Baby Teething

Teething

Teething can be a painful experience for your baby. Teething often involves a great deal of crying, fussing, drooling, and even biting. You may find that your baby has trouble sleeping or is unusually cranky and is chewing at his or her gums in an effort to push the first set of teeth through. These signs and symptoms of teething are obvious, but some are less so. Between the age of 3 months and 1 year your toothless baby may also refuse to drink milk or eat food. There may be a rash around the mouth accompanied by a runny nose and the baby’s saliva may irritate his or her delicate skin.

More Baby Teething Symptoms

Blood naturally accompanies a baby’s teething process, so do not be alarmed when you see your child bleeding from the mouth. If your child is conscious and normally alert or active, there is no cause for alarm. If you gently wipe away the blood and look at your baby’s gums, you may see a little tiny tooth peeking through. Alternatively, you may see the remnants of the cyst that caused the bleeding in the first place. Harmless cysts may form on a baby’s gums where new teeth are breaking through due to the sheer pressure exerted by the tooth in its effort to erupt from beneath the gumline. Remember, though, that teething is not as it seems. Teeth are not breaking the soft skin of a baby’s gums. In fact, changes in your baby’s body at this time encourage the gums to open to allow the teeth to pass through. Thus “cutting teeth” is a misnomer that has led to much more anxiety and concern in parents than is really necessary.

7/19/2007 10:43:14 AM