I also use the Thermoscan. It has come down to almost half the price that it was when I bought it. Laura's suggestion to get a base line reading is a good one. Janet's suggestion of taking a temp in both ears is also good because once my son had a severe ear infection and it was so bad that it gave a false "normal" reading. When I took it in the unaffected ear it was 103%. I have had no problems with getting a pretty acurate temp. It is usually pretty close to my ped's. There are also pacifiers that take temperatures as well as a strip that goes against the skin on the forehead. I haven't had any experience with them so I can't comment about their accuracy. Good luck Janet, Lynn