Do Babies Vomit when Teething

There is some disagreement among paediatricians on whether teething is the cause of vomiting or not. Irritability, fever and diarrhoea that cause vomiting are some commonly observed symptoms in babies just before teething. Some paediatricians claim that these are just coincidental to teething and that the babies should be checked for other illnesses.

Views on teething by paediatricians

• According to William Sears, one of those paediatricians who do believe that teething causes vomiting, excessive saliva during teething tend to loosen the stool and lead to diarrhoea. Similarly, inflammation in the gums can cause fever.
• According to T. Barry Brazelton, infection which has nothing to do with teething can be responsible for vomiting. Although, the stress caused by teething makes a child more vulnerable to getting the infection. That is why babies are inclined to get sick and vomit just before their new teeth appear.
• Penelope Leach is of the firm opinion that symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea and vomiting before teething are signs of other illnesses.

Whatever be the differences among the paediatricians, all of them agree that if your baby shows up any sort of discomfort, immediate medical attention should be provided. The doctor would be able to diagnose any problem that is in need of medical attention such as ear infection. In case the baby has loose stools, it may not be diarrhoea and you may not immediately rush for medical attention.

The teething symptoms including vomiting usually start four days before and last up to 3 days after the new tooth comes. You do not have to overuse any teething medications that the doctor prescribes for your baby. There are many teething gels or teething tablets that can be prescribed for your baby. They protect your child from discomfort.

At times parents blame teething for very serious complications such as high fever on teething, which is not right. This is usually because some symptoms such as viral infection, ear infection and sleeping problem are assumed to be due to teething. The problem of overusing of teething medications is the usual result of such a false idea of the baby’s problem. Vomiting may also be caused by other complications while teething is incidental to it.

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