Babies go through different at different times in their young life, some are early and some are later. In either case they both hurt. My son is 10 months and has just started the rite of teething passage. On Thursday he had a slightly high fever and was fussy and a bit irritable. First I tried to give him a bottle to see if he was hungry and he was just not having it. The next thing I tried was an oral pain reliever from CVS pharmacy that helped numb his gums, after giving this to him he calmed down and took his bottle, finally going back to sleep. In preparation for the upcoming teething ritual I went on a mad hunt for answers and this is what I have found.
Signs of teething:
Excessive drooling leading to a red and spotty rash around mouth
Resisting having a spoon put in mouth at mealtime
Frequent loose stools that have a distinctive acrid smell
Diaper rash
Low-grade fever not accompanied by illness
Runny nose
Tugging at ears
How to help a baby with teething:
-If baby is in pain, give him/her a nice warm bath, this will help calm and soothe them. Try rubbing olive or baby oil on him/her after drying them off. A nice massage will also help in calming them.
-Wet the corner of a clean washcloth and put it in the freezer, the terry cloth feel is somewhat comforting to a baby.
-Use counter pressure. If baby will allow you, rub your finger gently across their gums to ease the pain.
-Offer a teething ring, store it in the fridge to keep cool not in the freezer as extreme cold can hurt baby's sensitive gums. Teething rings are made of plastic or firm rubber, try different ones to see which one works best for baby.
-Cold food. For example, cut up a bagel, put the pieces in a sandwich bag and store in the freezer. Give baby a piece if he seems uncomfortable, fresh cool fruits work as well, don't put fruits in freezer.
-Provide cool, icy drinks for baby only if baby is old enough for drinks other than breast milk or formula.
-Chill smooth and comforting foods such as applesauce and yogurt, if baby is old enough, in the fridge.
-Keep the area around your baby's mouth clean, if they're drooling a lot, to prevent "drool rash".
-Over the counter remedies. If baby is really fussy, try acetaminophen such as Tylenol or ibuprofens like Advil or Motrin may help. Use a q-tip when applying to avoid numbing baby's entire mouth. Be very cautious about using this remedy because too much of the medication may numb your baby's throat which could interfere with his/her's normal gag reflex. Also, a baby's saliva may wash away most of the medication before it has a chance to work, thus washing any possibility of its relieving effect. Another drawback back is that any numbing agent can prolong the process of teething since it relaxes the gums causing the teeth to take longer in pushing through.
-Cinnamon sticks. They're a natural analgesic, they're also hard and don't splinter.
-Sweet cuddles may help in soothing since baby may need extra comfort.
Since every baby is different, what works for one may not work for another. So far my son has enjoyed nibbling on just about anything he can get his mouth on. I rub his gums when he allows me to, since he first began teething things have calmed down a bit but now has a third tooth breaking through. I'll report back on his progress and what tips work for me.
Sources for article:
The Baby Sense Secrets by Megan Faure, Ehow.com, Massage-Chair-Relief.com,
Mayo Clinic.com, Wikihow.com, Parents.com, Child's Magazine.com.
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