TEETHING PROBLEMS IN TODDLERS AND HOW TO HANDLE THEM

Children go through many different milestones as they grow up. One of the major ones is teething. This is basically when your baby starts to grow teeth. It is a great step but it comes with its own set of challenges.

Baby gets more fussy than usual

A few days before teeth break the surface of the gums the baby will probably be a little more fussy than normal. She will cry a lot more and it will probably be triggered by something very trivial or nothing sensible in your books. This is because the process is painful and will cause some discomfort.

Since you are the adult and you know what is going on you will have to go easy on the little one. Keep your cool and soothe the baby. A pain reliever that is age appropriate can help ease the pain if it is extreme. Cold teething rings or rubbing a clean finger over the baby’s gums will also provide some relief.

Diarrhea

This could occur as a result of putting dirty items into the mouth so as to provide pain relief. Ensure that all the baby’s toys are cleaned and disinfected. All floors should also be disinfected to avoid recontamination. Avoid giving the child items that may be unclean since they are very likely to put them in their mouth.

If diarrhea does occur, give the baby plenty of fluids including yoghurt. The good bacteria in yoghurt help to counter whatever is happening in the tummy. If it is severe you should see a doctor.

Drooling

Drooling is rather unsightly but the child will not be bothered by it. It is normal during teething and will eventually end. Wipe it off as often as you can since it may cause a rash on the areas that it touches on the baby’s face.

Baby bites a little more

Some babies may bite a little harder on nipples while breastfeeding, even without teeth, to give them some pain relief. Gently remove the nipple from your baby’s mouth using a clean finger since it can be quite painful if they are left to continue.

If you remove your nipple every time the baby bites she will eventually realize that you don’t appreciate it and will stop. That will come in handy since once the baby grows teeth the bites will be much worse!

Most symptoms or side effects of teething should disappear once the teeth are out so, just be patient with the whole process.