Baby teeth are important because they allow an infant to eat a good diet,
allow for proper jaw growth, give the face its form and appearance, assist in
the formation of proper speech, and most important, act as "space
savers" for adult teeth. Tooth decay in babies can lead to pain, infection,
malnutrition, poor weight gain, and premature loss of teeth -- which can affect
the development of permanent teeth. In addition, oral health problems in an
infant's mouth, such as bleeding gums and cavities, increase the chance for
these problems in permanent teeth. Good oral health habits -- started at an
early age at home -- increase the chance for a healthy mouth during your child's
young life and carry on through adulthood.
When to Start Caring for Your Baby's Teeth
It's a good idea to get in the habit of cleaning your baby's gums even
before teeth emerge.
To clean your baby's mouth:
Lay your baby in your lap with his or her head close to your chest.
Gently, but firmly, rub a clean and damp piece of gauze or washcloth along
both the upper and lower gums.
Clean the gums at least two times a day -- after breakfast and after the
last feeding of the day. Even better -- clean your baby's gums after every
feeding.
What Is Teething?
Teething refers to the time when baby teeth (also called deciduous teeth or
primary teeth) appear. Generally, teething first occurs between 6 months and 24
months of age. While this process is uneventful in some children; for others,
it causes quite a bit of discomfort and irritability.
The word "rash" means an outbreak of red bumps on the body. The way people use this term, "a rash" can refer to many different skin conditions. The most common of these are scaly patches of skin and red, itchy bumps or patches all over the place.
Diarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency are all symptoms of diarrhea. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Middle ear infection or inflammation (otitis media) is inflammation fo the middle ear. There are two types of otitis media, acute and chronic. Acute otitis media is generally short in duration, and chronic otitis media generally lasts several weeks. Seventy-five percent of children in the U.S. suffer from otitis media at some point. Treatment depends upon the type (chronic or acute).
Swimmer's ear (external otitis) is an infection of the skin that covers the outer ear canal. Causes of swimmer's ear include excessive water exposure that leads to trapped bacteria in the ear canal. Symptoms include a feeling of fullness in the ear, itching, and ear pain. Chronic swimmer's ear may be caused by eczema, seborrhea, fungus, chronic irritation, and other conditions. Common treatment includes antibiotic ear drops.
Oral health problems in children include thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, lip sucking, tooth decay, and early tooth loss. Get tips on how to prevent these problems in your child.
Diarrhea
is an increase in the frequency of bowel movements or a decrease in the form
of stool (greater looseness of stool). Although changes in frequency of
bowel movements and looseness of stools can vary independently of each other,
changes often occur in both.
Diarrhea needs to be distinguished from four other conditions. Although these conditions may accompany
diarrhea, they often have different causes and different treatments than
diarrhea. These other conditions are:
incontinence of stool, which is the inability to
control (delay) bowel movements until an appropriate time, for example, until one can
get to the toilet
rectal urgency, which is a sudden urge to have a
bowel movement that is so strong that if a toilet is not immediately available
there will be incontinence
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