In the life of a six-month-old baby, cardinal changes are taking place - his body is already ready to eat solid food, which means it's time to "acquire" teeth. This period often causes a lot of anxiety, both for the “culprit” himself and for his parents. So, teething in children: symptoms, signs, timing and anomalies.
Timing of teething
Milk teeth are erupted in pairs and in a strictly defined sequence. The process begins closer to 6 months, and it can be completed after 2 years.
Average teething times
- 6-8 months: the appearance of the central incisors (below, then above);
- 8-12 months: eruption of the lateral incisors from below and from above;
- 12-16 months: the appearance of the first molars (chewing or molars);
- 16-20 months: eruption of canines;
- 20-30 months: appearance of second molars.
In general, the baby grows 20 teeth: 4 canines, as well as 8 incisors and molars. Normally, the terms may differ by 1-2 months. A 3-4 month delay in the process should alert you - perhaps health problems are an obstacle to teething.
Factors affecting teething
The timing, as well as the condition of the tissues of the first teeth, is influenced by a number of factors:
1. The state of the baby's endocrine and nervous systems;
2. Features of metabolic processes in the body;
3. The presence of concomitant diseases (it can be rickets, hypothyroidism, chronic infectious diseases, problems with the digestive tract, impaired calcium-phosphorus metabolism, decreased activity of the endocrine glands, etc.);
4. Heredity;
5. Nutrition of the child himself or his mother during pregnancy;
6. Geographic conditions.
Teething symptoms
Teething in most cases has the following symptoms:
- profuse salivation;
- irritation of the skin around the mouth and on the chin (due to constant moisturizing with saliva);
- itching, swelling and redness of the gums;
- the desire to chew something (the child constantly pulls something into his mouth - fingers, toys, diaper, etc.);
- increased irritability and poor sleep;
- refusal to eat or poor appetite;
- loose stools;
- temperature increase.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that doctors are confident in the groundlessness of the latter symptoms - in the vast majority of cases, they are caused by concomitant diseases of an infectious nature.
How to Ease Your Baby's Suffering?
To help the baby, parents can use the following measures:
- Cold compresses (for example, using a chilled swab or slightly frozen banana);
- Chilled drink;
- Massage the gums using devices for biting and sucking (teething rings with water inside, which can be given chilled to the child, are excellent);
- The use of gels for antiseptic therapy, pain relief and relieving itching;
- Distracting maneuvers - the baby should be distracted from unpleasant sensations by playing.
And finally, any anomalies with the development of the first teeth should be a reason for visiting a specialist.
