When your child first starts cutting her teeth, you might notice symptoms and behaviors that you think are associated with the teething process. A low-grade fever is a common teething symptom that many parents and pediatricians notice. Teething may trigger fevers in children, but other medical issues may be the cause as well. Parents should not overlook other possibilities for their babies' elevated temperatures.
Teething
Babies usually start teething at 6 months old because that's when their teeth are pushing through tender gums. By the time a child is 30 months old, all of her baby teeth should have emerged. The symptoms of teething differ among children. These include drooling, irritability, disrupted sleep and mild fever.
Fever
Fever has traditionally been associated with teething, but scientific research has not found a conclusive link. For instance, in an April 2000 study in the journal "Pediatrics," researchers found some children developed mild fevers, which were caused by swelling of the gums. But some children didn't develop fevers at all while teething, according to the study. If a fever is caused by teething, it should be mild and is generally harmless for the child.
Solutions
In general, parents shouldn't worry about fevers caused by teething. If your child seems otherwise normal, allow him to go about his normal activities. You might want to offer teething rings. You could also gently rub your baby's gums with a cold, wet washcloth to relieve some of the pain caused by teething, but remedies like this will probably not reduce the fever. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are available in baby and toddler doses and can be used with the approval of your child's pediatrician to treat the pain associated with teething. Using these over-the-counter medicines for teething pain can also reduce any fever your teething child might have.
Considerations
If your teething baby or toddler develops a fever, keep an eye on her temperature. Anything over about 101 degrees Fahrenheit is unlikely to be caused by teething. Instead, it indicates some other problem or illness that's coinciding with teething. Report an unusually high fever to a doctor and don't treat it at home or ignore it just because you think teething could be the cause. Some children never experience fevers or other symptoms while teething, so count yourself lucky if your baby is an easy teether.
