From the Research
Teething Symptoms in Infants
- Teething is a normal process that can cause a variety of symptoms in infants, including sensitive and painful gums, mouth ulceration, drooling, feeding difficulties, lack of sleep, and crying 1.
- A survey of parents and health professionals found that the majority of individuals believed that teething in infants can cause swollen gums, drooling, irritability, inflamed gums, restlessness, sleeplessness, and fever 2.
- However, a cohort study found that there is little evidence to support the belief that teething is associated with fever, irritability, drooling, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, night crying, and convulsions 3.
Pain and Discomfort
- Teething can cause pain and discomfort in infants, with symptoms such as painful gums and mouth ulceration 1.
- Topical analgesic gels, such as those containing choline salicylate, can be applied directly to the gums to relieve pain and inflammation 1.
- A survey of Australian parents found that most parents believed that teething causes pain, fever, irritability, sleep disturbance, and drooling, and that they used remedies such as paracetamol and topical analgesia to manage these symptoms 4.
Variability in Symptoms
- The symptoms of teething can vary between individuals, and what may be a minor upset for one infant may be more severe for another 5.
- A study found that parent-reported loose stools were significantly associated with tooth eruption, but this association was not found when the definition of tooth eruption was varied 3.
- The relationship between teething and systemic upsets, such as fever and diarrhea, is not well established, and severe systemic upsets should be referred to a physician for an accurate diagnosis and treatment 5.