Tips to Safely Helping Your Baby Through Teething Pain
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
SATURDAY, June 29, 2024 -- Tending to a teething baby is tough: Parents want to help, but might not be sure how.
Teething typically begins around 4 to 7 months of age, as the 20 or so "baby teeth" that will emerge by the age of 3 begin to form.
The usual signs of teething include "mild irritability, a low-grade fever, drooling and an urge to chew something hard," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a special tips sheet.
Turning to medicines with painkillers like benzocaine or lidocaine, or homeopathic treatments is not the answer to teething pain, the agency said.
In fact, "these products can be dangerous to children and can lead to serious injury, and even death," the FDA warned.
Common brand names of nonprescription oral health care products containing benzocaine include Anbesol, Cepacol, Chloraseptic, HurriCaine, Orabase, Orajel and Topex.
Avoid the temptation to try them on your teething baby.
"Using benzocaine products can lead to a serious, and sometimes fatal, condition called methemoglobinemia, in which the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells is greatly reduced," the FDA explained.
Likewise, products containing lidocaine are also unsafe for infants.
"It can cause grave harm, such as heart problems, severe brain injury and even death," the FDA warned. "In addition, topical oral viscous lidocaine solution can cause seizures in infants and young children when too much is applied, or it is accidentally swallowed."
Another danger: Teething "necklaces."
"The FDA also has received reports of death and serious injuries to infants and children, including strangulation and choking, caused by teething jewelry such as amber teething necklaces," the agency said.
So, what does work to safely ease teething?
According to the FDA, gently rub and massage your baby's gums with a (washed and clean) finger to help ease their pain.
Giving them a rubber teething ring to chew on is also advised. However, make sure the ring is firm (not liquid-filled) and not coming to the baby hard and frozen from the freezer.
"If the object is too hard, it can hurt the child’s gums," the FDA explained. "Be sure to supervise children so they don’t accidentally choke on the teething ring."
SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, consumer update, June 26, 2024
What This Means for You
If you're troubled by your baby's discomfort while teething, avoid the urge to turn to commercial medications containing benzocaine or lidocaine, experts say.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2024
Read this next
Kidney Trouble Could Mean Tooth Loss for Older Women
WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2024 -- Older women with chronic kidney disease might wind up losing so many teeth they aren’t able to chew and talk effectively, a new study...
A Matcha Mouthwash Might Fight Gum Disease
TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 -- Matcha green tea has the potential to keep gum disease at bay, a new study finds. Lab experiments show that matcha can inhibit the growth of...
PTSD Triples Odds for Teeth Grinding, Study Finds
THURSDAY, May 16, 2024 -- People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face more than triple the odds of bruxism, otherwise known as teeth grinding, a new study finds. The...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.
