Your 8 month old has been cranky all day, gnawing on everything in sight, and refuses to eat. Her gums look a little swollen, and you’re holding out hope that a new tooth is the cause of your little one’s difficulties.
An interesting study was done which followed 125 infants from their four month checkup through to their one year checkup. This research is very helpful in shedding light on what symptoms are caused by teething, and when these symptoms emerge.
Generally speaking, symptoms were worst for 4 days before the tooth emerged, and 3 days after the emergence (4 days before, the day of, 3 days after…8 days of misery total).
If your baby’s symptoms seem severe, it is important to have them checked out by a doctor. While this study (and others like it) did show that teething babies may experience some discomfort, the symptoms were generally mild.
Teething
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