Babies can be pretty fussy when they’re teething. Unfortunately, during the first couple of years of their lives, they’re almost constantly teething. This makes it difficult to tell whether your child has a new tooth coming in or whether something else is wrong. Here are few things to look for to help you figure out if a tooth is getting ready to show itself.
If your baby seems like he or she is getting a cold, it might in fact be teething. When the teeth come in, they sometimes put pressure on the baby’s sinuses or ear canals. This can cause cold symptoms to occur. These symptoms can be as mild as a runny nose or as extreme as a full blown ear infection.
You might be surprised to realize that ear infections are a sign of baby teething. Ear infections can be a result of the new teeth causing pressure to the baby’s ear canal. This causes fluid to back up and become infected. An ear infection will need to be treated as soon as possible to prevent any permanent damage to the ear drum.
As well, your baby might experience fever when the teeth are coming in. But keep in mind that normal teething doesn’t cause a high fever. If your baby develops a high fever at any time, don’t ignore it. There could be a chance that either an ear infection or sinus infection has developed. You’ll have to pay a visit to the pediatrician, who will likely prescribe an antibiotic medication.
When your little one is teething, there will be several other symptoms you can look for. For example, red cheeks usually accompany this process. If one cheek is red and the other isn’t, look for a new tooth to appear on the red side.
Another sure sign is an overabundance of drool. Of course, babies always drool, but during teething it will increase dramatically. You might even find that you have to change your baby’s clothes frequently because of the excessive drooling.
Teething can also be the explanation for unexplained, sustained periods of crying and misery. One of the worst symptoms of teething is excessive crying. And this will typically lead to sleep problems as well. Either of these situations will be uncomfortable for both you and your baby.
Most people who offer you baby advice will suggest that you give your child some pain reliever to ease the symptoms. But make sure you talk to the baby’s pediatrician before you give your child any type of medication.