Teething- The Signs You Need to Look For in Your Child

There are ten signs of teething that all parents should be aware of so they can understand why their baby is fussy or uncomfortable during this milestone:

The signs of teething usually begin a few months or weeks before their first tooth even appears, so you will need to look for these  symptoms to ensure that the symptoms you notice are truly teething-related symptoms and nothing something else that needs to be checked by your pediatrician.

1. Irritability: If your baby is fussy and crying and putting their hand in their mouth it could be a result of the new tooth coming to the surface of the gum.

2. Drooling: Drooling is a common symptom of teething due to the increase in saliva.

 3. Coughing: When your baby starts teething they drool and have increased saliva which can cause your baby to cough or gag. Watch your baby to make sure it is just teething and not a cold.

4. Rash on their chin: If your child drools often due to teething, the saliva can cause and irritation or rash on your baby's chin. Make sure to gently wipe your baby's mouth and chin during the day to help prevent rashes.

5. Fever: A fever is another symptom that sometimes accompanies teething but it is usually very low-grade.

6. Biting & gnawing: A teething baby will put just about anything in their mouth to help massage their sore gums. You can purchase teething aids which are designed specifically for babies going through the teething process and they are safe and effective.

7. Cold like symptoms (runny nose, etc.): If your child displays cold like symptoms which include coughing,  runny nose and acts like they don't feel, take them to doctor to verify that it is in fact just teething rather than a cold.

8. Diarrhea: You may notice that your child has diarrhea while teething. Doctors believe that the most likely cause of diarrhea during teething is the extra saliva swallowed, which then loosens the stool. Contact your child's pediatrician if any diarrhea that lasts for more than three bowel movements.

9. Pulling at their ear: The ear pulling signal can confuse parents because not only can it mean that your babies molars are starting to come in but it can also mean your baby has an ear infection. One way to determine if it is an ear infection is if they have a fever.

10. Lack of sleep: Children that are uncomfortable while teething will often wake up frequently in the night.