The question of how to facilitate teething in a child worries every parent. Sooner or later, the crumb begins this painful and rather lengthy process, when neither he nor his parents have sleep and peace. In total, teething can take up to three years. All this time they will cause pain and discomfort to the baby. In this article we will talk about effective methods of pain relief, special medications and even folk remedies.
The appearance of the first teeth
The question of how to facilitate teething in a child, most parents have to face at about the same time. Typically, the first tooth begins to cut at six months. Often the very first white tubercle on the gum arises in the lower row in front, it is not difficult to notice it. In such a situation, it is understandable that the child is naughty, crying, his temperature rises.
The second molars in the lower and upper row begin to erupt. This occurs in approximately two years. Most often, by the age of three, the baby will grow all 20 milk teeth.
Teething pain
Teething of the first teeth gives a very painful and unpleasant suffering to both the baby and his parents. Pain and excessive salivation begin about one to two months before the very first tooth appears. It is during this period that parents try to figure out how to facilitate teething in the child. Be prepared for the fact that you do not have to sleep at night, you will have to reassure the baby in anticipation of each of his teeth.
In an attempt to alleviate his suffering, the child often begins to bite something or bite everything. This is not due to a sudden aggression, but from the usual desire to relieve an unpleasant itch. In such a situation, it is important to have something at hand that your baby can nibble without consequences, if the child allows, massage his gums with a clean finger. It might help too.
When teething gums can not only hurt, but also become inflamed. In this case, they will become swollen and turn red. With these symptoms, parents may begin to worry, for fear of diarrhea or fever. Having discovered a cutting tooth, they can calm down, since this is not a disease, but an unpleasant phenomenon that everyone has to endure.
If you are not sure if it’s the teeth, then similar symptoms may indicate an infection, a cold, or an upset stomach. When your child’s condition bothers you, consult your doctor.
It is worth noting that teething is not for everyone means suffering. Some endure this condition almost painlessly. A small tubercle of white color appears on the gum in a week and does not cause any problems. In this case, you can assume that you are lucky - you won’t have to guess about how to facilitate teething in a child.
Immediately after the appearance of the first tooth, be prepared for the next. They will not be long in coming. Teeth will appear literally one after another. Almost immediately after the eruption of two front teeth on the lower jaw, two teeth will hatch from above, and then behind and on the sides.
Effective methods
Now let's talk about the main thing - how to facilitate teething in a child. Of course, with the fact that the baby has teeth, nothing can be done, but you can try to minimize suffering.
Among the most effective tips demonstrating how to relieve teething pain in children, it is recommended that the baby be bitten with something cool, such as small peeled carrots. Only in this case, the child should not be left alone so that he does not choke. Pharmacies now even sell special chilled teething rings, which should be refrigerated before each use.
If your son or daughter is more than four months old, you can rub in him a special baby gel that does not contain sugar. You can buy it at any pharmacy.
Cold food
If the baby is already more than six months old, there is another way to alleviate the condition of the baby with teething. Try to give him cold food. For example, it can be yogurt or applesauce. When the first milk teeth appear, limit the use of cookies, crackers, as they contain sugar that is harmful in this situation.
When teething is accompanied by severe salivation, you can lubricate the skin on the chin with a small amount of petroleum jelly so that irritation does not appear there. In some cases, parents use homeopathic powders in an effort to alleviate suffering. You must understand that when using such funds there is no guarantee of their effectiveness. Moreover, in most cases they are a regular placebo.
Teething is often accompanied by high fever. If this condition persists for a sufficiently long time, the baby is very worried, then you should seek medical help from a qualified doctor. It is possible that in parallel with the baby, there is another, more serious problem, for example, an ear infection. In this case, treatment should be started immediately.
Medicines
If the child is really tormented, the usual ways to calm the pain do not help, you can use drugs that facilitate teething in children. On the market today you can even find several groups of drugs that have one or another effect.
The first group includes drugs containing a local anesthetic. Most often, this is lidocaine. These funds should be treated with great caution. Most experts do not recommend taking them, as they have many side effects. In some cases, overdose can cause pallor, vomiting, and even a slowdown in heart rate. These drugs are strictly contraindicated in renal failure. Due to the presence of a local anesthetic for some time, problems with swallowing occur. As an example, we can cite the German preparations “Dentinox” and “Kamistad baby”, Polish “Kalgel”.
Means without anesthetic
The second group includes drugs that relieve teething pains without an anesthetic. For example, this is the Polish drug "Holisal". It consists of an antiseptic and antimicrobial and analgesic agent of choline salicylate. The action begins in a couple of minutes, lasts from two to eight hours. It can not be used more often two to three times a day.
To massage the gums, you can use the Spanish tool Kin Baby. It is important that it contains only natural ingredients - extracts of sage and chamomile. There is a domestic analogue - “First Teeth” of the company “Pansoral”. It also contains nothing but herbs (extracts of the root of the marshmallow, chamomile, flowers of planting saffron).
Homeopathic remedies
The third group includes those same homeopathic medicines, the effect of which is very doubtful, but many parents still use them. Perhaps for complacency.
This is the French drug "Dantinorm baby." This is a natural remedy for oral administration, you can drink between meals.
The German remedy "Viburkol" is a candle that is placed every 30 minutes, but no more than two hours in a row. It can be used no more than three times a day.
Tips by Dr. Komarovsky
One of the most famous specialists in childhood diseases at present is the pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky. Tens of thousands of young parents in our country listen to his advice. He gained popularity thanks to the author’s program "School of Dr. Komarovsky." In it, he talks about various aspects of children's health, especially the care of babies.
Many parents turn to a specialist on a variety of issues. In particular, they seek to find out from Komarovsky how to facilitate teething in a child. The pediatrician insists that it is impossible to use gels with lidocaine or benzocaine, since they can provoke deadly complications. Therefore, you must carefully read the instructions, abandon the funds in which these substances are.
However, there is another way to help your baby with teething. Komarovsky advises the use of special teethers that relieve itching and pain, their effect is enhanced by pre-cooling.
It is best to feed the baby during this period through a nibbler. This is a special device with a silicone nozzle or a nylon mesh with a large number of holes. The necessary products are placed in it, which the baby can absorb. If teeth are cut, then the nibbler should be filled with chilled contents.
Folk remedies
There are folk remedies that help the child with the eruption of the first teeth. For example, healers advise rubbing gums with a finger wrapped in cloth. It should first be moistened in a solution of borax (at the rate of one teaspoon per glass of water) or soda.
A good anti-inflammatory is chamomile. To ease the pain, you can give the baby a couple of spoons of chamomile tea or make a warm compress from the brewed grass, applying it to the side on which the tooth is cut. Another option is to rub chamomile oil on the cheek.
Clove oil has an analgesic effect. You should know that in its pure form it is able to burn the gums of a child. Therefore, it should be diluted in the proportion of one and a half parts to one with almond or olive oil.
Honey
A remedy that helps with a large number of health problems is honey. You need to use it very carefully, after making sure that the baby does not have allergies. Some argue that this is a really effective tool that can help the baby during teething.
Apply honey in small quantities. Be sure to rub the product into the gums, otherwise the baby just licks it and does not feel relief.
Before going to bed, the child can additionally be given one teaspoon of honey. This will help him calm down, falling asleep will be much easier.
Amber Beads
There are more original ways to help your baby with teething. For example, use amber beads. They contain up to eight percent of succinic acid, which is a natural analgesic. This property of this stone was actively used by our ancestors when a similar problem arose.
Beads should be put on the child under the shirt so that they come in contact with his skin. It is important that the thread is strong, the child should not tear it, otherwise it can swallow one of the beads.