ABSTRACT
Temperature is an important vital sign especially in neonates. Providing thermal comfort to baby is part of essential newborn care. The ideal temperature measurement method should be accurate, safe, noninvasive, time efficient, easy to operate and non-disturbing to baby. Mercury thermometers have been banned; rectal measurements are hazardous. Digital axillary thermometers although widely accepted, also have their limitations and sometimes produce questionable results in newborn. Infrared forehead thermometry is a promising tool with controversial results; hence this newer technology needs to be repeatedly tested and validated.METHODSThis is a prospective comparative study conducted in a tertiary care hospital situated in the hilly areas of Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. We simultaneously recorded three temperatures at three sites by different methods and different thermometers Forehead skin temperature was recorded in apparently normal newborns by INNOVA infrared thermometer and axillary temperature was recorded by digital thermometer and rectal temperature was recorded by mercury in glass thermometer.RESULTS260 newborns were included in the study. Data was analysed for correlation by Pearson r coefficient and for agreement by Bland-Altman method. A strong correlation was found between infrared forehead temperature and digital axillary temperature with a Pearson r of 0.826 and 0.801 between infrared forehead temperature and rectal mercury thermometer. Bland-Altman analysis of difference produced a mean difference of 0.49 and level of agreement of -1.67 and +2.65 when axillary digital and infrared forehead thermometry measurements were compared. Mean difference of 0.15 with level of agreement as -2.09 and +2.40 were obtained when rectal mercury and infrared forehead temperatures were compared.CONCLUSIONSAlthough a strong correlation of infrared skin thermometry was found with both axillary digital and rectal mercury temperature measurements. The level of agreement has a wide variation which is not clinically acceptable hence infrared forehead skin thermometry is not recommended for use in newborns.