She is frustrated – it could just be teething
Teething may be one of the greatest nightmares mothers go through. The issue could seem even worse for first time mothers who may not understand what is going on with their bundle of joy let alone be able to handle them.
When children are teething, they become sickly, whinny and look frustrated. By the time you discover it is teething, a lot of time and resources would have been spent already. Don’t get me wrong though. It is important that you seek medical advice if you do not understand what is happening to your child. Also, strive to know well in advance what to expect when your baby is growing through different stages. This brings me to the question, what is this teething business all about?
Teething is a process or stage when the first teeth of a baby begin making their way out through the gums. The symptoms of teething can start manifesting themselves to infants who are as young as 3 months old without the teeth necessarily coming out. By ages 4 to 7 months, you may begin to notice your baby’s first tooth pushing through the gum-line. According to studies, your baby could be an early, average or late teether.
Usually, the lower central incisors show first, followed by the four front upper teeth (central and lateral incisors). These will be followed by lower lateral incisors, the molars, and then the eyeteeth (canines). However, your child may have a pattern of serial eruption or multiple eruptions of his teeth.
In most cases, children will have developed all their 20 teeth by the time they turn 3 years. You however need not worry in case your baby is born with one or two teeth, as teeth usually begin to develop while your baby is in the womb and they can break through when they feel like it.
Symptoms
While some babies have none or very little problems with teething, others experience significant discomfort. Some of the symptoms you should look out for include:
- Slightly red, swollen or blistered gum
- Gum discomfort that may make your baby restless and sleepless
- Increased drooling
- Sore gums that would result in your baby’s refusal to eat.
- Your baby may bring his hand to the mouth all the time. This would pose hygienic hazards like contracting diarrhoea.
- A mild rash around the mouth due to skin irritation from the drooling.
- You will notice your baby frequently rubbing the cheek or ear region as a result of the referred pain on the gums.
- Gum swelling and sensitivity
Treatment
You first need to understand that teething is not a treatable condition unless it comes with other sickness as we will see below. However, you could ease your baby’s discomfort during teething by using the following self care home remedies;
- Give your child something to chew on like a rubber teething ring which could be obtained from baby stores or a clean cold wash cloth. With such pressure, your baby’s gum will feel better.
- You could also rub a clean finger gently but firmly over your baby’s sore gums to temporarily ease the pain.
- In case your baby’s pain and discomfort causes him not to feed well, you can change his feeding utensils, sometimes different shaped nipples or the use of a cup may reduce the discomfort and improve feeding.
- Once in a while you can use ice cubes or frozen wash cloths pressed onto your baby’s gums. Be cautious not to prolong contact of very cold objects on the gum.
- If you feel the discomfort is causing your baby great pain or the home remedies are not helping much, you can use pain medication as recommended by your doctor.
- You could also use a medically recommended gum gel as prescribed by your baby’s doctor.
- Wipe your baby as often as possible when he drools to prevent him from getting a rush. If this occurs, wipe your baby’s face with soft cotton-not rubbing. You could also smooth petroleum jelly on his chin before a nap or during bedtime to protect the skin from further irritation.
- You could also make sure your baby wears a bib always to avoid the saliva from getting to his neck and chest.
Seek medical advise when:
Other symptoms like fever, colds or diarrhoea manifest. Do not assume that they are as a result of teething. There could be an underlying problem that may require medical examination and treatment.
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