Tips to help soothe a teething child

When attempting to soothe a teething child, it is important to remember to try to remain as calm as possible, even though their distress can elevate your own stress levels. Trying one of the following techniques may provide some relief:

• Give your child extra attention, care and reassurance during this time and cuddle them when they seem uncomfortable or agitated. This form of behavioural therapy or 'cuddle therapy' proved to be one of the few effective non-pharmaceutical teething remedies in a recent study. ⁽¹⁾
• Another highly effective teething remedy is to put a cold facecloth or a wet piece of gauze on your fingertip and rub it against your child's gums. Applying gentle pressure in this way can provide some comfort and help to ease the pain experienced.
• Give your child a cold facecloth to chew on. Don't put this in the freezer because severely cold items can do more harm than good to your child's gums.
• Give your child a teething ring that is made from a sustainable material like rubber. Try to stay clear of those that contain liquid as these can rupture as the child bites them.
• Give your child some chilled water in a bottle to suck on. Avoid giving your child sugar-based liquids as this can cause tooth decay.
• Give your little one a cold hard vegetable, for example, a peeled carrot or cucumber. Always monitor your child when doing this so as to avoid any potential choking hazards.
• Confirm with your paediatrician which home-remedies and over-the-counter pain relievers are safe to use to aid in soothing your child's pain.

References

^{1. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 28 July 2015. Signs and symptoms associated with primary tooth eruption: a clinical trial of nonpharmacological remedies. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4517507/ Accessed [26/04/2018]}