Teething refers to the process of baby teeth breaking the gums for them to be visible. This mostly occurs between 4 to 24 months of age although, to some babies, this might occur earlier. This is not something to worry about since every baby has a different milestone.
Signs and Symptoms of Teething
Different babies experience different symptoms during teething. Some experience none of those symptoms. Below are the signs and symptoms.
- A crying baby accompanied by unsettledness in them. They will always be fussy.
- Drooling
- The baby’s temperature might go high which is termed high fever.
- The baby might be interested in chewing hard items available to soothe the gums.
- The baby might have some pimple-like rashes on their faces as a result of the high temperatures that they encounter.
- Their ear might hurt and will be most interested in trying to reach the inner part for scratching hence trying to pull it all the time.
- The sleeping hours or sleeping patterns are interfered with since the baby is always restless brought about by mild pains.
- Gums are always swollen before the teeth break out.
- Most babies’ hands are always in their mouths for them to soothe the itching gums.
Severe Symptoms.
- In some cases, a baby has severe diarrhea which can cause dehydration. In such a scenario, it is always advisable for a parent or guardian to seek immediate consultation in healthcare.
- Most babies who are teething will often vomit. This is also a cause of alarm since some important body nutrients might not be absorbed in the body making them a little bit weak. Take immediate action when such kind of symptom is observed in your little one.
- High fever can also be part of teething but this could be a result of other health conditions not necessarily the teeth issue.
- Some babies‘ gums bleed and this could affect their feeding be it fluid intake or solid food. This will make the baby generally weak for them to be comfortable at all.
Remedies
- Use a wet cloth-You can freeze a clean, wet cloth or rag and then give it to your baby to chew. This will help reduce inflammation in the gums. You as a parent may also help massage the gums with the cold rag.
2. Give cold food-feed cold foods like yogurt, and refrigerated fruit to babies that have already been introduced to solid foods.
3. Use teething biscuits– Give teething biscuits starting at 8 to 12 months of age. However, ensure gum hygiene is maintained to prevent the development of cavities. So, make it a habit to wipe the gum and teeth with a piece of clean cloth. Also as the baby gets more teeth, You can introduce a toothbrush although you don’t need toothpaste. You only need to brush the plaque which helps prevent cavities from developing later.
4. Using teething rings and toys-Rings and toys are easy for the babies’ tiny fists to hold and also meet the pressure needed to soothe sore gums
However, ensure that you have some pain-relieving medicines at home that will ease some teething pains as advised by your doctor before taking them for further consultation.