Teething

When the teething fairy comes it call it can either be a breeze - or the start of months of wailing and crying. And not just for baby!

While some children breeze through the teething process, for others it will signal a period of not sleeping, drooling, red cheeks and tears. There’s no doubt that the teething experience can be one of the most trying periods for a parent. You hate to see your child in pain and yet, despite the usual medicinal comforts, such as gel or painkiller, there doesn’t seem to be much that you can do to ease your child’s discomfort.

First tooth

Generally the first tooth will appear around the seventh month, although some babies can produce their first little pearly as early as three months. The symptoms of teething can, however, often precede the actual arrival of the first tooth by as much as two or three months.

It’s not hard to notice when teething first begins to occur. The overlying gum may become red and swollen. There may be general discomfort and chewing on fingers, fretfulness, waking up at night and unwillingness to respond; all symptoms, which arise as a response to pain and inflammation caused by the action of the tooth forcing itself out from the gum.

Although the process is often long and drawn-out, there are some ways you can help your child through the pain, so don’t despair!

The key to managing the symptoms of teething is to ease your child’s discomfort. Usually you’ll find that the old, simple, traditional methods such as rubbing the gums, biting on teething biscuits, cold teething rings or cold objects will be most successful. These methods can help to numb the gum and ease the pain.

However, if these measures don’t provide sufficient relief, it’s advisable to use a child-friendly medicine (there are plenty available over the counter from pharmacists), which can help to ease the pain and reduce temperature.

Remember – teething is not an illness, although it is often blamed for many of them. While the symptoms of teething: loss of appetite, pulling at ears, red cheeks etc – are standard for the condition, they can also indicate an illness, so, if your baby also has a temperature or diarrhoea, take him or her along to the GP just to make sure that they don’t have another problem, such as an ear infection.