Teething Remedies - Here'S Ten Things Not To Do
There's a lot of information available on
Teething Remedies, some of it dating back many decades. Strangely some of the old advice is still useful today. However there's no easy way to sort through all the information and find what's good and what's not, so I hope this article will help sort it out by letting you avoid some of the "teething traps". 1. Don't use pain relief gel too often - If you use too much gel, it can numb the back of your baby's throat which weakens his gag reflex - a gag reflex stops him from choking on his own saliva. Although these types of
Teething Remedies are usually safe, they can cause an allergic reaction in some people. 2. Don't dip baby's pacifier in honey. Your baby will soon expect the sweet taste and may reject a normal pacifier. If your baby already has some teeth, the sugar could cause decay. 3. Don't give your baby a lot of fruit juice - Even natural fruit juices contain a lot of sugar, but, even worse, they also contain acid which can wear the teeth away over time. Give natural fruit juices in a cup, not a bottle, which may stay in contact with the teeth. 4. Don't use a strong fluoride toothpaste - A baby will swallow the toothpaste so use a children's toothpaste with less fluoride (or no fluoride) until they are able to spit it out by themselves. Fluoride is toxic in excess. 5. Don't rub gums with alcohol - Alcohol is not up there with the best
Teething Remedies, but some parents insist on using it. Perhaps they think the alcohol will help get baby to sleep - it won't! 6. Don't tie a teething ring around baby's neck - It may get caught in something and strangle him. Attach it to his clothes instead 7. Don't offer any teething rings which contain liquid - Avoid rubber or plastic teething rings with liquid inside because they may break and leak. If you do use a teething ring, cool it in the freezer for a while. However don't forget to take it out before it solidifies, it may hurt baby's sore gums. 8. Don't skimp on cleaning milk teeth - Why bother cleaning teeth that are soon going to fall out? Milk teeth can decay easily and fall out before their time. Those first teeth serve as a guide for the second teeth appearing after. Without the milk teeth to guide them, the second teeth may be crooked and misaligned. Also cleaning the milk teeth sets up good habits in a young child. Habits picked up at an early age usually stay with us for life. 9. Don't give baby too much Tylenol (acetaminophen) - Although it's generally thought to be safe, Tylenol may cause damage to the liver on overdose. Never exceed the maximum daily dosage! 10. Don't give baby aspirin, it's dangerous. Aspirin has been linked to a potentially fatal condition known as Reye's Syndrome in children. It's rare, but not worth the risk. So don't even rub baby's gums with anything containing aspirin. You're probably wondering if there's anything you can do. There's plenty! Pop a damp face washer in the freezer for a while and let your baby chew on it. The cold will help to numb sensitive gums. Rubber teething rings or rings filled with water are fine to use, put these in the fridge too. Natural teething remedies for babies contain safe and natural ingredients like: Calcium phosphate promotes both healthy circulation and strong teeth and bones, Passiflora (Passionflower) soothes anxiety and promotes calmness and relaxation, Chamomilla (Chamomile) is a well known herbal remedy for teething which also supports sound sleep and Matricaria Recutitais soothes the nervous system and calms irritability during teething. There have been some concerns about the dangers of teething tablets, so it's important to ensure any remedy you use is completely safe.
How can you help your baby through this awkward teething stage as easily as possible and find safe natural teething remedies? By visiting Baby Teeth Wendy Owen (Dip HH) is a holistic health therapist with an extensive knowledge of homeopathic and herbal remedies.
