Baby Teething Remedies

Baby teething remedies are important to mothers with infants going through the stressful and chafing teething stage. Onset of teeth development in an infant is termed as teething. It is a process wherein milky-white teeth begin to gradually pierce their way out of the infant's gums. The baby's teeth development commences at the fetus stage itself, wherein, formation of teeth buds is spearheaded. However, they start making their way into the mouth after few months of birth. There is no specific time period attributed to teething initiation, however, as per observation teething can begin as early as 2 months after the child is born or as late as 7 to12 months. So on an average teething occurs between the age of 2 to 12 months.

Teething for some babies can be a completely painless experience, however, some can be plagued by a lot of pain, agitation and swelling. Some teething signs are drooling heavily, rejecting breast or bottle feed, being cranky and restless throughout the day, etc. Moreover, their sleep patterns also get disrupted conducing to even more frustration for the mother and child. Some babies are even affected by high temperature, diarrhea and rash on the lips and chin. The pain and chafing caused by the emerging teeth can be countered by some baby teething remedies.

Remedies for Teething

There are several remedies for teething baby available today. Right from topical medicines to pills and liquid medicines, homeopathic remedies, etc. are sold in drug stores. Topical medicines are used to numb the tenderness and rawness, caused to the gums by the cutting teeth. Moreover, the liquid and pill medicines help alleviate the pain associated with the teething process.

Homeopathic remedies on the other hand, work on enhancing the body's natural abilities of fighting the situation. Never try any of these medicines before consulting a health care provider. Before you plunge into any of these remedies for teething baby, it is better to try out some simple infant teething remedies that can be carried out at home. Some parents say they work, while some argue about the effectiveness of these remedies. There's no harm trying out these remedies as they bring no harm. You never know what works for your tiny tot! Some of the baby teething remedies are as follows:

Teething Ring
Pressure on the gums brings relief from the chafing, thus, teething rings are good as they give the infant something to chew on and ameliorate the irritation. There are different kinds of teething rings: rubber rings, liquid-filled rings, solid silicone-based teething rings, etc. The liquid rings possess water within them and are meant to be refrigerated to make the water inside the ring cool. However, these type of rings cannot be sterilized and are prone to leakage. So it's advisable to stick to the silicone one.

Teething Biscuits
Teething biscuits are biscuits prepared for the infant to chew on. You can prepare these biscuits at home as well. To prepare a teething biscuit you need 1 cup sugar, 2 ¼ cup of flour, 1 tsp vanilla and 2 eggs. Beat the eggs until frothy and add the other three ingredients to it and prepare a dough. Roll out the dough and cut out rings and sticks large enough for the baby to chew on. Allow it to stand on a cookie sheet overnight to dry. Bake the rings for half an hour in 325 degree Fahrenheit oven, till they become hard. Teething biscuits should be given only to babies who have begun on solids, usually 6 months and older. However, teething biscuits are observed to add unnecessary amounts of salt and sugar into their tiny bodies, which is why many avoid it.

Massaging
Massaging the baby's gums gently, but firmly with one's finger can bring about a soothing effect to the baby. However, one must make sure the finger is clean. The baby may not understand your motive of sticking a finger on his or her gums initially, but, after a few movements of the finger, the baby will calm down and will begin to enjoy the finger massage.

Cold Food and Water
Coldness benumbs the gums and relieves pain. One can give the baby a cold-water bottle to suck on. Cold fruits and vegetables like cold carrots or cold bananas can be given to the baby to suck on. Choose vegetables and fruits that will not break, instead dissolve into smaller pieces into the mouth. Babies who already have some teeth developed should not be given carrots, etc. as they can bite off pieces, thereby conducing to risks of choking. Baby's also like to suck on cold spoons or cold wash cloth (tied into a knot) during their teething stages. Read more on baby teething symptoms.

You will have to check out and see which of these baby teething remedies brings relief to your baby. After trying all these natural baby teething remedies, if the baby still shows no sign of being relieved, consult your health provider for some antibiotic treatments.