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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Reliability of parent-measured axillary temperatures.
Melissa Klein1, Thomas G DeWitt
1Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnett Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. melissa.klein@cchmc.org
Parental axillary temperature measurements in children are reliable for assessing fever. This study found a high correlation between readings taken by parents and healthcare professionals, supporting its use in medical management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Clinical Thermometry
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Fever is a frequent pediatric symptom requiring accurate temperature assessment.
- Evaluating the precision of parental temperature readings is crucial for appropriate medical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of parental temperature measurements in children.
- To determine the reliability of axillary temperature readings taken by parents compared to trained staff.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 38 children (25 afebrile, 13 febrile) from outpatient settings.
- Measured rectal temperatures by staff, followed by axillary temperatures by staff and parents.
- Utilized ANOVA and paired t-tests for statistical comparisons, including Pearson's correlation coefficients.
Main Results:
- Rectal temperatures were consistently higher than axillary measurements, though differences varied.
- A strong positive correlation (r = .86-.96) was observed between parent and staff axillary temperature readings.
Conclusions:
- Parental axillary temperature measurements demonstrate reliability.
- Findings support the use of parental axillary temperature reports in clinical decision-making.
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