HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 84, 24 September 1947, Page 3

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

CUTTING OF TEETH (By the Department of Health) The cutting of children’s teeth is often a time of anxiety for the mother and of varying degrees of discomfort for the child. The usual prelude to the cutting of a baby tooth is the appearance of a swelling in the region affected, rather inflamed and often sore to the touch. The effect of this is to make the child irritable, cheeks become flushed perhaps on one side only. There may be rise in body temperature, and he may wake from his sleep crying; there may be a tendency to gnaw at the fingers and he may dribble a lot. If this condition is caused by teething then try and alleviate it by ensuring that baby has the maximum of sleep and rest and the minimum of excitement. Induce him to chew his food well, gnaw at meat bones and eat plenty of crusts. This helps to promote quicker eruption of the teeth. Do not over-feed and do not overclothe. In the preparation of meals, the utmost cleanliness should be observed. Rubbing of the overlying gum with the finger is inclined to be dangerous unless the hands are scrupulously clean. At times, drinks of cold water are appreciated and small' doses of magnesia may have a beneficial effect. If the child is young and salivation is excessive there may be prolonged wetting of the clothes in the region of the chin, neck and chest. It is therefore very advisable to change the attire frequently. A handy method is to wrap the child in a napkin, and when this is damp replace it with a fresh one. Half an aspirin may bring some relief, but the frequent use of this method is not advisee} in young children.