Temperature due to teething in a child - what to do

The appearance of an infant’s first milk teeth is a difficult period for both him and his parents. The baby often cries, is capricious and demands increased attention from mom and dad. Teething is often accompanied by an increase in temperature. It lasts for 1-3 days, after which the child’s condition stabilizes.

Teething can be called a purely individual process. In some children it is completely asymptomatic, while in others very unpleasant symptoms appear that significantly worsen the baby’s life - diarrhea, hyperthermia, loss of appetite, inflammation of the gums and others. This clinical picture often confuses parents - they cannot understand whether these signs are related to teething or whether the child is developing some kind of pathology.

Parents' biggest concern during teething is temperature. It can rise to dangerous levels - 39-40°C. To alleviate the child’s condition, it is necessary to be able to provide him with first aid, as well as to recognize in time the signs indicating that you urgently need to either call an ambulance or go to the hospital yourself.

Why does the temperature rise

Teething is a traumatic process. Dental units damage the gum mucosa and inflammation occurs, which in medicine is called aseptic (microbial-free). This process is accompanied by an increase in temperature. In addition, during teething, some processes occur in the baby’s body that stimulate hyperthermia:

• at the site of localization of future milk teeth, specific substances necessary for softening the bone tissue of the jaw begin to be actively produced;
• Since all the forces of the child’s body are aimed at teething as quickly as possible, the immune system weakens a little. During this period, infectious agents present in the body may become active and diseases will begin to progress. Many of them are accompanied by an increase in temperature.

Damaged gums are the “entry gate” for infection. Through them, pathogenic microflora can penetrate the body and provoke the development of a septic inflammatory process. The body also responds to such an attack with an increase in temperature. To prevent infection, it is recommended to take more careful care of your baby’s gums during this difficult period for him. Pharmaceutical companies now produce many drugs that have a triple effect - relieve pain, reduce inflammation, fight viruses, bacteria and fungi. But before using these medications, it is recommended to consult your pediatrician.

Prevention measures

It is important for mothers to remember that a child’s health begins in the womb.
After all, the baby’s teeth are formed during pregnancy. It has long been proven that the more the expectant mother takes care of her health during pregnancy, the stronger her child’s teeth will be. Doctors advise pregnant women to eat seafood, milk, kefir, and cheese. If a gynecologist advises you to buy a special vitamin complex containing calcium, you should not neglect this advice. A lack of calcium in a child’s body causes dental problems. Caring mothers go through life with the correct motto “a happy baby is a healthy baby.” This article is for informational purposes only, please consult your doctor for details! Ask your doctor about contraindications and side effects.

Teething symptoms

A child's first teeth begin to erupt between 4 and 8 months. There are exceptions. Sometimes children are born with several teeth, while others show them only after a year. Teething is a difficult process for a child. It can be accompanied by various symptoms, but the most common are the following:

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1. Increased nervousness. The child cries for no reason, whines. Teething may be accompanied by painful sensations that prevent him from sleeping normally. As a result, the regime of wakefulness and rest is disrupted.
2. Heavy salivation. This is a protective process. Saliva has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties. Hypersalivation helps protect inflamed gums from infection. Sometimes there is so much saliva that it flows down the chin onto the neck and chest. You should not constantly rub your baby's delicate skin. It is permissible to periodically carefully blot with dry wipes.
3. Loose stools. During teething, the baby may experience diarrhea. It is caused by increased salivation, changes in intestinal microflora, or increased bacterial activity due to a decrease in the body's immune defense.
4. Decreased appetite. Often, due to pain in the gums, infants refuse to eat. In this case, it is a little easier for those who are breastfed, since the sucking process calms and pacifies the baby.
5. Inflammation of the gums. This is the natural state of affairs at the time of teething. If a white stripe appears in some place of the gum, the tooth will soon come out.
6. Runny nose. Sometimes swelling and inflammation from the gums spreads to the nasal mucosa. As a result, the baby begins to snot.
7. Itching in the gums. The baby puts all the objects that come to hand into his mouth. This is how he scratches his gums. To make his task easier, you can purchase special teething toys in stores.
8. Hyperthermia. The temperature rises in 80% of cases. It is important to ensure that it does not reach critical levels. Once every 1-2 hours, it is recommended to measure it not with an electronic, but with a mercury thermometer, since it is more reliable.

All these symptoms frighten parents, as they are similar to the signs of many other diseases of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. These symptoms are typical for teething. But you need to monitor the baby’s condition very carefully, and if the clinic is accompanied by other alarming symptoms, you need to immediately contact your doctor.

Other symptoms accompanying fever

During teething, there may be other symptoms in addition to fever. Swelling of the gums can spread from the oral cavity to the nasal mucosa, thereby causing a slight runny nose and the discharge of a slight transparent mucous secretion. This symptom is more pronounced when the upper teeth erupt.

The appearance of baby teeth is often accompanied by excessive salivation, especially when the lower teeth erupt. This also causes a slight loosening of the stool - the stool becomes a little softer than usual.

Symptoms indicating pathology

An increase in temperature during teething is a natural process. This is a kind of protective reaction of the baby’s body. At this time, it is necessary to carefully assess the general condition of the child. Sometimes dangerous pathologies can be hidden behind teething syndrome. Therefore, parents should know the symptoms indicating the progression of the pathological process:

1. Vomit. Single vomiting can occur at high temperatures. But if it recurs, the baby feels very bad and has diarrhea, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. These are signs of intestinal infection or poisoning.
2. Nasal congestion or discharge of thick yellow-green snot. This is not the norm, it is a pathology that requires adequate and immediate treatment.
3. Coughing. During teething, a lot of saliva is released. Often children simply do not have time to swallow it, and they may choke. A cough appears reflexively, which is not pathological. But if wheezing is heard and a certain amount of sputum is released during coughing, this indicates the development of diseases of the upper respiratory tract (tracheitis, bronchitis and others).
4. Stomach ache. With normal teething, this symptom should be absent. If the baby is restless, capricious, cries, or pulls his legs toward his stomach, these are alarming signs. Especially if the abdominal pain is accompanied by repeated vomiting. This symptom complex indicates the development of an intestinal infection. The child could pick it up through toys and other objects that he pulled into his mouth.
5. Red throat. Swelling from the gums does not spread to the palate. It can spread to the nasal cavity. If the throat and palate are hyperemic (reddened) upon examination, this is the first sign of the development of pharyngitis.

If you have at least one of these symptoms, you should immediately contact your doctor or go to a medical facility. There the child will be examined by a pediatrician and prescribed the correct treatment. It is prohibited to give any medications (except antipyretics) at home without prior approval from the doctor.

How many days does it last

In answering this question, it should again be recalled that all children are different and react differently to the appearance of teeth. On average, fever in babies can last 1-3 days and usually disappears immediately after teething.

But in the experience of many pediatricians, there are children whose high body temperature associated with the appearance of their first teeth lasted up to 4-5 days. Or there are cases when the fever lasts only a few hours and goes away without any intervention. In any case, you should not delay consulting a doctor, since if you have any diseases, identifying them earlier has a more favorable outcome.

How long does the temperature last

During teething, the temperature rises on average to 37.7°C. This has practically no effect on the general condition of the child. He is active, eats well, plays. But hyperthermia can also reach high numbers - 39-40°C. In this case, the baby is lethargic, capricious, and refuses to eat. It is better to take measurements every 1-2 hours. If the increase is critical, an antipyretic drug should be given. Normally, the temperature during teething can last up to three days. If hyperthermia is present even on the 4th day, you cannot do without the help of a doctor.

What is the maximum temperature possible during this period?

How much the temperature rises when a baby’s teeth appear depends only on his individual characteristics. On average, this figure is 37.5-37.7 degrees. Sometimes this figure can reach 38 - this is also an acceptable value. It is important to take regular measurements, since infants do not regulate heat exchange well and as inflammation progresses, the temperature can increase very quickly.

A higher temperature (39-40 degrees) may indicate complications, the development of a respiratory tract infection and requires immediate medical attention.

When to lower the temperature

There is no need to lower the temperature to 38.5°C. If it rises higher, you need to take action. Hyperthermia affects many processes in the human body. During fever, the water-salt balance is disrupted and the load on the heart increases. In severe cases, convulsions may occur that can lead to respiratory arrest. In no case should this be allowed to happen, as this would pose a threat not only to the health, but also to the life of the little patient.

• How many days does a baby's teething temperature last?

When to give antipyretic drugs:

• temperature exceeded 39°C;
• breathing rate increases;
• the baby sleeps for a very long time;
• the child is restless, cries, cannot calm down;
• drying of mucous membranes, redness of the skin;
• the occurrence of convulsions (in this case, they give an antipyretic and immediately call an ambulance).

If the child has already had convulsions once, the temperature must be brought down when it exceeds 38°C.

Child's body temperature when replacing baby teeth with permanent ones

During the period of loss of baby teeth and the appearance of permanent teeth, the child’s body temperature remains normal. Only some children's body temperature rises when permanent molars begin to form. The reason for this is the size and shape of the molars.

Typically, children's first permanent teeth begin to form at the age of six. If at this time the child’s temperature rises, then there is a possibility of gingivitis. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the gums and requires treatment.

What can you do to bring down the temperature?

An increase in a child's temperature is always a reason for panic among his parents. But it is important to control yourself and be able to properly help your child. To normalize body temperature, you can resort to methods of traditional and folk medicine.

Medications

For young children, it is best to give the medicine in syrup form or use rectal suppositories. Both the baby and the older child will refuse to take the bitter pill, and giving it to him will be problematic. If you don’t have anything else at hand, then you can try mixing the medicine with something tasty - honey, fruit puree.

Medicines for fever in a child

To normalize a child's body temperature, medications based on paracetamol or ibuprofen are used in pediatrics. The first can be given to a baby from the first days of life, the second - from three months. Before use, you should consult with your doctor, and also study the instructions for the drug in detail, paying special attention to side effects and dosage.

Traditional methods

If you don’t have the required medications in your medicine cabinet at the right time, you can resort to traditional methods of lowering your temperature. They allow you to reduce the heat by 1-2 degrees. This is often enough to stabilize the child’s general condition.

Effective methods:

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1. Physical cooling with a diaper or sheet. This method can hardly be called purely folk, since it is also used in medical institutions. Its essence is to cool the “burning” human body. It is necessary to wet the diaper in warm water and wrap it around the baby.
2. Rubbing with warm water. It is necessary to prepare a sponge and a deep container with water. Her temperature should be 36-37 degrees. Water that is too cold can cause chills and even trigger cramps. Hot water will not bring the expected effect. Take a little warm water into a container, moisten a sponge in it and carefully wipe the child’s feet and hands, elbows and knees, and armpits.
3. Cabbage leaves. They need to be kept in boiling water, and then beaten a little, cooled and applied to the baby’s body.
4. Linden blossom. It can be given even to children under one year old. It has a pronounced diaphoretic effect. As a result, the child sweats and body temperature decreases. Use after consultation with a specialist and in the absence of an allergic reaction to this plant.

It is best to use traditional methods of treatment in tandem with traditional ones. This will not only achieve the desired effect, but also quickly improve the child’s condition.

What not to do when teething

It’s hard to look at a child when you know that he’s feeling bad right now. Therefore, many parents try to take some measures to somehow help their child. But not everything goes to his advantage. During the teething period, you cannot rush the course of events. Teeth will erupt in any case. If you try to speed up this process, you can only do harm.

What not to do:

• give adult medications to bring down the temperature;
• wipe the child with vinegar or alcohol;
• massage the gums;
• make cuts on the gum so that the tooth emerges faster;
• give the child dry bread crust (it can scratch the swollen tissues in the mouth and infection can penetrate through the wounds).

Now in children's stores there are a sufficient number of various “rodent” toys, as well as pain-relieving gels that will help simplify the teething process and reduce pain and inflammation. It is to them that you need to resort if there is a need to help the baby.

“Rodents” for teething children