Around the 7th month of age, you might find your little one sprouting teeth and wanting to bite everything that visible to his eyes. During the ‘dentition period’ the child desires to bite to satiate the irritation in the gums. It is during this period that the child faces teething troubles. Babies start experiencing symptoms a week or two before getting the first tooth and continue to appear for about 3-4 months from the first tooth eruption.
Common Teething Signs And Ways To Manage
1 . Drooling
-Stimulated by teething, saliva (watery fluid) constantly keeps rolling out of the mouth of the babies. This is stimulated by teething
Ways To Manage
-Temporary relief can be offered by giving the baby something to chew e.g carrot, cucumber, apple, teethers
2 . Drool Rash
-Drooling in most cases leads to rashes and redness around mouth, chin and sometimes around the neck
Ways To Manage
-Gently wipe the cheek and chin with a dry cloth, to avoid accumulation of saliva and to avoid drool rash. Use a soft cotton fabric and simply swipe, do not rub hard for fear of worsening the rash
-If rash persists, apply moisturizing cream such as vaseline or other lotions or oils recommended for babies.
3 . Biting
-The baby is often discomforted bythe pressure exerted by the erupting teeth. To ease this discomfort the child applies opposite pressure by biting
Ways To Manage
-Give teething rings to baby, to bite and relieve their discomfort. Make sure the teething rings are clean to avoid infection.
4 . Cough
-While drooling, the saliva slides back into the throat. This makes the child cough severly at times.
Ways To Manage
-If the baby gets a cold or fever, consult a pediatrician for further management
-Simple drool cough needs no management
5 . Diarrhea
-When the child is teething, he/she get diarrhea due to 2 reasons;
-Indigestion caused due to drooling and biting on various objects, the baby may get infected that can give rise to diarrhea, that is usually accompanied by fever
Ways To Manage
-Diarrhea due to drool, needs no management, but check and change the diaper regularly to avoid diaper rash
-If baby gets diarrhea with fever or vomiting, consult a pediatrician for further management
6 . Refusing Feeds
Usually biting relieves the teething problem, but while feeding, the sucking makes the baby’s gums sore and more painful. To avoid pain, the baby thus refuses to take the daily feed to avoid pain
Ways To Manage
-Offer cool, mushy food like fruit, fruit slush, mashed fruits/vegetables.
So, go ahead and try these tricks to help your child bear the teething troubles better. Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!