Baby teething can be a frustrating time for both the parents and the child. But it is a completely natural process and poses no danger to the baby.
The first baby teeth to emerge are usually the two front teeth on the bottom gum, known as the central incisors. These will normally start to erupt between the ages of 4 to 7 months. Some babies will start teething earlier.
Teething does not cause a high fever or vomiting and diarrhea. If your baby develops these symptoms, then you need to contact your baby's doctor.
Here are the basic teething symptoms and signs to look for in knowing that your baby has started teething:
* Excessive slobbering
* Excessive irritability and crankiness
* Gums that are red and swollen
* Your baby wants to chew on solid object
* Your baby may have a lot of trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
* A low grade temperature, usually not higher than 100.5
Teething does not cause a high fever or vomiting and diarrhea. If your baby develops these symptoms, then you need to contact your baby's doctor. For some lucky babies and parents, teething can actually be painless. For others, it will cause irritability and crankiness for weeks. The following are tips you can use to help make your baby more comfortable during the teething process:
* Massage your baby's gums. Take a moistened wash cloth or use your clean finger and give your baby's gums a good massage. The gentle pressure from the massage may help ease the discomfort.
* Give your baby a teething ring. Use the firm, rubber kind because the ones filled with water may split from pressure of your baby's bite. Never tie a teething ring around your baby's neck. This could become a choking hazard. If your baby prefers the bottle, fill it with water. Too much lengthy contact with sugary substances such as milk and juice can cause decay of your baby's teeth.
* Keep your baby's gums cool. Offer a chilled washcloth or teething ring. Do not give your baby a teething ring that is frozen because the extreme cold may make your baby's gums hurt even more.
* Clean the drool from the baby's chin frequently. Babies will drool excessively during teething. It is important to always keep a cloth available to dry the drool from his chin. Keeping the skin dry will prevent a rash from forming on the baby's face and chin.
* Try over the counter medicine. If your baby seems to be in a lot of pain with teething, you may try over the counter medicine such as ibuprofen or infant's Tylenol. Make sure these are the infant dosages. It will say on the bottle if it is for infants. Never, ever, give your baby adult formulated medicine and never give him aspirin for pain. Always follow the recommended dosages as stated on the bottle. Just because it is over the counter medicine does not mean that it can't be harmful if too much is given.
Baby teething can be a tough time for baby and parents. Monitor your baby closely during this time and try to give him as much comfort as possible. Soon, the teething symptoms will be gone and your little one will be less cranky and smiling at you with their pearly whites.
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