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Baby Information
11/4/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
Teething
As cute as that gummy smile is, it won't last forever. Before
you know it, your baby will start teething. Your baby's teeth
actually start forming before birth below the gums. Usually
between 4 and 7 months of age, teeth begin erupting. You'll
probably notice the two bottom front teeth coming in first,
followed by the two top front teeth. This is the normal pattern
teeth follow when making their appearance, although some
children do vary a little bit. The teeth along the sides and
back will come in after the first four. If a tooth is a little
crooked, don't worry about it at this point. They usually
straighten out with time. The back molars are usually last to
appear, until your baby has a full set of baby teeth by age 3.
There are 20 baby teeth. They will begin falling out around the
age of 6, to be replaced by permanent teeth.
Some babies breeze through teething with hardly a whimper,
while others seem to suffer quite a bit. All teething babies
will drool a bit, sometimes this can cause a bit of a face rash
due to contact with the saliva. Drool should be wiped gently
away with a soft cloth, especially if there is a rash. Don't
rub it.
The gums may look swollen and be sensitive. You may notice your
baby is more fussy or irritable while teething. Some babies may
begin biting during teething, so if you're nursing, be
prepared. You can offer your baby teething toys to help apply
counter pressure to their gums. Some are made to be chilled,
which can help relieve the pressure even more effectively. Cold
foods like applesauce or yogurt can also give relief if your
baby is eating solids. You can also find hard teething biscuits
and zwieback toast at the grocery store. While they are rather
messy, many babies love them and they help with teething pain.
If you don't have anything handy, a clean finger pressing on
sore gums can also help in a pinch.
Some babies are affected by teething to the point that they
refuse to eat or have problems sleeping. Some parents also
report fever, diarrhea and runny noses, although there is some
disagreement on whether the last three symptoms are related to
teething or not. Dr. William Sears, noted author and
pediatrician, does believe that it is related to teething.
Extra saliva may loosen stools, and gum inflammation may cause
a low fever, according to Sears. Other experts like Penelope
Leach and T. Berry Brazelton believe these symptoms are
unrelated to teething. They do think that the stress babies
experience from teething may make them more vulnerable to
infection, thus resulting in a fever, diarrhea or stuffy
nose.
If symptoms are bad, some pediatricians may recommend giving
baby a little dose of infant acetaminophen. Topical mouth pain
relief gel can also be effective. Only use a very small amount
and make sure they are labeled for infants.
Some babies also rub their cheek or pull on their ears when
teething. Ear infections may cause this same behavior, so if
you are uncertain why your baby is doing this, check with your
pediatrician.
At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try
to provide you with all of the latest information about going
through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first
years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest
quality books and products to help you through that time.
Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/Teething.html
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