Thread by @DrAtangwho

THE MYTH ABOUT TEETHING

#Teething is a normal part of your child's development, not a sickness!

THREAD 🧵

{Retweet for awareness!}

Normally, babies are born with a full set of teeth underneath their gums.

During the first year of life, these teeth begin to cut through the gums & most babies start teething between 6 & 12 months.

When they reach 3 years, their first set of 20 teeth shall have completed.

Due to the process of teeth eruption through the gums, your baby might show MILD SYMPTOMS like;
- lack of appetite
- mild irritability
- drooling of saliva
- chewing on objects &
- occasional sore gums which may be swollen & reddish.

These normal teething 'symptoms' are mild, & can easily be relieved by simple methods like;

- rubbing the child’s gums with a clean damp washcloth, clean finger, or gum-rubbing finger pad, or

- giving the child 'teething rings' to chew on & relieve the distress

However, there are some strong traditional beliefs suggesting that children fall sick when they're growing teeth. So they need some traditional remedies or antibiotics to treat the "teething".

This is a pure myth! Pls ignore it for the same of your baby's health.

Whenever your child has SERIOUS SYMPTOMS like fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, convulsion or difficulty in breathing, they are usually due to other problems, not teething!

It could be malaria, diarrhoeal disease, febrile convulsion, pneumonia, or some other disease, but not teething.

So, if your child develops these or other serious complains, take them to your doctor for check & treatment.

Don't let anyone make you give your child wrong medicines in the name of teething!

Remember, a child won't start falling very sick just because they're growing teeth!

Sadly, in the name of treating teething, some parents & caregivers go as far as giving their children dangerous things that can harm them badly, such as;

- alomo bitters
- aspirin
- plastic toys to chew
- raw herbs, etc

Your baby doesn't need any of these. Pls stop it.

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