As your baby grows first teeth
Dr. Iniobong Ekong formally of the Department of Paediatrics, Wuse General Hospital but now at the Hospital Management Board, Abuja gave this analysis. “The first teeth come out around six months. And six months is associated with first crisis of malaria because the immunity the child acquired from the mother during childbirth wanes down gradually. […]
Dr. Iniobong Ekong formally of the Department of Paediatrics, Wuse General Hospital but now at the Hospital Management Board, Abuja gave this analysis. “The first teeth come out around six months. And six months is associated with first crisis of malaria because the immunity the child acquired from the mother during childbirth wanes down gradually. So people say teething cause illness but that is not it. Teething is a normal physiologic process and it does not need any treatment,”Ekong says.
Explaining further Ekong says, “basically, at the time the teeth is trying to come out, it is itchy and the child will naturally want to put the hand in the mouth to scratch it. Most times the hand would have touched dirt. If they put a dirty hand in the mouth, they will start purging. So, it is not the teething that causes the problem, but the infection that comes as a result of putting the hands in the mouth. So, what you need to do is to keep the child’s hand very clean so that it cannot transmit any germs through contact with other things. However, if it goes beyond that, then you have to take the child to the hospital and if the child has diarrhea or fever, it will be treated,” Ekong explains.
Medical experts say your baby’s teeth starts developing while she was in the uterus (womb), when teeth buds were formed in the gums. Now her teeth are pushing through her gums. This is what is causing her gums to be painful and perhaps swollen. Sucking, however, can cause more blood to rush to the swollen areas, making them particularly sensitive. This is why she may turn away from your breast or a bottle when he/she is teething.
Some mothers wonder why teething is painful and often want to know how to sooth their painful gum. Experts say (McIntyre and McIntyre 2002) giving your baby something cool to bite can relieve the pressure and ease the pain. Give your baby a teething ring. Pressure on your baby’s teeth from chewing a teething ring may relieve her pain. Solid silicone-based teething rings are recommended over liquid-filled products, which could leak and cannot be sterilised. If your baby is more than six months old, experts suggest you give them fruits like carrot and cucumber which can sooth them.
There is no set date when your baby’s first tooth will arrive; it could be any time between five and seven months (NHS 2010). Teething could carry on for a year or more. She should have all her milk teeth by the time she is two and a half.
You also will not know how long it will take for a tooth to push through that little gum. Your baby may be troubled for just a few days before a tooth emerges, but she could also show all the symptoms of teething for months with nothing to show for it.
The good news is that your baby’s first few teeth will probably be the worst. Her next few teeth may come through more easily. Your baby may go through another tough time when she is about a year old and her molars come through. Molars are the teeth at the back of her mouth, and they are the largest, so may cause her the most trouble when they appear. Until then you will both have time to recover from this difficult stage.