Related Experiment Videos
Teething in babies: separating fact from fiction
Professional Care of Mother and Child
|January 1, 1996
Insights
Teething in babies rarely causes illness. Most hospitalised infants with teething symptoms actually have other underlying medical conditions requiring attention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatal Care
- Infant Health
Background:
- Teething is commonly blamed for infant illness.
- Many parents and healthcare providers attribute various symptoms to teething.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the actual causes of illness in infants hospitalized with symptoms attributed to teething.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 50 hospitalized infants.
- Review of medical records for diagnosed conditions.
Main Results:
- 48 out of 50 infants (96%) had an organic cause for their illness, unrelated to teething.
- Common teething symptoms include mild fever, sleep/feeding disturbances, irritability, gum swelling, and drooling.
Conclusions:
- Symptoms like diarrhea, respiratory issues, ear pulling, fever, or convulsions are not caused by teething.
- These severe symptoms necessitate prompt medical evaluation to identify and treat the actual underlying organic cause.
Abstract:
In one study, out of 50 babies hospitalised for symptoms attributed to teething, 48 had an organic cause of illness. Symptoms may include a slight rise in temperature, disturbed sleep and feeding, irritability, swollen tender gums and dribbling. Diarrhoea, respiratory symptoms, pulling at the ears, fever or convulsions should not be attributed to teething and require medical attention.