Your Teething Baby

Symptoms

Most infants experience few symptoms from teething besides increased drooling and crankiness. Rarely, however, other symptoms may occur:

• Irritation of the area around baby's mouth as a result of excessive drooling -- a dab of petroleum jelly can protect her skin
• Gum swelling or sensitivity to hot and cold foods
• Difficulty sleeping
• A bluish red blister, called a hematoma, on the gum line, which may bleed a little when the tooth emerges. Call your doctor if the blister lasts for more than a week without the tooth poking through.
• Low-grade fever and diarrhea

Teething is often blamed for symptoms -- including fever and diarrhea -- that may be a result of a virus. A study published in the journal Pediatrics bolsters previous evidence that these symptoms are unrelated to teething most of the time. A good guideline to follow: Whatever symptoms you're attributing to teething should pass within a few hours. If they don't, baby may be sick with something, such as a virus.