Your baby's teeth will eventually contribute to the shape of her face and smile and help her form vowels, consonants and words. The first set of teeth serves to save space in baby's mouth for her future, adult teeth. Getting your baby through the teething stage can be a difficult time. Everything from fever, diarrhea and a congested nose has been blamed on teething.
Developing Teeth
When your baby leaves the womb, her teeth are already formed underneath the gums and in the jaws. Teething is the uncomfortable process of those new teeth pushing up through the gums. Your infant's first tooth may appear anytime between the ages of 3 months to 1 year, but usually from 5 months to 9 months. The first teeth to erupt are normally the two front, bottom teeth, followed a few weeks later by four top teeth. By your child's third year, she will have a full set of primary, or baby, teeth.
Teething and a Congested Nose
Parents and physicians have thought for years that teething conjured up all sorts of unpleasant side effects, like fevers, sickness and ear infections. But that school of thought is changing. An April 2000 study in the professional journal "Pediatrics" looked at 125 healthy infants and followed their teething habits until the age of 12 months. The study concluded that, although there were numerous symptoms associated with teething, congestion, or congested nose, was not one of them.
Signs of Teething
Your child's teething should not result in serious health problems. The 2000 study in "Pediatrics" noted that symptoms begin about four days prior to the tooth erupting through the gum tissue and last another four days after that. During that period of time you may notice increased sucking and biting, irritability, drooling, decreased appetite and a disruption in her sleeping. Because of the drooling, a rash may appear on baby's cheeks, neck and chest. There may also be a low-grade fever with the rubbing of the ears.
When to Be Concerned
The article in "Pediatrics" states that the following symptoms were not significantly associated with teething in the study: congestion; rashes other than those caused by drooling; a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit; and coughing and vomiting. If these symptoms do appear while your baby is teething, seek a physician's advice. Other symptoms that may require your doctor's attention are: bleeding of the gums; diarrhea; serious problems sleeping; refusal to breastfeed or eat; signs of infection such as pain, pus and excessive swelling; and no erupted teeth by the age of 2 years.
