Teething

Teething is the beginning of your child’s eruptions of new teeth through their gums. This process usually begins between six and eight months of age. Molars are usually the last to appear and the whole process is usually complete with 20 teeth by 3 years of age.

Signs that your baby is teething include inflamed gums, a low-grade temperature, drooling, a fondness for biting on hard objects, irritability, difficulty sleeping and a loss of appetite.

Conventional Treatment
Numbing the area for pain relief may be used with local anaesthetics (lidocaine or benzocaine). Baby anbesol is available over the counter.
Excessive amounts of lidocaine can suppress an infant’s gag reflex.

A mild pain reliever is also sometimes used such as Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen although in large doses, both have their own side effects.

Nutrition and Recommendations
Cold teething rings, hard rubber teethers and frozen fruit can all help to sooth baby’s gums. There is a great product on the market able to hold frozen fruit in a mesh bag for a teething baby. This is a nice treat for baby and the frozen fruit adds comfort.

Chamomilla is a herb commonly used for teething. If the baby is very irritable, worse at night, and wants to be carried around try Chamomilla. This supplement can be found in baby doses (or teething tablets) at your local health food stores.

You can also try different comforting herbs in a tea, and then freeze the tea in ice cubes or on a washcloth. Again, this combines a herbal remedy with a frozen comfort for baby.