. Interesting thing is if I remember correctly, Dr. Spock recommended rectal temps to age 5-6. However, it our household, rectal temps were the norm. Last time from my mom at 17. I do remember reading the description on how to do, the type of thermometer. Once in puberty, if I looked at the book, I would get hard.

Although I don’t remember the book being by Dr. Spock, my grandmother had a book that I quite enjoyed reading. Similar to the Dr. Spock books, it had two drawings of a baby with a thermometer in his butt. In one drawing, he was on his tummy across a woman’s lap; in the other, he was on his back with his knees brought up in diaper position. I remember sharing the drawings with my cousins and friend. I even had the page number memorized.

I remember my mother having this book on our bookshelf, and I can remember her referring to it at times. It recommended rectal temps for children 6 and under. Mom went well beyond that age for us.

Wasn't Spock that said "Live long and Prostate" ?

😃

Za

My mother had a French copy of Dr Spock's book and refered to it when she had any issue with my, her first and only chlid then. She said she enjoyed the common sense philosophy of the book.

As a teenager, I allready had my rectal temperature fetish and was facinated by the pages on the subjet. Later, I appreciated Dr Spock's liberal approach on masturbation.

My Mom had the book. She read and used it. She didn't always agree with his views. It was a good medical book for it's time. People thought DR. Spock hung the moon. He was right for his era. medicine has come so far now it's wonderful. So much tech now. Better than ever before. Mom come to think of Dr. Spock as a dino.I agree now as well. I agree to some degree based on my medical exam's etc. But think just like with most anything time passed him by.

Ok---Let's leave the Nanny State briefly and talk sense. Whether its the "old style " glass or the 21st century electronic version--a rectal reading is the most accurate. I disagree that a 3 or 4 yr.old child is "too old" for a rectal thermometer.Most 3--4 yr.olds are in physical hyper drive--unless they are sleeping. Keeping a oral thermometer in place for even 1 minute is pure luck. Many 5 to 7 yr old quasi--"hyper" boys would not pass a 1 minute mouth closed test either.I'll say: Age 8 for oral temp . If the child is really ill or "sick--in--bed" then the rectal thermometer is employed whether he/she likes it or not.

OK, yes, the rectal temperature is a more accurate measurement of core temperature than oral or axial or temporal or whatever... but for 90% plus of instances it doesn't have to be accurate. In most cases a hand on the forehead and "you're hot... get something to drink and get to bed" is really as accurate as you need.

Just like sure, you can weigh out the flour for your cookies to the milligram, but in most cases you're just fine putting it in a measuring cup and leveling it off.

Dr. Spock was a social progressive, who brought pediatric care and child psychology out of the dark ages. The late 50's, and early 60's saw so many cutting edge developments in science and culture. The world saw more changes during that decade alone, than the past hundred years prior. Rectal temps. continue to be the most accurate, but the social norms have made them a relic. Interesting how far we've come. (Lol).

It seems that every family had a copy of Dr. Spock's book.

People point out social differences between now and then: it's less acceptable nowadays to have children submit to invasive procedures.

I think another difference is the use of electronic thermometers. Taking an oral temperature with a glass thermometer meant having a child hold the thermometer under the tongue for several minutes. If improperly held in the mouth the temperature may be underestimated. Try asking a child to do this, it may or may not work. It's safer to take it in the rectum. In contrast, an electronic thermometer does not need such extensive periods of holding.

When I grew up in France, rectal temperatures were used for everybody in many families, including mine; they were also the norm in hospitals. However, and that's something I've never seen mentioned in American contexts, out of decency, children old enough and adults were asked to take their own temperature unless incapacitated. This also reduces risks of injury.

(On a similar note: I used to give paracetamol/acetaminophen in suppository form to my children when they were very young because often they would fight and spit out the oral version, meaning I did not even know what dose was actually absorbed. Curiously, they accepted the suppository much more easily.)

OK, yes, the rectal temperature is a more accurate measurement of core temperature than oral or axial or temporal or whatever... but for 90% plus of instances it doesn't have to be accurate. In most cases a hand on the forehead and "you're hot... get something to drink and get to bed" is really as accurate as you need.

Just like sure, you can weigh out the flour for your cookies to the milligram, but in most cases you're just fine putting it in a measuring cup and leveling it off.

This is so true (or so I've learned). Apparently, the whole "98.6" as being normal was really just terrible, terrible science. Unreliable thermometers were used, many that couldn't distinguish the temperature to that level of significance, and other mistakes. Great listen if you're interested:

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/bad-medicine-part-1-story-98-6/

Once you're sick with a fever and they need to monitor you to see if it gets better or worse, it seems like accuracy is important. Even then though, I'd imagine oftentimes it's a matter of consistency -- you have a fever of 101...101.5...102.3... [it's getting worse] ... 103.0...101.8...100.6 [fever's broken]. Whether you're using oral, axillary, or rectal temps, it's more important to continue using the same method than for the number to be accurate to a tenth of a degree!

Gflin: Right. It probably matters more if one wishes to detect ovulation, which manifests itself by small changes in temperature.

Mom had a copy of Dr Spock's book.