How to know your baby teething? And how to deal with it?

9 month infant with right lower central incisor about to emerge

The process of teething has some symptoms that vary from child to child.Some may be a lot fussier than others while they are teething. The soreness and swelling of the gums before a tooth comes through is the cause for the pain and fussiness a baby experiences during this change.
Teething can begin as early as 3 months and continue until a child's third birthday.

Most babies show common symptoms include :
- drooling (which can lead to a facial rash) or dribbling, mood changes and feelings of irritability or crankiness and swollen gums. Note that the extra saliva may cause your baby to occasionally cough or gag whith is usually nothing to worry about as your baby seems fine and shows no signs of a cold or flu and does not run a high fever.
- Crying, sleeplessness, restless sleep at night, and mild fever are also associated with teething. Sometimes babies might refuse to eat or drink due to the pain.
Pulling on the ears is another sign of pain; the pain in the mouth throbs throughout the baby's head so they pull their ears believing that it will provide relief.

Also it is so important to know that teething has not been shown to cause the following:

* high fever ; diarrhea, runny nose and cough; prolonged fussiness; and rashes on the baby body.

How to deal with teething of baby ?
# Infants chew on objects to aid in the teething process.Teething rings, water filled and chilled rubber teething toys; mom and dads fingers can all provide counter pressure that can sometimes bring relief. Offering your baby cold food and a cold bottle of water can also help. If sucking on the bottle bothers your child, offer a cold cup of water. The water can also help replenish your baby’s fluid if they’re drooling a lot or have loose bowel movements.

# Medicines that are taken by mouth to help reduce the pain: Acetaminophen (Children's Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Children's Advil or Motrin) may also help with pain "but should not be administered to babies under 6 months of age".....Your doctor will tell you if it’s all right and what the proper amount is to give your baby.

Causes of Developmental Delay

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the most common types of developmental delays are due to mental retardation, brain trauma and/or social/emotional disorders. Maintaining child well-health checkups, understanding the types of developmental delays and being aware of early warning signs of developmental milestones can significantly reduce severe developmental delay.

Types
Disorders that contribute to developmental delay include genetic, neurobehavioral, social/emotional, neurological, metabolic and many types of language disorders. Chromosomal abnormalities, birth defects, brain trauma and mental retardation are also contributing factors.
Identification
Delayed or a lack of development in developmental milestones in language, self-help, social/emotional, fine and gross motor, or sensory and cognitive skills is an indicator.
Causes
Maternal risk factors, such as maternal age and unhealthy behaviors during pregnancy, genetics, certain diseases, prenatal/neonatal events and the environment can lead to developmental delay.
Expert Insight
Bilingual children may experience speech and language delays. If a child has been exposed to more than one language, extra encouragement should be used to increase receptive and expressive language skills. An evaluation by a speech and language pathologist can rule out any serious concerns.
Warning
A developmental delay may cause problems in other developmental areas, and may contribute to poor self-esteem as a child grows older.
Prevention/Solution
Genetic counselors offer perinatal testing to rule out possible hereditary and disease risk factors. Adopting healthy habits can eliminate maternal risk factors. Tracking early developmental milestones, seeking early testing and intervention can increase the chances of a successful outcome.

Delivery: Problems with Baby

Your baby is ready to be born - but there can still be problems with delivery. A breech birth, macrosomia, or cord prolapse can all require an emergency c-section. Be prepared for potential delivery problems in advance, by watching this video.

Diagnosing Autism

While a newborn probably will not show autism symptoms, the developmental disorder may manifest as early as 18 months. At this infant age, diagnosing autism starts with a behavioral analysis and a test, like the checklist for autism in toddlers.