Tips to help you ease your baby's teething pain
Teething babies are often very uncomfortable, and as parents it’s our first instinct to help ease their pain. Here are a few ways of easing the discomfort of teething without the use of medication.
Understand what is typical
According to senior sister JSH van Wyk, a registered nurse with the South African Nursing Council, it helps to know the typical symptoms of teething so you’ll be able to tell when you have to intervene in terms of pain management.
“Classic signs and symptoms of teething include excessive drooling, chewing on objects, irritability or crankiness, sore or tender gums and a slight increase in temperature, but no outright fever. Some babies may have a loose stool or get feverish. If your baby’s temperature exceeds 38°C, get in touch with your paediatrician,” says Nurse Van Wyk.
Start with the basics
Nurse Van Wyk recommends that parents start with the basics when considering pain relief measures for their teething baby.
“Start simply, by rubbing your baby's gums using a clean finger of wet gauze. This pressure alone can be enough to ease your baby's discomfort in some cases. If they still seem fussy, offer something cold for them to chew on. You could, for instance, soak a clean washcloth in filtered water, wring it out, place it in the freezer for an hour and let your baby chew on that. Or you can place frozen fruit or veggies in a mesh or silicone teether before you give it to your baby to suck on,” recommends Nurse Van Wyk.
Consult with your paediatrician
When it comes to administering medication to sooth teething pain, Nurse Van Wyk urges parents to consult with their paediatrician before purchasing and using any over-the-counter remedies.
“Every baby is different, and the only way to know which medications are safe to use is to consult with a registered healthcare provider who knows your child and sees them for their well-baby assessments on a regular basis.
Your friends and family (and lots of people on the internet and social media mommy groups) will definitely offer quite a bit of advice, but in in the end the safest course of action is to get input from a trained medical professional who knows your child’s medical history,” suggests Nurse Van Wyk.
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