When children are teething: timing, signs, how to help a baby

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

In the first months of life, every baby smiles at his parents with a gentle toothless smile. And suddenly adults discover a small whitish bulge on the gums. This means that the baby begins to cut teeth. The first one will appear, and in two or three weeks the next one will join it. And already in three years everything will grow in the crumbs.

When children are teething, how to understand in advance and what to do in this case, we will learn from this article.

About the process

So, the wonderful baby is already almost half a year old. The neonatal period has already passed, feeding and daily routine have been established. The peanut is active, getting ready to start crawling. It may seem to mom that now is the time for rest. But … The period is about to begin when the first milk teeth will “peck” in the gums. Unfortunately, this process does not always go smoothly.

How should parents act when their child is teething? What should they do in this situation?

Perhaps one of the mosttopics discussed among mothers. The first teeth in a toddler usually appear at the age of not earlier than six months.

Many myths are attributed to this process. One of them says that girls acquire teeth earlier than boys. This is not entirely true. Medical studies have not confirmed this. In addition, infant development, which includes tooth growth, is a highly individual process.

Thus, one baby can observe the early development of teeth, and in the other case, they will appear only when the child is one year old. Different children cut their teeth at different times. It is important that in both cases we are not talking about a lag in development. This is considered a variant of the norm.

Since the process of the appearance of milk teeth in babies is often associated with experiences and inconveniences, information will help on how to understand that a child is teething. And how can this process be facilitated.

When do the first teeth appear?

Many doctors, when asked when teeth are cut in children, argue that the first milk teeth in infants begin to erupt at the age of six months. Pediatricians today set a range of four to eight months. There is also the opinion of the famous doctor Komarovsky, who claims that it is impossible to establish any deadlines. And all because one out of two thousand newborns is born with one or even two teeth. And one in two thousand may not have them until about a year and three months old. In this case, everything is strictly individual, because it affectsmany factors:

1. Features of the course of pregnancy: if the pregnancy was with complications, the timing of teething is delayed.
2. Due date. If the little one was born earlier, then his teeth may erupt later. In this case, it is the biological age of the baby that is taken into account, and not his age according to the certificate.
3. Genetics. If the parents of the crumbs teeth erupted from 3-4 months, it is likely that the baby will repeat such a record. Don't worry if a nine-month-old baby still has a toothless smile on his face if his parents were like that.
4. Diseases of the little one (he can suffer some infectious diseases, because his teeth may appear a little later), climatic conditions and living conditions, nutritional balance, etc.

It is impossible to predict exactly when a particular baby will have its first tooth. But at how many months children teeth on average, already mentioned above - at about six months.

If the first teeth did not grow at this age, do not worry. This is the norm, but provided that the baby is completely he althy. But if mom is too worried, you can visit the pediatrician.

How to tell when teeth are starting to erupt?

Every baby's first teeth erupt differently. Some are holding firm. Others are in great pain. It is almost impossible to explain what causes such a difference, but one thing is certain: not a single newborn sufferedteething process in total comfort.

How can parents determine the beginning of this process? When a child is teething, the symptoms are often:

1. The increased body temperature will “tell” about the appearance of the first teeth. In some children, it can reach 37 - 37.5 oC, in others it rises to 38.5. As a rule, the temperature rises a day or two before the appearance of a tooth, and disappears after eruption.
2. The gums swell and redden, itching appears. When these symptoms appear, the baby will touch his mouth more often with his hands, try to put his fingers in it, rub his cheeks.
3. The little one will salivate significantly, he will try to scratch his gums or chew something.
4. Diarrhea may start. The appearance of milk teeth is usually accompanied not only by a decrease in appetite, regurgitation and vomiting, but also by diarrhea. The latter is due to intense salivation. The baby swallows saliva, which leads to liquefaction of the stool. The result is an increase in the frequency of defecation. Despite the fact that the color of the stool is practically unchanged, its consistency becomes quite liquid. After the teeth have erupted, inflammation stops, appetite is restored.
5. Teething usually goes hand in hand with a weakened immune system. The result may be a runny nose or cough. The symptoms that are so characteristic of a cold appear due to the large amount of saliva flowing into the nasopharynx. In babies, the throat is irritated, they feel tickling. If children have a rare cough, accompanied by the discharge of viscous sputumor saliva, this is the norm. It usually starts when the baby is lying on its back. Discharge from the nose, as a rule, is completely transparent, liquid. When the mucus leaves, the little one begins to “squish” with his nose when he eats or sleeps.
6. He can become overly excitable, often cry for no reason, sleep poorly, act up, sometimes even refuse to eat. Burning gums, tension plus increased salivation - this is enough for the little one to start to worry. During this period, many crumbs become too sensitive to various stimuli, react sharply to loud sounds or lights.

From these symptoms, parents will understand that the time has come "X" and you need to spend a lot more time with your baby. So the baby will be calmer.

During the period when the baby is teething, the symptoms described above will help parents cope with this situation.

What is the order of teething?

Probably everyone knows that the first teeth of babies begin to appear in a certain order.

The first lower incisors appear first. These occur when the baby is six to nine months old.

After them, the first upper incisors are cut - at the age of seven to ten months.

Next, the side teeth will “pop out”. These will be the second incisors - upper and lower. The baby is between nine and twelve months old.

When a child reaches a year or a year and a half, he eruptsupper and lower first molars.

The upper fangs will “come out” next (this will happen in the period of 16 - 20 months), and in two months - the lower ones.

The last to be born are the lower second molars (from 20-33 months) and the upper second molars (at 2-3 years).

So what time do children cut their teeth? From this description, it becomes clear that the teeth of babies are fully formed closer to three years. And yet, parents need to understand that these data are averaged, so almost any exception to them can be considered the norm.

Which teeth can hurt babies the most?

Even pediatricians will not be able to accurately answer this question, the teething of which teeth will cause the greatest discomfort to the little one. And in this case, everything is strictly individual. And there are only two reasonable options:

• fangs - such teeth are very sharp, they seem to cut the baby's gums. In addition, the upper canines (also called "eye teeth") are quite close to the facial nerve;
• molars - these teeth have the largest surface area, which can cause pain for the baby to erupt.

Now it's clear how children teeth. A photo dedicated to this topic, as a rule, displays a scheme according to which the eruption of milk teeth occurs.

Walking and vaccinations during teething

Many mothers are worried about whether it is possible to walk with the baby and vaccinate him at this time.

Even at the time when milk teeth erupt, it is recommended to go for a walk with the baby,after all, activity and fresh air will have an undeniable benefit. True, you should avoid those places where there are a large crowd of people, so as not to catch the infection.

Also, pediatricians do not consider the period when children are teething to be a contraindication for vaccination. A doctor can only grant a waiver for vaccinations if some other unrelated disease is identified.

Deviations from the norm

Teeth can appear in babies even at the age of two or three months, which is a consequence of the intake by the expectant mother during gestation of mineral and multivitamin complexes that are rich in calcium. Passion for fermented milk products also influences.

Children who have their teeth too early should see the dentist more often, because such teeth are more prone to caries than others.

If babies' teeth erupt before they are two months old, this may be an indication that the baby has a mineral metabolism or hormonal imbalance. In this case, a thorough medical examination is necessary.

So when do babies teeth? Despite the fact that the timing of the appearance of the first teeth in a baby is ambiguous, if at the age of one he has not yet acquired at least one tooth, this is a very real reason for concern. The little one must be shown to the pediatrician and dentist in order to exclude serious diseases and malformations.

Causes for delayed teething include:

• prematuritybaby;
• dentia (when there are no rudiments of teeth, this is due to a congenital malformation);
• poor nutrition and improper introduction of complementary foods (later than necessary);
• rickets and other disorders in mineral metabolism;
• diseases of bone and cartilage tissues that are inherited;
• presence of endocrine pathology;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the result of which is a violation of absorption and digestion.

Temperature during teething

When a baby is teething, some babies have a fever.

A certain category of mothers is able to write off all the troubles at the age of up to two - two and a half years "in teeth". Fever, coughing, sneezing, constipation are considered in them as symptoms of the appearance of milk teeth. In this they are wrong. Their delusion can cost the little one he alth. Similar symptoms are in influenza, stomatitis, intestinal infections, tonsillitis, herpes infection, SARS. That is, everything that can occur in parallel with teething.

During this process, babies should not develop a fever. If we turn to the indicators that are considered to be the norm, they indicate that during the eruption of milk teeth, the temperature does not exceed 37.5 degrees.

So, the child is teething. The temperature rises slightly - this indicates that there is local inflammation of the gums. If her performance exceeds 38.5 o C, moreover, the increase is rapid, and shedoes not decrease, most likely the child has a disease not related to the teeth.

Let's help the baby

In such a difficult period, when teeth are being cut, how to help a child becomes an urgent issue for parents. Adults need to understand how to relieve pain.

The methods are simple, and they have been known for a long time:

• A teether toy that the baby will chew on will come in handy. A large selection of rubber, gel and silicone supplies is available at the pharmacy or children's store.
• Pain syndrome can be relieved by a regular gum massage: mom should wash her hands well and gently massage the baby's gums with one finger. Movements must be very careful to avoid injury.
• Cold will help relieve pain and itching: soak a soft cotton cloth in cool water, place it in the freezer for a few minutes and let the baby chew. You can refrigerate pacifiers or gel teethers from time to time.

Modern "helpers"

Parents often ask themselves the question - when a child is teething, how to anesthetize? Methods proven over the years are now complemented by pharmaceuticals. In the pharmacy, you can choose a special gel that lubricates the baby's gums during pain. The smallest patients are suitable: "Dentol-baby", "Dentinox", "Baby Doctor", "Kamistad" and some others.

It should be noted that such gels do not affect the process of teething. They are capablejust relieve pain thanks to the menthol and lidocaine included in their composition. During the use of such funds, it is necessary to observe how the baby reacts, because the gels can cause allergies. They last about a third of an hour. You can apply them a maximum of five times a day and no more than three days.

If the crumbs have severe pain, it is allowed to resort to an anesthetic. But before giving the baby medicine, you should consult a doctor.

Attention parents. Due to abundant salivation during teething, the delicate skin of the little one on the chin is irritated. You should constantly wipe saliva and gently lubricate this place with baby cream. It is necessary to remove fragile and small objects away: the little one pulls everything that it can reach into its mouth, which can cause it to inhale or swallow the object. The remaining toys must be disinfected.

Of course, the appearance of the first milk teeth is a rather difficult period in the life of every baby and his parents. The main task of mom and dad at this time will be to help the little one so that he survives all the difficulties as calmly and painlessly as possible. You should carefully monitor all the symptoms and signs of teething and, as soon as they appear, doubly surround the baby with care and love.