Overview
Teething usually starts for infants in the fourth to seven months of life. Swollen gums, crankiness, drooling, constantly putting fingers in the mouth are all signs that your baby is teething. Teething toys help provide relief for this often uncomfortable developmental stage. Teething toys can be made of firm rubber, soft plastic, which is sometimes filled with water, wood, cotton and sometimes comes in the form of a biscuit. Being able to gnaw on these toys applies pressure to the baby's gums and relieves the discomfort.
What to Look for
What to Look For
Whether it is a teething ring or washcloth, your child is looking for something to alleviate the discomfort of his swollen achy gums.
Notice the size of the teething toy. It should be large enough that it will not be swallowed by the baby. Objects that are less than 1 3/4 inches in diameter are not safe. Toys this size can cause suffocation by lodging in the throat and blocking air passages, or they can be ingested or inhaled, or cause choking.
Teething rings filled with liquid should be checked for the liquid's consistency. If the ring is punctured the baby will most likely ingest some of the liquid. Water is the most common liquid in teething rings, but check the package description for verification.
Common Pitfalls
Common Pitfalls
Freezing a teething toy can do more harm than good because a child's sensitive gums will be prone to "freezer burn." Instead, try refrigerating the toy. The toy will be cool and soothing but not so frozen that it will hurt your child's gums.
Babies love to gum teething biscuits, but be aware that the biscuit will break and become crumbly while your child is gnawing. Tiny pieces could cause a child to choke. Supervise biscuit eating and remove any large crumbs that break off.
Other foods that have become teething toy substitutes include bagels, carrots, slices of apples or pears or stalks of celery. Although healthy, these can also break off into small bits and become a choking hazard. Again, close supervision is needed.
Some teething toys made with wood may have toxic finishes. There has also been some concern about soft PVC plastic being linked to cancer. Check the manufacturers label or website for material construction. Also, Consumer Reports' Keeping Babies Safe website, www.keepingbabiessafe.org, and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, www.cpsc.gov, can provide information on product recalls. Toys that are made from organic materials, such as cotton with vegetable dyes, are alternatives to conventional teething toys.
