FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) announced today that it will market a new digital Dora the Explorer(TM) thermometer, that is themed after the lead character in the Nickelodeon(TM) television show. The thermometer’s sleek digital design and colorful styling make temperature taking easier than ever for parents and young children.
“BD is committed to making the process of taking a child’s temperature as easy as possible,” said Gary Cohen, president of BD Medical. “As a father of three, I understand how hard it can be to get children to sit still long enough to take their temperature. With characters kids love and a 9-second temperature read-out, BD has created a digital thermometer that helps parents get an accurate temperature quickly and easily.”
The Dora the Explorer(TM) digital thermometer is BD’s second character-licensed digital thermometer, following last year’s introduction of the SpongeBob SquarePants(TM) thermometer. Featuring a fast 9-second temperature read-out in either Fahrenheit or Celsius, as well as large, easy-to-read night light display and packaging in both English and Spanish, the Dora the Explorer(TM) digital thermometer is safe for all ages and appropriate for oral, underarm or rectal use.
How to Know if They’re Too Hot to Go
“Two-thirds of children in day care are sick more than 60 days a year,” said parenting expert Lynne Reeves Griffin, R.N., M.Ed and author of The Promise of Proactive Parenting: Sea Change. “However, many children ask to stay home frequently due to separation anxiety, social issues or classroom problems. Deciding when a child is sick and should stay home is difficult for many parents, especially first-time parents.”
To better educate parents about how to know when a child is not well enough to go to day care or school, participate in social activities or if their child is genuinely sick, Griffin has teamed up with BD to launch the “How to Know When They’re Too Hot to Go” campaign.
“In addition to running a fever, parents should pay attention to other signs that their child is sick,” Griffin said. “If children have some of these signs, such as lower activity level, irritability and lack of appetite, it is best to take their temperature and probably keep them home from school. When a child is sick, it is harder to learn and play effectively. Instead, maybe make it a Dora Day and curl up together to watch some videos and play quiet games while you rest.”
Griffin and BD have developed tip sheets on how best to take a small child’s temperature and how to know when a child is too sick to go to school. The tip sheets are available on BD’s website at http://www.bd.com/thermometers.
About the Dora the Explorer(TM) Digital Thermometer
The Dora the Explorer(TM) digital thermometer is easy to use and features a large, easy-to-read night light display, last temperature recall, a signal to indicate when complete, automatic shut off and battery/storage case. The thermometer can be used for oral, underarm or rectal temperature taking and is guaranteed to be as accurate as a glass thermometer. In addition, the thermometer is guaranteed for life, bite resistant, features no glass to break and is mercury free.
About Dora the Explorer(TM)
Dora the Explorer(TM) is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora, a seven-year-old Latina girl whose adventures take place inside a computer. Dora explores her tropical world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques. In every episode, Dora and her friend Boots invite the audience to participate in an adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem.
Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches a Spanish word or phrase to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and Boots triumph, and the story always ends with a “We Did It!” anthem.
About BD
BD is a medical technology company that serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. BD manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2003, BD reported total revenues of $4.528 billion.
Nickelodeon, Dora The Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. SpongeBob SquarePants created by Stephen Hillenburg.
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements (as defined under Federal securities laws) regarding BD’s performance, including future revenues, products and income, or events or developments that BD expects to occur or anticipates occurring in the future. All such statements are based upon current expectations of BD and involve a number of business risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from anticipated results described, implied or projected in any forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: competitive factors; pricing and market share pressures; uncertainties of litigation; BD’s ability to achieve sales and earnings forecasts, which are based on sales volume and product mix assumptions, to achieve its cost savings objectives, and to achieve anticipated synergies and other cost savings in connection with acquisitions; changes in regional, national or foreign economic conditions; increases in energy costs; fluctuations in costs and availability of raw materials and in BD’s ability to maintain favorable supplier arrangements and relationships; changes in interest or foreign currency exchange rates; delays in product introductions; and changes in health care or other governmental regulation, as well as other factors discussed in this press release and in BD’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend to update any forward-looking statements.
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
CONTACT: Michael Marinello of BD, +1-201-847-7437; or Christoph Millerof MS&L, +1-212-468-3739, for BD
Web site: http://www.bd.com/thermometers