Teething Facts

I figured this may be an appropriate topic right now for both my sisters who have newborn babies at home!!

Teething: the process of growing one's teeth

This time during your child's development can be very frustrating for you and your child! Teething is unavoidable but learning how to manage it can help with the process. 

The teething process:

Tooth buds start to form in the womb. Rarely are teeth erupted at birth but it can happen. The vast majority of babies erupt their first tooth between the age of 4 and 7 months. As early as 3 months, you may see the signs of teeth breaking through the gums. Late bloomers may not erupt a tooth until a year old. By age 3, your child should have 20 baby teeth. 

                                

                                               (Found this gem from another pediatric office)

What to expect during teething:

Teething affects every child differently. Generally these are things to expect:

*drooling

*fever

*irritability

*gum swelling

*eating troubles

*sleeping issues

*grabbing ears

*chewing, biting and/or sucking on items 

*diarrhea 

Tips to help with the teething process:

• Wipe your baby's face often with a cloth to remove the drool and prevent rashes from developing.
• Give your baby something to chew on. Make sure it's big enough so that it can't be swallowed and that it can't break into small pieces. A wet washcloth placed in the freezer for 30 minutes makes a handy teething aid — just be sure to wash it after each use.
  
  
• Rubber teething rings are good, but avoid ones with liquid inside because they may break or leak. If you use a teething ring, be sure to take it out of the freezer before it becomes rock hard — you don't want to bruise those already swollen gums!
• Rub your baby's gums with a clean finger.
• If your baby seems irritable, ask your doctor if it is okay to give a dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen (for babies older than 6 months) to ease discomfort. Never place an aspirin against the tooth, and don't rub alcohol on your baby's gums!!
• Frozen fruit cut up small--strawberries, melon, cucumber and watermelon cut into spears. Depends on age due to choking hazards. Remember: once your child’s first four teeth come in, he can bite small, chokable pieces off of anything. A great fix to this is to buy a few baby safe feeders – which allow you to put food into a little mesh bag so baby can only eat digestible amounts 
• Buy toys like stuffed animals or blankets with texturized rubber sections or plush “taggies", and small plastic-and-rubber shaped toys that are easy to hold. Also, some small chewable toys vibrate and play music, which can be a good distraction for your teether as well. 

Find what works for you & good luck!!