Baby teething: How you can help
Babies usually begin to teeth between ages of six and nine months. But since all babies are different, there is no set guide on when the teething will begin, how long it will take and how painful it will be. For some babies, teething may occur overnight and without pain. While for others, it may be a very long and a painful process.
Babies have twenty milk teeth total, ten at the bottom and ten at the top of the mouth. And when teething occurs, you may notice some symptoms. These symptoms are usually irritation, drooling, cheek rubbing, and pulling and rubbing ears. Your baby's gums may also appear red or sore and they may also develop a chin rash or fever. Some babies gnaw and bite anything they can get their hands on. Gnawing and biting helps relieve the pressure from under the gums. So, you can help relieve your baby's pain by buying him or her a teething ring to bite on. Some parents also notice looser bowel movements during the time their babies are teething. However, some people disagree that this is a symptom. Other parents find their babies to have flu-like symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing etc. If you find that your baby is having all these symptoms, visit your pediatrician.
So, how can you help your baby? There are lots of things that you could do. As mentioned above, teething rings, water filled or rubber teething toys are a good start. You could also offer your baby a cold bottle of water or a cold cup of water to ease the pain. Water will also help your baby if he or she is having loose bowel movements. You could also offer your baby chilled food such as applesauce, yogurt, pureed peaches and other nutritious things. If these things don't help, give your baby Infant Tylenol. But you should always check with your doctor first. Your doctor will suggest the right amount of Tylenol for your baby. Teething gels or other teething pain relief products, which can be applied to the gums, are also good. But again, check with your doctor first.
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