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Testing a Liquid Crystal Visual Thermometer Device in Newborns and Young Infants
Bolanle Aishat Kasali1,2, Jennifer Udeogu1,2, Anna Strauss1,2
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Cureus
|June 26, 2025
Summary
A modified thermometer strip for infant temperature monitoring showed poor accuracy in a study of 40 infants. Further development is needed to ensure reliable temperature readings for newborns, especially in low-resource settings.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Medical device development
- Global health
Background:
- Severe neonatal jaundice is a significant cause of infant mortality and disability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Filtered sunlight phototherapy (FSPT) is a viable treatment but requires precise temperature monitoring to prevent hyperthermia or hypothermia.
- Current temperature monitoring methods are challenging to implement in LMICs due to limited healthcare staff and caregiver training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy and usability of a modified Liquid Crystal Thermometer Device (LCTD) strip for measuring infant temperatures.
- To assess the device's effectiveness for caregivers and healthcare providers in monitoring infant temperature, particularly for hyperthermia detection.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 40 infants (0-6 months) at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
- Comparison of LCTD readings with standard of care digital thermometer measurements at five time points over two hours.
- Analysis of LCTD strip photos by caregivers and research assistants to determine agreement and accuracy.
Main Results:
- The modified LCTD showed an average agreement of 64% between all readers (caregivers and researchers) and standard of care temperatures.
- Caregiver accuracy was 65%, while research assistant accuracy was 63%, with a slight bias towards higher temperature readings among researchers.
- A methodological adjustment did not significantly improve the overall agreement rate (63.5%).
Conclusions:
- The modified LCTD did not demonstrate sufficient correlation with digital thermometer readings for reliable infant temperature monitoring.
- Further modifications are necessary to enhance the device's accuracy and usability for managing neonates, especially under FSPT.
- A gap persists in providing accessible and reliable temperature monitoring tools for caregivers in resource-limited settings.
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