Teething

Babies usually cut their teeth from 6 mths until 2–3 yrs, with discomfort usually caused by the molars (ages 1–3).

Precautions: exclude other possible causes of irritability in a teething child (e.g. UTI, meningitis, otitis media). Teething doesn’t cause fever.

Treatment

• Reassure parents that the problem will soon settle.

Chewing soothing methods

• Teething ring (kept cold in the refrigerator) or

• Baby can chew on a clean, cold, lightly moistened facewasher (a piece of apple can be placed in the facewasher) or

• Parent can massage gum with forefinger wrapped in a soft cloth or gauze pad (Ora-Sed gel can be massaged into gums every 3 h if extremely troublesome)