When will my baby start getting teeth?
The vast majority of babies sprout their
first teeth when they're between 4 and 7
months of age. An early developer may get
his first white cap as early as 3 months,
while a late bloomer may have to wait
until he's a year or more. (in rare
cases, a baby's first tooth is already
visible at birth.) teething patterns are
hereditary, so if you got your teeth
early, chances are your child will, too.
The arrival of the first tooth is a big
milestone: celebrate it by taking lots of
pictures, and note its arrival date in
your child's baby book.
Teeth actually start developing while your
baby's in the womb, when tooth buds form
in the gums. They sprout one at a time
over a period of months, and often — but
not always — in this order: first the
bottom front teeth, then the top two
middle ones, then the ones along the sides
going back. They may not all come in
straight, but don't worry — they usually
straighten out over time. The last teeth
to appear (the second molars, which are
the farthest back in the mouth) are
usually coming into place by your baby's
second birthday. By age 3, your child
should have a full set of 20 baby teeth,
which shouldn't fall out until his
permanent teeth are ready to start coming
in, sometime around age 6.
Baby's age: 0-3 months 3-6 months 6-9
months 9-12 months 12-18 months 18-24
months
baby's skin tone: fair medium dark
baby's gender: boy girl
skin care need: diaper rash eczema cradle
cap bathing
my baby always seems to have a lot of
symptoms right before he gets a new tooth.
Is this normal?
For a few fortunate babies, teething is
fairly painless. But most babies are
cranky and drool a lot for weeks or months
before the first pearly white makes it to
the surface. Why is teething usually so
painful? As your baby's teeth push their
way out, they irritate the gums, swelling
and inflaming them. (this is why your
baby may temporarily reject your breast or
a bottle. Sucking causes more blood to
rush to the swollen areas, making them
especially sensitive. Try rubbing his
gums before a feeding to temporarily numb
the pain. Your baby will probably start
to gnaw on things starting around 3
months, though his first tooth may still
be a long way off.)
though many parents say their babies
become feverish or have loose stools or
runny noses just before a new tooth
arrives, experts are divided over whether
teething is to blame for these symptoms.
William sears, a pediatrician and author
of the baby book, believes that teething
will frequently cause diarrhea and a mild
diaper rash because your baby's excessive
saliva ends up in his gut and loosens his
stools. Inflammation in the gums, he
thinks, may be the cause of a low fever
(under 101 degrees fahrenheit).
On the other hand, child development
experts such as penelope leach say
teething cannot cause fever, diarrhea,
vomiting, or loss of appetite and that
these are signs of illness that should be
checked out. Noted pediatrician t. Berry
brazelton says it's likely that such
symptoms are due to an infection unrelated
to teething, but that the stress
associated with teething could make your
child more vulnerable to infection right
before a new tooth appears.
The one thing all experts agree on is that
you should call your pediatrician if your
baby has a fever over 101 degrees f (or
over 100.4 degrees f for babies younger
than 3 months). If your baby has loose
stools — but not diarrhea — don't worry.
The condition will clear up on its own.
Your baby may get a red rash on his chin
and lower lip from all the drooling. The
wetness can irritate his skin,
particularly at night when he rubs his
face against his crib sheet. Wipe, but
don't rub, the drool off with a soft
cotton cloth. You can also smooth
petroleum jelly on his chin before a nap
or bedtime to protect the skin from
further irritation.
what can I do to
ease my baby's discomfort?
Give your child something to chew on, such
as a firm rubber teething ring or a cold
washcloth. If your baby is old enough for
solid foods, he may also get some relief
from eating cold foods such as applesauce
or yogurt — the cold may temporarily numb
the pain. Giving a baby a hard,
unsweetened teething cracker such as
zwieback to gnaw on is another
time-honored trick. (avoid carrots, as
they can be a choking hazard.)
some parents find that simply rubbing a
finger over sore gums can numb the pain
temporarily. Oral analgesics such as
orajel or zylactin are popular and
generally safe to use, though their
numbing effect is short-lived. Some
pediatricians don't recommend the oral
analgesics because if you use them too
much they can numb the back of the throat
and decrease the baby's gag reflex (which
helps prevent him from choking on his own
saliva) and in rare cases, they may cause
an allergic reaction. Other doctors
recommend giving a teething baby a small
dose of children's pain reliever such as
infants' acetaminophen, but check with
your doctor before giving your baby any
medication. (never give a baby aspirin or
even rub it on his gums to ease the pain.
Aspirin is associated with reye's
syndrome, a rare but potentially
life-threatening condition.)
-kristin
