Teething

Teething

The formation of teeth in a child begins in the womb. At the beginning of pregnancy, baby teeth begin to develop, and from the seventh to eighth month, mineral salts are deposited, which are involved in the formation of the first permanent teeth. In most cases, a child's first tooth appears at about six months. Sometimes the first teeth appear only at one year of age, several teeth may appear at once, or each tooth erupts separately.

By the age of one year, the baby has eight teeth, and at two and a half years, all 20 milk teeth. Some parents do not notice the appearance of their child’s first teeth at all. However, in most children, each new tooth makes itself known long before it appears: the child develops increased salivation and chews toys or fists with ferocity. The baby often has red cheeks due to increased blood supply to the jaw. The child is restless, capricious, crying and screaming. It's obvious he's in pain.

Often the appearance of teeth in children is accompanied by a rise in temperature to 37.5 C, diarrhea, and coincides with a cold. An increase in temperature promotes faster metabolism and therefore teething. Even the first teeth need care. To start, just wipe them in the evenings with a cotton swab.

How to help your baby:

1. Give your child something hard and cold to bite on - this will relieve pressure and tension in the jaw.

2. Massage the sore spots - this dulls the pain and accelerates the growth of teeth.

3. Reddened or inflamed areas of the jaw can be gently rubbed with chamomile infusion. For severe pain, pain-relieving gels help.

4. If your child drools a lot, the skin around the mouth may become red and rough. In this case, fatty creams or baby lotion will help.

5. Pamper your child more than usual. Your love and sense of security are the best remedy against pain.

Normal teething occurs around the sixth month of life. Teething later than 8 months may indicate weakness and pain in the child: teeth grow slowly and easily deteriorate.

During teething, the gums become swollen, itchy, and digestion is disrupted. To make teething easier, you need to wipe the gums with a solution of soda or borax, and give the child a crust of black bread to chew. It is better to exclude cereals from food, give more fat, milk and eggs.

The appearance of teeth is an important stage in the life of every child. Proper care will help facilitate this process and make it less painful for the baby.