CAN TEETHING BE THE CAUSE OF SLEEP PROBLEMS?

Every mom has probably at one time or another blamed a poor night’s sleep on teeth! The question is; is there any truth in this excuse? Ann Richardson looks at when can we blame teeth for night wakings, if ever?

Why is it that just when your baby is able to start sleeping through the night, and may in fact, already have started doing so, that teeth decide to make an appearance! Teething, per se, does not cause a sleeping disorder. Rather accept that when your child is teething, sleep may be disrupted temporarily. Avoid falling into the trap of blaming “teeth” for bad sleeping habits that never seem to go away.

It is important to recognize some important facts about teething, so that you can have a clear understanding of what your child is feeling when he is cutting his precious new teeth.

Teething, by definition, is when the actual tooth cuts through the gum and appears in your baby’s mouth.

This may occur anytime from 3 months of age (very unusual) up to 1 year of age. Early teething (in babies younger than about 7 months) usually follows a family history of early teething. Late teething of the first tooth (after one year of age) is also unusual, and also follows a family history. Check with your parents when you cut your first tooth, and invariably, your child will follow suit.

On average, most babies cut their first tooth at around 7 months of age. However, it is not unusual for your baby to celebrate his first birthday with no sign of teeth!

This actual “cutting” may be preceded by a period of discomfort (may last weeks) as the teeth settle into the gums and prepare to start pushing upwards. This is usually when your baby drools excessively, and loves to chew and bite down on objects. This period is seldom characterized by fever, loss of appetite and other illness such as diarrhea and ear ache.

If your baby is 15 months or older with no sign of teeth, consult your Dentist who may want to X ray his mouth to check that his teeth are present.

Signs that your baby may be ready to cut his first tooth include the following:

• Excessive drooling and biting down on objects
• Loss of appetite, especially sucking on the breast or bottle
• A low grade fever, or periods of intense fever
• A red and spotty rash around his mouth
• Nappy rash – may be severe
• Frequent, loose stools
• A runny nose
• Ear ache

There is a theory that teething may “weaken” your baby’s general immune system and make him more susceptible to illnesses such as otitis media (ear infections), bronchitis (chest infections) and tummy upsets. This, however, has not been scientifically proven. Many parents confuse normal developmental milestones (such as chewing on fingers and hands, and blowing bubbles) with teething.

Remember that at around 3 months of age, your little one will find his hands (Oh joy!) and chew excessively on them, creating plenty of drool and bubbles! Don’t confuse this exciting developmental milestone with teething or hunger!

If your child is feeling unwell whilst teething, please treat him with teething medication that is available from your pharmacy. Do you remember when your wisdom teeth started appearing? This is what your little one is experiencing whilst he is cutting his teeth. He may have a headache, and have a sore mouth, especially with eating.

If your nights are becoming difficult, medicate with the prescribed medication at bedtime, and repeat the dose at prescribed intervals during the night if needs be.

Source: Momsmatter.co.za

Teething

The following information is courtesy of the Editor at www.Babeeze.co.za – hope it helps the mommies out there

TEETHING TIME

Is there ever a right time for teething? Is there a set time and order that you can expect your little one to start teething? The answer again is no – babies differ.

If I look at my little one – he started late – around 10 months and instead of getting his lower incisors, he received his upper first molars. And a week later there was one upper and one lower incisor.

But if you are lucky and have a “by the book” baby as some of my friends have you can look to expect the following:

Most commonly teething starts around 6-7 months with the lower incisors. Thereafter, more baby teeth begin to erupt every month or two. So, starting with the incisors, and then the first molars. Followed by the canines and then lastly the second molars.

Here is a basic chart that you can look at following:

TOOTH	ERUPTION	FALLS OUT
Upper Jaw
Central Incisor	7-12 months	6-8 years
Lateral Incisor	9-13 months	7-8 years
Canine	16-22 months	10-12 years
First Molar	13-19 months	9-11 years
Second Molar	25-33 months	10-12 years
Lower Jaw
Central Incisor	6-10 months	6-8 years
Lateral Incisor	7-16 months	7-8 years
Canine	16-23 months	9-12 years
First Molar	12-18 months	9-11 years
Second Molar	20-31 months	10-12 years

Symptoms of teething:

• Often teeth simply appear without any signs but in most cases you may find
• Your little one may drool a bit more than normal
• Your little one may want to chew on things or place objects into the mouth to bite down on
• Gums may look a bit swollen
• Cheeks become very rosy
• Crying, diarrhea and nappy rashes are often common symptoms.
• Agitated or niggly.

Tips for soothing gums:

• Give your little one something cool to gum on e.g. a teething ring (the ones you can place in the fridge are often great).
• Vidol powder is always a great one to keep on hand (especially if out and about) – keep a few sachets in his/ her nappy bag.

Or let them chew of a piece of dried mango or biltong – just be careful of choking.