What are the treatments for infant teething pain?

From the Research

Treatments for Infant Teething Pain

• Various treatments are available to alleviate teething symptoms in infants, including:
  • Homeopathic treatments, such as Camilia® 1
  • Topical gels, such as those containing choline salicylate or hyaluronic acid 2, 3
  • Non-pharmacological treatments, such as rubbing the gums to ease discomfort 4
  • Systemic analgesics/antipyretics, which were prescribed in 68.8% of cases in one study 1
• The efficacy of these treatments is not well established, with one systematic review finding that the certainty of the evidence is very low due to methodological flaws and heterogeneity in the existing literature 2
• Some studies suggest that providing mothers with information on how to address teething symptoms can reduce the use of medications for symptom relief 4
• Teething symptoms can be alleviated effectively at home with teething aids, such as cold teething rings 3

Common Teething Symptoms

• Local symptoms, such as:
  • Sensitive and painful gums
  • Mouth ulceration
  • Drooling
• General symptoms, such as:
  • Feeding difficulties
  • Lack of sleep
  • Crying
  • Fever (≥38 °C) in 15.2% of infants 1

Management of Teething

• Supportive measures, such as:
  • Providing reassurance to parents
  • Offering guidance on how to alleviate symptoms
• Topical and systemic pharmacological preparations, such as:
  • Pain relief gels
  • Systemic analgesics/antipyretics
• Alternative holistic therapies, such as:
  • Homeopathic treatments
  • Non-pharmacological treatments, like rubbing the gums 4, 1, 5