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Doctor in the House: Is your infant drooling excessively? She may be teething

Odontiasis also known as teething in babies, occurs where the teeth cut through the gums in an infant. It is a fascinating process that most parents eagerly wait for. In most children, this process usually starts between four to seven months, but this is not a rule of thumb. It is merely an estimation, so don’t worry if
your baby’s teeth came in early or even later. Each baby is different.

Signs that your baby maybe teething

A lot of babies don’t really show major symptoms and you may suddenly discover a tooth has sprouted in the lower jaw when you are breastfeeding. Others may show one or more of the following symptoms or even most of them:

— swollen and painful gums,
— being more fussy than usual
— mild fever
— wanting to chew on anything and everything
— putting fingers or even the whole hand in the mouth
— drooling excessively to the point that the baby develops a rash
— tugging at the ear
— unwilling to eat or feed

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As mentioned above, most children sprout teeth and have no real problem.  But if your baby develops high fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, cough and cold you need to speak to your paediatrician as these are not symptoms of teething.

How to soothe your baby’s teething discomfort

When your baby is uncomfortable there are few things that can be done to soothe your baby. What worked for your friends with their baby may not work for yours. You can try putting something cold in the baby’s mouth like a cold spoon or a wet, clean wash cloth, or even a cold pacifier. A solid cold teething toy may work but many paediatricians advise against this as it can hurt the baby’s gum. I don’t advise those fluid-filled teething gels as there is a chance that your baby may bite it and it may tear spilling all the liquid in
her mouth. An older child, say around nine months old, can sip some cool water.

Also read |Doctor in the House: Is your newborn crying buckets? Relax, it’s normal!

Another option is to wash your hands and gently massage the gum or even let your little one gnaw at your finger, as long as they have not sprouted a tooth, then of course it could get very painful you.

Avoid products that are not approved as treatment for teething. These can include:
— liquid teething gel toys that can break
— plastic toys that can break in the baby’s mouth
— teethers that are frozen solid, which can hurt the baby

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Instead use toys made of rubber and substances that are not harmful such as lead. I see many children wearing teething necklaces. These are dangerous, as it can form a tight noose around the baby’s neck. Also babies can choke on the beads if they put it in the mouth and the the necklace breaks.

If you still want your baby to wear one of these, then its better if it goes around the waist or even around the ankle. As you cannot be around the baby all the time, it is better that it is not around the neck.

Also read |Doctor in the House: Heading Home with your newborn? Here’s a checklist of dos and don’ts

Teething Medicines

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There are many dental gels available in the market and other baby teething gels that promise to help with the pain. It really does not help as it gets washed away. It may even cause swallowing problems as it may numb the throat. Benzocaine is a local anaesthetic that is present in most of teething gels and is not recommended for children under two years. It can cause rare but very serious side effects. You can always use paracetamol as a pain killer. I don’t recommend ibuprofen as it should not be given ideally to children under six months.

Order Of Tooth Eruption

When and how teeth come in can be different for every baby, but in most cases, the front lower two teeth come in first, followed by the opposite top two teeth and then the ones on the side in the top row. This is followed by two on either side of the lower two teeth and the the molars. The teeth in front of the molars are next and then the back molars which are the last to come. By the time your baby is three years old, she would be having 20 teeth.

Caring for your baby’s teeth

Ideally, good oral hygiene should start before your baby develops her first tooth. You can gently clean her gums with a wet clean muslin cloth or gauze once a day. Be very gentle and make sure you don’t hurt their
mouth. Even when your baby develops teeth, continue cleaning with just water
and a cloth at least two times a day.

Once your baby is a year old, use a brush with bristles and put a small amount of fluoride-free toothpaste to clean the teeth. Your paediatrician will monitor your child’s teeth and check that there are no caries and if there is, they will refer you to a dentist. Till three years of age, your paediatrician will keep an eye on your baby’s teeth. Thereafter your child’s teeth will need to be looked after by a paediatric dentist!

Dr Saroja Balan is consultant neonatologist and paediatrician at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. Her column appears every fortnight.

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Why does My 2-month-old Suck on Hands?

You and your baby are just starting to get to know each other, and then you notice your 2 month old sucking on hands from time to time. You may be wondering if your baby is starting to teeth already, or maybe they’re hungry. Fist sucking may be a form of communication from your baby that they may need something, but it may also be a form of play, and learning. Learning to read your baby’s cues is all part of these first few months. This article will help you understand some of the reasons why your baby may be sucking on their hands, and some things you can try if they seem fussy while doing it.

If your two month old baby seems to like sucking on his or her hands, it is showing you that they are developing some motor skills. You may notice your baby can hold their head up more steady, or even take a swipe at a toy near them. Most of all, they are resourceful. If they don’t have a pacifier handy, they just use their hands. Here are some of the reasons why you may notice this happening:

Overstimulation

Two-month old babies can’t handle too much going on around them. They may only tolerate a few minutes of activity, then need to soothe themselves. Signs of your baby being overstimulated include; sucking on hands, yawns, turning head to side, or they may begin to cry. Babies can soothe themselves, and putting their hands in their mouth is a sign they are trying to calm down.

Observe your baby and what happens during busy times. You may notice your baby placing a fist or fingers into their mouth. You may notice this in places like; family gatherings, shopping areas, the doctor’s office, or even at home when everyone is in the same room.

Hunger

A 2 month old sucking on hands may be hungry. Some babies don’t cry when they are hungry, but place their hands to their mouth and make sucking noises. This is common around feeding times, or even between regular feedings during a growth spurt. Babies who are breastfed may place their hands in their mouths, while turning their head to the side towards your breast. This is known as the “rooting reflex.”

Needing Stimulation

Sucking on the hands may be a sign that your baby is in need of stimulation. Babies can get bored and may need some playtime with either mommy or daddy. They really don’t need to play much at this age, but they may let you know by placing their hands into their mouth. Another sign that goes along with this is they are very alert and awake, but not crying. They may watch you across the room, or look intently at other objects near them. Your baby’s motor skills aren’t developed enough to grab and hold toys, so sometimes their hands are all they have.

Needing Comfort 

Babies suckle to soothe and comfort themselves. If they are sucking on their hands and fingers, they may be looking for comforting. This is common if mom is busy doing other things, and baby is left in a chair or swing. They may be suffering from things like; gas, tummy pain, or diaper rash. Sometimes these things won’t make your baby cry out in pain, rather they will suck on their hands to help themselves feel better.

Sleepiness

Most babies will fall asleep when they are tired without any issues. Some like a pacifier, breast, or bottle to fall asleep. If your baby is trying to fall asleep, they may suck on their hands in place of a nipple. You may also notice that they get very quiet, and less responsive to your voice or other noises.

Teething 

It is possible for two-month old babies to experience some teething pain. They may not actually “cut” a tooth for a few more months, but can start to feel pain and pressure. If someone in your family began teething around two-months, chances are your baby may be too. Other signs of teething include drooling, fussiness with feedings, extra night wakings, and even the appearance of a rash around the mouth from drooling.

If you notice your 2 month old sucking on hands often, there are a few things you can try to make them comfortable. Most often they are just discovering their hands and nothing is wrong. If you notice your baby is fussy, and you notice them sucking on their hands, try these things:

• Try a feeding. It may be that your little one is going through a growth spurt and is extra hungry right now. It may even be time to increase the time that you breastfeed, or add a few ounces of extra formula to each bottle feeding.
• Try putting a soft toy in their hand. The fists may still be clasped and you can unroll the fingers and put a toy inside that they can grasp and chew on. Make sure the toy is soft since they still have “startle” reflexes, and may hit themselves in the head with a hard toy.
• Just leave them be. If it seems your baby is using his or her fist to self-soothe, don’t worry. Learning to self-soothe is very good for their development.
• Place a cold teething ring on the gums. This may help with early teething discomfort. Don’t force it if your baby objects or reacts to the cold. You can also try a wet washcloth that has been placed in the freezer or fridge.
• Offer a pacifier. If your baby seems like they just need to “suckle” you can try a pacifier between feedings. Some babies are soothed by suckling extra, even when they are not hungry.
• Have some playtime. If your baby seems awake and not fussy, try to have some playtime for extra stimulation. Sing a few songs, read a book, or hold a toy over them and see if they can track it with their eyes.

Now you know all about 2 month old sucking on hands.

Let’s talk about saliva in a 2 month old baby. Causes of excessive salivation in babies

If a two-month-old baby suddenly drools, then many parents diligently begin to look for swollen gums or teeth that have already crawled out in his mouth.

But the first teeth in children very, very rarely appear in the third month of life. So why then does the baby drool so much and blow bubbles?

Why does a 2 month old baby drool? nine0009

1. Beginning of the functioning of the salivary glands.

This is the most common reason. In the third month, the active work of the salivary glands occurs, a large volume of saliva begins to be produced. And the swallowing reflex is fully formed only by 5 months, so the baby simply cannot swallow so much saliva. It is for this reason that saliva flows out.

2. We are waiting for the first tooth.

Although the first teeth appear after four to six months, the gums can already start preparing for this event. The teeth gradually begin to move in the gum, preparing to come out in a few months. The body begins to produce an increased amount of saliva to moisten the irritated gums. As soon as the first tooth cuts a hole in the gum, the amount of saliva will decrease.

3. Saliva protects the little organism.

It turns out that the baby’s saliva contains special antibacterial substances . They help to neutralize infections that enter the mouth. This is an extremely useful and necessary property of saliva. Starting from 2 months, a small child begins to put everything in his mouth. nine0003

It can be a rattle, your own hands or your mother’s finger. It is abundant saliva that prevents infections and bacteria from entering the baby’s body. Salivary fluid washes the mouth and flows out along with possible bacteria.

4. Allergic reaction.

Approximately 15% of babies are predisposed to such a disease as allergic rhinitis. Signs of this disease, in addition to profuse salivation, are also swelling of the mucous membrane, watery eyes, sneezing, itching in the nose. The cause of such rhinitis can be dust, flowering plants, pet hair. nine0003

Doctors’ advice on what to do if a child has low hemoglobin at 3 months.

Read here about how a baby develops at 7 months. Norms of weight and height.

In this article, read about the baby’s daily routine at 9 months, about his nutrition, development, feeding.

If you observe all these symptoms in an infant, you should consult a doctor and get advice and appropriate treatment from him.

5. Diseases of the oral cavity.

Sometimes excessive drooling can indicate oral diseases such as thrush or stomatitis.

In addition to increased salivation in these diseases, the child is restless, capricious, will suck badly and white plaque or plaques can be found on the mucous membranes.

If you experience these symptoms, you should immediately contact your pediatrician and seek treatment advice.

6. Hypersalivation.

Very rare, but excessive salivation may be one of the signs of serious illness .

In order not to miss the disease, you should carefully monitor the health of the baby, take all the necessary tests and studies according to age.

A consultation with a neurologist and a pediatrician will clarify the picture and relieve parents of unnecessary suspicions.

Read. what a child should be able to do at 10 months, what games amuse and develop him.

Causes of rash in infants, types of rash, recommended methods of effective treatment – http://mamavika.com/detsk-zdorov/bolezni/syip-na-litse-u-rebenka-1-mesyats.html

How to survive such profuse salivation?

From the beginning of the third month of life, abundant saliva occurs in almost all babies.

And if at first they do not cause any discomfort, then over time, constant drooling wets clothes and can cause inflammation around the mouth and on the chin.

Here are 5 tips that you can and should use during your baby’s salivary period.

• Change wet clothes more often. nine0016 And let it add washing to mom, but the baby will always have a comfortable dry breast and neck.
• Purchase and use a large number of bibs and change them as needed. In stores, you can now find colorful bibs of various colors and textures.
• Wipe baby’s face with sterile gauze or a clean soft handkerchief. In this case, do not rub the already damaged skin of the child. If, nevertheless, irritation appears on the skin, then cracks and pimples should be lubricated with baby cream or sea buckthorn oil. nine0102
• If increased salivation is associated with the eruption of the first teeth, then it is necessary to acquire special teethers or teethers. Various teething gels have proven themselves very well in this case, they significantly reduce pain and cool the gums.
• Be patient and get used to your baby’s constant saliva. After all, children’s drooling is a continuous phenomenon. After six months, active teething will begin and drooling, flowing in a stream, will not disappear anywhere. nine0102