Tag Archives: Infants

Teething Specialists: A Dentist, Pediatrician and a Mom Walk up to a Teething Child

Posted on by

KC Baby magazine (Spring 2011 issue)

3/15/2011 12:00:00 AM

Tips for your Teething Tot
Dr. Donna K. Thomas, DDS, at Pediatric Dental Specialists, has several offices in Kansas City.

Q: When does a baby’s first tooth usually come in?
A: Between 6 1/2 and 7 months is the norm, but it can vary. As early as 3 months of age up to 15 months is still considered within normal limits.

Q: How many deciduous (primary) teeth are there, and in what order do they come in?
A: Typically the two lower central incisors are the first to erupt, followed by the maxillary central and lateral incisors, then the lower lateral incisors. Next to come through are typically the first primary molars, canines and finally the second primary molars. Usually, the primary dentition is complete by age 3.

Q: After the teeth have erupted, what should parents do to clean them?
A: I recommend brushing the tooth or teeth with a small soft toothbrush. I feel this is more appropriate than just wiping with a wash cloth once the teeth erupt. No toothpaste is necessary at this age. As more teeth erupt, a non-fluoride “pre- or toddler toothpaste” is useful until the child is able to understand the concept of spitting or not swallowing, which is usually around 3 years of age.

Q: When should a child come in to see the dentist for the first time?
A: We recommend all children be seen around 12 months of age or within six months of the eruption of the first tooth.

Dr. Christine White, MD, a pediatrician at Johnson County Pediatrics in Shawnee Mission, KS, has been in private practice since 2000.

Q: How do I know my child is teething?
A: Symptoms of teething may include swollen gums, which can make the child irritable and decrease their appetite a bit. They tend to drool more and they chew on their fingers or anything else they can get in their mouths.

Q: Are there symptoms on which pediatricians and parents disagree related to teething?
A: Parents often believe that teething causes high fevers, runny nose and diarrhea. In reality, a teething child may have a 99 to 100 degree temperature. If it’s over 100.5, there is something else going on. The teething child’s stools may be a slight bit more runny than normal, but a significant change is likely due to some other cause. Teething does not usually cause nasal congestion or discharge.

Q: What do you suggest to parents to ease teething pain?
A: To ease teething pain, I usually recommend putting a wet washcloth in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then letting the child chew on that. Firm rubber teething toys, not liquid filled toys that could rupture and leak fluid, are also a good option.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) are good choices, especially when the child is trying to sleep and has no distractions—which makes the pain seem worse. I don’t recommend Baby Orajel as a first-line therapy, because if too much is used, or it is used too often, there could be negative side effects. These could include a decreased gag reflex with an increased risk of aspiration, and possibly seizures. The homeopathic teething tablets must be used with caution. They contain a very small amount of belladonna, which at certain levels, can cause symptoms such as lethargy, seizures, difficulty breathing, agitation and difficulty urinating. These tablets should be used sparingly.

Jen Lee is an Overland Park mom with an actively teething daughter.

Q: What’s a parent’s biggest teething frustration?
A: The symptoms are not always easy to figure out. Is it a “bug” or a tooth coming in? It also seems like a long process – they can have symptoms and no tooth shows up. Then symptoms go away…and in comes the tooth.

Q: What symptoms does your child experience?
A: My baby gets extra tired and cranky and gets awful diarrhea.

Q: What works?
A: Medicine doesn’t work with this baby. I usually use a wet rag or something cold. I also bought (Vulli’s) Sophie the Giraffe Teether. She loves to the hold the legs and really chew on the head! I also have friends whose kids love the Infantino Vibrating Teether.

Stacey Hatton is a pediatric RN, freelance writer and mother of two non-drooling girls.

Infant Sleep Positioners Pose Suffocation Risk per FDA

Posted on by

This was just posted yesterday by the FDA.  Wanted to make sure it made it my readers ASAP!!~Nurse Mommy

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Notice

Posted: September 29, 2010

Two government agencies are warning parents and other caregivers not to put babies in sleep positioning products as two recent deaths underscore concerns about suffocation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the warning after reviewing reports of 12 known infant deaths associated with the products.

The most common types of sleep positioners feature bolsters attached to each side of a thin mat and wedges to elevate the baby’s head. The sleep positioners are intended to keep a baby in a desired position while sleeping. They are often used with infants under 6 months old.

To reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants be placed to sleep on their backs on a firm surface free of soft objects, toys, and loose bedding.

Advice for Consumers

STOP using infant positioning products. Using this type of product to hold an infant on his or her side or back is dangerous and unnecessary.

NEVER put pillows, sleep positioners, comforters, or quilts under the baby or in the crib.

ALWAYS place a baby on his or her back at night and during nap time.

REPORT an incident or injury from an infant sleep positioner to the Consumer Product Safety Commission by visiting www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx5 or calling 800-638-2772, or to FDA’s MedWatch program6.

Suffocation and Other Dangers

In the last 13 years, the federal government has received 12 reports of babies known to have died from suffocation associated with their sleep positioners. Most of the babies suffocated after rolling from the side to the stomach.

In addition to the deaths, the commission has received dozens of reports of babies who were placed on their back or side in the positioners only to be found later in hazardous positions within or next to the product.

“We urge parents and caregivers to take our warning seriously and stop using these sleep positioners so children can be assured of a safe sleep,” says Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

FDA pediatric expert Susan Cummins, M.D., M.P.H, says parents and caregivers can create a safe sleep environment for babies if they leave the crib free of pillows, comforters, quilts, toys, and other items.

“The safest crib is a bare crib,” she says. “Always put your baby on his or her back to sleep. An easy way to remember this is to follow the ABC’s of safe sleep—Alone on the Back in a bare Crib.”

Medical Claims

Some manufacturers have advertised that their products prevent SIDS, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)—in which stomach acids back up into the esophagus—or flat head syndrome, a deformation caused by pressure on one part of the skull.

Although in the past FDA has approved a number of these products for GERD or flat head syndrome, new information suggests the positioners pose a risk of suffocation.

As a result, FDA is requiring makers of FDA-cleared sleep positioners to submit data showing the products’ benefits outweigh the risks. FDA is also requesting that these manufacturers stop marketing their devices while FDA reviews the data.

Infant sleep positioner manufacturers who are making medical claims without FDA clearance must stop marketing those products immediately, agency experts say, adding there’s no evidence the devices have benefits that outweigh the risk of suffocation.

“At this time, there is no scientifically sound evidence to support the medical claims being made by the manufacturers of these infant sleep positioners,” says Cummins.

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page7, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.