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Ask the Riley at IU Health Expert: Tips to help baby through teething pain

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Teething can be an uncomfortable time for both baby and parents, but there are ways to ease the pain. Read on for common teething questions and tips parents can use to help their babies get through this stage relatively pain-free.

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There is so much drool! Is this normal?

Family members will often say they think their child is teething because they are drooling more than usual. There is probably something to that, although I donā€™t believe anyone has ever quantified what a ā€œusualā€ amount of drool is and how much this might increase during teething. What I will say is that I find that babies pretty much drool non-stop from about age 6 months to 18 months. Some of this probably has to do with teething, and some of this is due to just being a baby and learning new skills in feeding themselves, being able to hold things and being able to put things in their mouth. Additionally, this is often the time when babies are picking up their first round of respiratory viruses, so there can be a lot going on in the head and neck area at this time.

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What should I be looking for in products that claim to provide teething relief?

Some parents prefer to avoid plastics and products that could contain traces of certain chemicals. My main tip for new parents with teething babies who are looking for alternatives is to find a small clean washcloth, get it wet and then freeze it. Once it is frozen, it is a safe, soothing item that your little one can use to soothe their sore gums. Avoid things like Orajel and other numbing medicines; if too much is ingested, it can lead to complications with a childā€™s blood oxygen level or lead to irregular heartbeats.

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Does teething cause fever?

I always tell parents to keep in mind that while children can have slight temperature elevation with teething, it is unlikely that a baby will have a true fever (defined as 101.5 Fahrenheit or above) with just teething. A true fever in a baby should warrant a conversation with your doctor and not just be explained away by teething.

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Should I worry about my babyā€™s increased spit-up or vomiting and diarrhea during teething?

When people have researched this question, there has been some thought that there might be a slight increase in loose stools during teething. The thought process behind this is that babies are drooling more and swallowing more saliva, making the stools looser. If you notice your child is having slightly looser stools than normal, I think it is fine to ascribe that to teething. However, much like the temperature/fever question, if your child is having vomiting and diarrhea, you should contact your physician. If your child is has blood in their stool, that is definitely not related to teething and should absolutely be reported to your doctor.

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When is it OK to use a pain reliever?

We like to wait on using acetaminophen (Tylenol) until after age 2 months, because we do not want to suppress any fevers before that time, as fever in a child that young can be related to very serious infections, and the pediatrician needs to know about it. After that, the restrictions loosen up, and we donā€™t mind if you are giving your child acetaminophen for fever or when you perceive they are in some pain. Ask your doctor for specific dosing, but you can give it every six hours.

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My teething baby is fussy at bedtime. Can I give them a toy, washcloth or bottle in the crib to help them fall asleep?

This is tough, because safe sleep guidelines recommend not placing any extra items in the crib while a baby is sleeping. While a wet washcloth can be a good home remedy to ease teething pain, I do not recommend allowing it in bed with a baby. The same goes for bottles. In order to help promote relief from teething heading toward bedtime, I would consider timing the acetaminophen doses so that one is given in close proximity to bedtime. I would also consider having a good feeding right before going to bed, as oftentimes this can soothe a child in general.

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Dr. Michael McKenna is a pediatrician with Riley Childrenā€™s Health.

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