As the mother of a 19-month-old, I have been blessed / burdened with a very
difficult teether, and I think it's so that I can be a better provider and
explain teething a little bit more to my patients and families. The first thing
I've noticed as a mother is an increase in temperature -- notice I didn't say fever
so the temperature may be increased but until we're over 101 or really a hundred
point three, do not be concerned that it's an actual fever. Teething can cause an
increased temperature but not a fever. For teething what I have found is most
beneficial for those really really really really rough nights is ibuprofen
ibuprofen tends to help with inflammation and I get some sleep and
Aiden get some sleep too. Unfortunately the things to not do are longer than the
things to do when it comes to teething. So the first thing to avoid -- numbing gels
numbing gels often have an ingredient in them that work great for adults but
are easy to overdose on for children and the unfortunate thing is that stuff
wears off very quickly so the more you put on the more potential there is for a
reaction that can be very serious. The FDA recently came out with something
that they're concerned with with the amber teething necklaces although there
are some properties with amber that can be beneficial that they found at a
certain temperature they found that it is actually a choking hazard so I would
also avoid those. But I do have some tricks that I think do help. One thing is
you can use a wet washcloth that you put in the refrigerator and just have them
chew on it, it actually works really good and in the summer time it's kind of fun
it's kind of like a fun toy. The other thing is, is that you can use frozen baby
food, there's some teethers out there that exist that they can actually gnaw on
with fruit and vegetables that you can put in there to help introduce healthy
foods as well. As a mom, I know teething is just terrible and so what I recommend
is extra hugs, patience, and... good luck!