title: Accuracy of infrared thermometers in very low birth weight infants and impact on newborn behavioural states.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the impact on newborn behavioural states and accuracy of three infrared thermometers compared with digital axillary thermometer measurements in very low birth weight infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-centre prospective observational study. Preterm infants born <1500-g birth weight were eligible. Infants were observed for pre-measurement behaviour state using a five-point neonatal behaviour observation tool. One infrared temperature was taken from each of the devices, followed by an axillary measurement. Further behaviour-state observations were recorded following infrared and axillary measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred measurements were collected from each infrared device among a cohort of 42 very low birth weight infants. Only one infrared device showed satisfactory agreement with bias -0.071 (95% limits of agreement -0.68 to 0.54). The other two devices demonstrated poor agreement: bias -1.34; 95% limits of agreement -2.62 to -0.5 and bias -0.56; 95% limits of agreement -1.38 to 0.25. Neonatal behavioural scores showed only minimal changes when infrared measurements were performed but increased significantly following axillary measurements. The difference between the two modalities was statistically significant with a mean increase of 1.44 points following axillary measurements (95% confidence interval 1.21 to 1.67, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Temperature measurements taken with infrared thermometers demonstrated less disruption to preterm infants' behavioural state, however accuracy of devices varied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. mjarvis_1@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: Katelyn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: König
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature; D006801:Humans; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D007259:Infrared Rays; D019370:Observation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013821:Thermometers