Health & Medicine

Fever When Teething? No, It's Not Related

Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Feb 19, 2016 10:29 PM EST

New findings published in the journal Pediatrics show that a baby's fever is likely not from teething, as some previous research suggests.

A new analysis shows that high-grade fevers in no way dismiss a parent's intuition, but that common symptoms linked to teething were found to usually be crankiness, drooling and, of course, swollen gums-not typically fever, according to KCOI8. Other symptoms linked to teething included decreased appetite, sleeping problems, diarrhea, rash and vomiting.

"If a child has a really high fever, or is in significant discomfort, or won't eat or drink anything for days, that's a red flag for concern," said Dr. Paul Casamassimo, director of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Pediatric Oral Health and Research and Policy Center, according to CNN Health. "By and large, symptoms are not a chronic thing. They come and go, and the job of the parent is to comfort the child, and keep their finger on the pulse of their child. Is the child eating? Staying hydrated?" 

Teething typically starts around 6 months of age. It's normal for teething to start at any time between 3 and 12 months, according to WebMD. Then, by the child is 3 years old, he or she will have their 20 primary teeth. 

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