Doctors have trouble with teething

Never a happy time, teething

Symptoms which may show babies have a more serious medical problem are often wrongly blamed simply on teething, says research.

A study by Australian researchers said that a broad range of health professionals, including doctors, dentists and pharmacists, wrongly thought that teething could cause fever in babies.

This, say researchers, could lead to more dangerous conditions being overlooked.

Vomiting, diarrhoea and fever are definitely not symptoms of teething, and can indicate something more serious

Briege Coyle, CPHVA

Australian nurses were particularly keen to blame symptoms on teething.

According to the study, mothers whose babies suffered from nappy rash, feeding problems, ear-pulling, loose stools, cold symptoms and smelly urine could all be candidates for teething troubles.

Many of the professionals also thought that teething predisposed babies to colds and ear infections.

In fact, none of these are associated with teething, which is the process of a baby's first teeth emerging.

It normally starts around the four-month mark, although this can vary, and can continue past 18 months.

Grumpy babies

The arrival of the teeth causes more dribbling and drooling, a predilection for biting objects, sleep problems, inflamed gums, reddened cheeks and the classic rise in general irritability.

Paediatricians fared best, although even two of these felt that fever was a symptom that could be blamed on teething.

The researchers wrote: "These beliefs may prevent professionals from effectively managing some of the common developmental issues of infancy and might lead to late diagnosis of important illness."

Fever warning

They also suggested that a reach for the prescription pad should not be the first reaction of any doctor confronted by a teething baby.

Briege Coyle, a professional officer with the Community Practitioners and Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA), said that she felt that parents whose baby developed a fever while teething should make sure they are checked.

She said: "Vomiting, diarrhoea and fever are definitely not symptoms of teething, and can indicate something more serious."

However, for children for whom teething is the only worry, she suggests providing something hard, such as a piece of card or a teething ring, for the baby to chew on, and perhaps easing the pain with a teething gel or baby-safe paracetamol.