Teething is the natural process of baby teething beginning to make their way through your babies gum line. Teething typically occurs between 6 months to 24 months of age. It is common for teething to be blamed for several ailments. Below we hope to debunk some of the common myths of teething.
What teething does cause
- Increase in drooling
- Facial rash due to the increase in drool that may contain food particles
- Increase in chewing
- Gum pain
- Gum pain should not be significant enough to cause crying.
- Typically infants are only a bit fussier.
Teething myths
- Fever
- Research shows that blaming fever on teething may delay care for treatable conditions such as a UTI.
- Diarrhea
- Diaper rash
- Crying
- Again, blaming teething for a child’s pain can delay care for conditions that do cause an increase in crying, such as ear infections.
How to combat teething related fussiness
- Gum massage
- Teething Rings
Grow does not recommend teething gels and teething tablets such as Hylands’s homeopathic tablets which may contain benzocaine and bella donna and can cause serious side effects. They also have not been proven effective.
Please call us if your child develops any unexplained crying and fever.
Resources
Barton Schmitt Protocol. “Teething.”
Willows Pediatrics Blog. “Teething Myths Revealed.” March 28, 2016.
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