How to Soothe a Teething Baby

Posted on September 9th, 2009 by aileen

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Teething is one of the many developmental milestones your baby will go through. While this can be exciting to first time parents, it’s painful and uncomfortable to your baby. Help your little angel go through this phase by knowing different ways of easing his discomfort. Here are some tips to soothe a teething baby.

When Does Teething Occur

The first tooth will appear between your baby’s 6th and 8th month, but it has been said that teething can start as early as 3 months.

Temporary teeth normally appear in this sequence:

Incisors will appear during your baby’s 6th to 9th month
Molars appear on the 10th to 14th month
Canines will show on the 15th- 18th month.
Second molars will appear during your baby’s 2nd to 3rd year of life.

What to Expect

When your baby is teething, he may show any of the following symptoms:

Drooling
Restlessness
Soreness of gums
Loss of appetite
Rubbing of cheeks
Guarding

What You can Do

Make the phase less painful to your baby by keeping him as comfortable as you can.

Teethers

Be sure to have several clean teethers within your baby’s reach. This will make a good counter pressure for the pain from the tooth trying to push out of his gums.
There are now teething toys that you can fill with cold water. You can also chill these teethers inside your refrigerator. Avoid putting them in the freezer. Items that are too cold may cause gum problems.
Be very careful of the size of teether that you give your infant. To avoid choking accidents, use the tube of toilet paper to measure the teether. If it fits inside the tube then the teether is too small.

Cool items and Clean fingers

Cold items like washcloths, teethers and icepops help soothe your baby and reduce inflammation.
You can use washcloths as an alternative to teethers. Store a clean washcloth in the freezer. Give this to your baby so he can gnaw it whenever he needs to.
Have a cold cup of water handy. If your child finds it hard to suck because of the pain, give him a cold baby cup of water. Baby cups are usually made of plastic that’s safe enough for your baby to bite.
Dip your clean fingers in cool water and gently rub your infant’s gums. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the gums. You may also apply ice cubes on your baby’s gums intermittently.

Oral Medications

Avoid giving medicines for your baby’s pain as much as possible. If you can’t help it, consult a doctor first before giving any medication. Keep in mind that aspirin is not given to infants as it may cause Reye’s syndrome.
Some medications, like acetaminophen are said to be safe for babies. Make sure you ask your pediatrician for the correct dosage.

No parent wants to see his little one suffer from pain and discomfort. Teething, together with its pain and discomfort is an important phase for your child. Help him go through it by giving him extra care. If you enjoy learning this article, you’ll surely be interested in reading how to soothe a crying baby.