Researchers At Boston Children’s To Study Body Temperature

BOSTON (CBS) — Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, right? Or is it? 11-year-old Carson Domey of Bellingham was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease back in September. It causes inflammation in his gut. “My stomach hurts,” he told WBZ-TV. “My head hurts. My mouth hurts.” His symptoms are kept at bay by medications, which suppress his immune system, but they also put him at risk for serious infections so his mom, Michelle Domey, monitors him closely for fever. “His normal temperature is generally around 97.3,” she says. “Once we get into the 99s, we start getting concerned.” Most doctors and nurses don’t even blink at a temperature of 99 degrees Fahrenheit and most people quote 98.6 degrees as normal. But where did that number come from? As it turns out, the number came out of a study dating back to the 1800s when thermometers weren’t accurate, so new numbers are desperately needed. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital are hoping to recruit thousands of adults and kids from all over the country to participate in a study. Anybody can do it, and all they need is an iPhone or iPod and a thermometer. The study is called “Feverprints” because like fingerprints, researchers believe people have a unique temperature pattern. The data is collected through an Apple-based app. “Ideally, users are entering their temperature multiple times a day, both when they are healthy and when...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Healthwatch Local News Seen On WBZ-TV Syndicated Local Watch Listen Boston Children's Hospital Crohn's Disease Dr. Mallika Marshall Source Type: news