The first tiny tooth in the baby’s mouth looks very moving and quite “grown-up”. Parents look forward to this important event, which is always preceded by sleepless nights, the whims of the child, and often the deterioration of his well-being - fever, upset stool, cough, runny nose. What are the signs of teething in children, and how not to confuse them with a real disease?
General information
Normally, the first teeth appear between the ages of six months and eight months, most often a pair of lower central incisors. Then two upper central teeth are cut, then two lower lateral teeth, and two lateral incisors from above complete the process. Thus, eight milk teeth should appear by the year.
But this is average data. It happens that the teeth begin to appear at four months, and it happens that by the year a baby has only a few teeth in his mouth. You don’t need to worry too much because of the timing and priority, because the process is affected by many factors: heredity, the endocrine background of the body, infectious diseases, individual developmental features. Of course, in the case of too early (up to 4 months) or too late (after a year) the appearance of teeth, it is worth consulting a pediatrician and conducting an examination in order to identify serious violations, if any, in time.
Signs of teething in children
There are a number of signs that indicate only teething:
- The gums become red, swollen, and become painful. The outline of the tooth is visible.
- Drooling begins to flow especially intensely, can even lead to redness and irritation on the baby’s neck and chest.
- The child constantly pulls a fist or toys in his mouth, scratches their gums, and actively bites.
There are also borderline signs of teething in children, which may indicate not only this natural process, but also the presence of serious diseases.
- The child refuses the usual food, especially cereals or vegetable purees that need to be eaten from a spoon. This requires additional breastfeeding or a mixture of bottles.
- The temperature rises, sometimes up to 39 degrees.
- Sleep becomes sensitive, short-lived, restless.
- Digestive disorders: diarrhea or constipation. In some cases, both of them occur alternately.
- The child begins to cough, a runny nose may begin.
The appearance of such signs is due to the fact that teething is a very serious burden on the body, which is why immunity is significantly weakened. But these are short-term phenomena, and if there are no serious diseases, then soon after the appearance of the next tooth, everything should return to normal.
The reaction to teeth in children can be very different, so carefully monitor all changes and do not try to blame any deviations only on this.
Teething behavior
Almost always, behavior changes a lot, because constant itching and gum pain make the baby irritable and demanding. He can scream angrily for no apparent reason, become very tearful, nervous, start to sleep badly and restlessly. There is no talk of vagaries, so try to take the child in your arms, calm, distract without restrictions. For this period, you need to stock up on additional patience, and soon everything will return to normal, the baby will again be calm and cheerful.
How to help a child
The main task is to alleviate the unpleasant sensation in his mouth. Therefore, special rubber or latex toys filled with water inside will help. The child will actively nibble them, facilitating the process of teething. Such a toy can be pre-cooled to enhance the analgesic effect.
You can massage your gums with your finger or a terry cloth. With gentle movements, gently rub the painful areas in the baby's mouth. If you supplement this procedure with special gels with an anesthetic effect, the child will become much easier, he will calm down and come in a good mood.
Serious antipyretic or analgesics should not be prescribed on their own. If signs of teething in children become severe, be sure to consult a pediatrician so that he can expertly assess the state of health and prescribe adequate treatment.