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TEETHING
Your beautiful five-month-old baby boy, who has been the most perfect little
angel since birth, has suddenly turned into a cranky, fussy, drooling, chews-on-
everything-in-site little monster! He is now keeping you up half the night, and
needs to be held, bounced, and nursed all day long. Welcome to the wonderful
world of TEETHING! Here are some practical tips to help you and your baby get
through this stage:
FIVE SIGNS YOUR BABY IS TEETHING
Bulging gums – you can actually see the outline of the teeth as they
are bulging inside the gums. The middle bottom teeth are usually the first
place this happens.
Drooling – it will seem like someone left a "drool faucet" on inside
your baby's mouth.
Fussing – baby often will become cranky and more difficult to
console.
Night waking – most babies sleep fairly well between one and four
months of age, but now the honeymoon is over! Beginning around four months of
age, baby may start waking up much more frequently at night.
Biting – baby will start chewing on everything he can get his hands,
or gums, on – his fingers, your fingers, toys, and especially the breast.
REMEDIES FOR TEETHING
Anything cold – here are a variety of cool favorites:
Frozen teething rings
Ice – rub an ice cube along baby's gums.
Frozen juice slushy or popsicle
Cold spoons
Frozen bagel or banana
Frozen washcloth
Medications
Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen– these are both safe and
effective pain relievers to help your baby, and you, get some sleep. Click on
these for dosing.
Teething gels– there are various over-the-counter gels, pastes,
or liquids that numb the gums. Pat the gums dry with a washcloth, then apply a
small amount only on the area of the gums that is bulging. There are several
drawbacks to these, so we suggest you only use them as a last resort:
They taste terrible
They travel throughout the mouth in the saliva and can numb the tongue and
lips
It is easy to use too much
Baby may swallow too much
FOUR TEETHING SYMPTOMS THAT ARE HARMLESS
There are several symptoms most babies exhibit during teething. DON'T WORRY.
These are only temporary.
Drool rash – your baby may get a red, raised rash on the face, lips,
chin, neck, and chest. Gently wash with warm water and pat dry. A lanolin
ointment is a good treatment.
Diarrhea – this is generally mild and does not require any special
treatment.
Cough – the abundance of saliva often drips down baby's throat and
can cause coughing or gagging.
Fever– baby may experience low-grade fevers
less than 101. If your baby has a fever higher than this, click on fever for
more info.
AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers
of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice
on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual
needs.