When your baby's primary teeth start breaking through the gums, the process can be painful and irritating. While not all babies experience the same levels of discomfort, most will undergo colic, crying, diarrhea, and occasionally even stomach aches. While there is little you can do as a parent to alleviate the pain, there are tips to making the teething process a little easier for your infant.
Signs of Teething
Teething usually starts around 4 to 6 months of age, and can last up to three years. The lower front teeth usually poke through the gums first, followed by the upper front teeth. This process can be frustrating for your baby, as it leaves the gums sore and swollen. Babies tend to chew hard on anything you put into their mouths at this point, to relieve the pressure on the gums. Low-grade fever and diarrhea often accompany teething.
Stomach Pain
Teething discomfort can manifest itself in several ways. When it affects your baby's stomach, symptoms can include mild diarrhea, drooling and spitting up. The increase in saliva from your baby's mouth can result in loose stools and diarrhea, while the spit-up and drool will be clear or white.
Solutions
Stomachaches caused by teething will generally stop once the tooth pokes through the gums. Meanwhile, help your baby through this painful process by offering her cold fluids or ice pops. Wet washcloths, pacifiers or frozen teething rings can also be effective to relieve some of the swelling and pain. Offering your baby easily-digestible foods may also help.
Considerations
Doctors generally do not recommend topical anesthetics for teething, as they numb the mouth and can make swallowing difficult. Avoid old home remedies such as wooden blocks and whiskey on the gums at all costs. These can cause potential choking hazards and problems associated with alcohol in infants.
Warnings
A small amount of spit-up, diarrhea and low-grade fever are normal for teething babies, but if your child is vomiting heavily, spitting up dark-colored material, has severe diarrhea or has a fever above 102 degrees, call your doctor. These could be the symptoms of a stomach virus or other more serious illness needing immediate treatment.
