Timing and nuances of teething in children

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The appearance of the first milk teeth is a real event. Parents expect their teething, based on the norms determined by the pediatrician.

But what if the tooth does not grow within the prescribed period? Is there a certain time limit for the eruption of baby teeth in a child?

Which babies are considered premature

Today, a baby born from 22 to 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered premature. There is such a thing as a live birth criterion. Russia switched to the criteria approved by the World Health Organization in 2012.

According to these parameters, a premature newborn baby is an infant from 500 grams and 25 centimeters, born from the 22nd week of gestation. If a baby with such indicators survives, he is registered and nursed. Every year, 5-10% of such children are born in the world out of the total number of newborns. Prematurity of a child in the modern world is not a death sentence, since today there are all conditions for caring for “early” children.

Signs of periodontal infection

Gum disease causes the following symptoms and discomfort:

1. When brushing your teeth, they bleed.
2. They become very sensitive, turn red and swell.
3. The teeth separate from the gums.
4. There is a constant bad breath.
5. Suppuration forms between the gums and teeth.
6. Teeth become loose.
7. The bite changes.

If you find any of these signs in yourself, you need to urgently consult a dentist. Only a timely visit to the doctor will help maintain healthy gums.

Degrees of prematurity

There are four degrees:

• First degree - birth occurs at 36-37 weeks of pregnancy. The child weighs 2001-2500 grams at birth, his height is 41-45 centimeters;
• Second degree - birth at 32-35 weeks of gestation, the child’s body weight at birth is 1501-2000 grams, height is 36-40 centimeters;
• Third degree - birth at 28-31 weeks, the weight of the newborn is 1001-1500 grams, height - 30-35 centimeters;
• Fourth degree - birth occurs before 28 weeks of gestation. At birth, the baby weighs less than a kilogram and its body length is less than 30 centimeters. These newborns are called “extremely low birth weight preterm.”

Initial examination

During the initial examination, a diagnosis will be made, and this will be immediately followed by ultrasound treatment of the oral cavity, which will clean the top layer on the teeth and gums. This method will remove accumulated dirt and relieve the primary signs of the inflammatory process. This approach will remove trace elements that cause tissue inflammation.

If the inflammation is too strong, which prevents the use of such cleaning, wait a while until the inflammation subsides, and then begin to eliminate it. In some cases, folk remedies for gum inflammation at home can help.

Premature babies: consequences

However, it is not at all necessary that all the difficulties listed above will affect the child. In addition, competent medical supervision and parental care work wonders. Many cope with all difficulties and continue to live fully.

Prematurity is not always a story of illness and weakness. Thus, it is known that such celebrities as the artist Leonardo da Vinci, the emperor and commander Napoleon Bonaparte, the scientist Albert Einstein and one of the founders of classical physics Isaac Newton were born prematurely.

How to properly treat gum disease

As soon as it is noticed that the gums are slightly reddish or already inflamed, you should immediately contact your dentist, then he will be able to quickly establish a diagnosis and proceed to treatment.

Today, there are many methods for treating gums, as well as the entire oral cavity, so each patient will be able to choose the approach that suits him best.

Premature babies: development

The development of such a newborn certainly has its own characteristics. But, in most cases, after a while these children “catch up” with their full-term peers in development and in the future are no different from them.

Natalya Zotkina, founder and director of the Right to Miracle charity foundation for premature babies:

— About 80% of “early” children catch up with their peers in development by the age of 2-3 years. However, 20% of babies are at risk for various diseases. My daughter was born at 27 weeks weighing 1 kilogram and she has cerebral palsy. She studies in a regular school along with everyone else, although she uses a wheelchair. At the same time, I know children with the same weight and born at the same stage, who are in excellent health and have no pathologies. Everything is very individual. Our foundation always emphasizes: every story is unique. You cannot compare one premature baby to another.

What is gum disease?

Periodontal infection (gum disease) is the process of infection of the tissues located around the tooth. This infection is the leading cause of tooth loss in adult patients.

It often happens that gum diseases are asymptomatic, without any pain. And this makes it difficult to detect the disease in a timely manner. As soon as you feel that a healthy tooth and gums are hurting, you should immediately run to the dentist. The doctor will identify the cause of the pain and prescribe the necessary treatment. Gum disease can be caused by plaque. It contains bacteria that inflames the gums.

Early stages of the disease are characterized by redness and swelling, and sometimes there may be bleeding. At this stage, the development of the disease can still be prevented. You just need to be more careful about your oral hygiene, and then the unwanted symptoms will go away.

When the disease is advanced and periodontitis develops, then medical intervention is necessary. In such a situation, teeth may begin to loosen and fall out.

Development of premature babies by month

Only children born prematurely , as a rule, need special conditions and constant supervision by doctors. Often these babies are fed through a feeding tube and their breathing is supported through artificial oxygen.

A premature baby is one month old: at this time he may completely lack innate reflexes. During this period, the baby gains very little weight.

In the second month, such children already begin to gain weight, but they are still very weak: they get tired quickly and mostly sleep. In the third month, the baby already acquires reflexes, reactions to sound and even facial expressions.

By 6 months , the child, in a good situation, increases weight approximately three times. By this time, babies with the first degree may no longer be any different from their peers born at term.

Premature babies: development up to one year

By the age of one year, children, as a rule, have already completely “evened out” in development - both physical and psycho-emotional. The development of a premature baby largely depends on the care and responsible attitude of parents to the recommendations of doctors.

A child’s first teeth: when, how, how many?

05.01.2012 Does your baby often cry, eat poorly and even have a fever? Be patient: your baby may soon have his first tooth. A small percentage of happy children endure the teething process relatively easily, but most babies experience discomfort during this period.

It is time?

A child’s first teeth, as a rule, appear closer to six months of age. However, this process is individual for each child. Doctors consider it normal if teething begins between 4 and 8 months. A very small percentage of children experience teething absolutely painlessly, while for the majority it is turbulent.

As a rule, a week or two before the tooth appears, the baby becomes capricious, may refuse to eat, and sleep poorly. The baby's gums swell, hurt, itch and may bleed. Often, not only the place where the tooth should appear hurts, but the entire jaw or even the entire oral cavity.

During teething, the baby's temperature may rise and loose stools may appear. In this case, doctors recommend giving the child an anesthetic and antipyretic in the form of syrup - for example, Paracetamol, Nurofen, Panadol. The same drugs are also available in the form of suppositories: in this form they are more convenient to use at night, since they are absorbed more slowly and act for a longer time. Antipyretics should be taken at temperatures above 38 degrees. The duration of such treatment should be decided by the pediatrician.

However, parents should be careful: the temperature may not be associated with the appearance of teeth, but with an associated disease - against the background of teething, immunity decreases, so ARVI occurs more easily (especially if the baby does not receive breast milk). The mother should closely monitor the child’s condition, and if the temperature does not subside after a day or is accompanied by other symptoms of the disease (cough, runny nose), an urgent need to consult a doctor!

Premature babies develop their first tooth slightly later than those born full term, at about 9 months compared to 6 months in the control group. At the same time, in premature girls, the first tooth erupts later than in premature boys. However, if we take into account not the actual age of premature children, but the age that these children would have reached by the time of the study if they were born full-term, their first tooth erupts at approximately the same time as in full-term children.

By two years of age, there is no longer a difference in the number of teeth between full-term and premature children.

If the baby is already in his second year, and he still does not have a single tooth and no signs of impending teething (drooling, swollen gums) - this is an alarming sign. Most likely, something is wrong with the baby’s health.

Reasons for delayed teeth emergence may include:

1. rickets;

2. an infectious disease previously suffered by the child (acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza);

3. metabolic disorders, which can be caused by dysbacteriosis, as well as hormonal imbalance due to endocrine diseases;

4. dysbiosis – vitamins, micro- and macroelements cannot be absorbed in the intestines, as a result of which there is a lack of them in the blood, bones and dental tissues. In addition, with dysbacteriosis, there is a decrease in immunity and, as a result, a tendency to gum inflammation;

5. intrauterine infections of the fetus during pregnancy (chlamydia, toxoplasmosis), as well as late toxicosis in the mother;

6. in very rare cases, children experience edentia - the absence of tooth buds. To find out whether a child actually has teeth, you should contact a pediatric dentist, who will order an X-ray of the oral cavity. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the orthodontist will prescribe treatment.

Care comes first

From 4 months to a year, special wipes can be used to clean baby teeth. They are sold in pharmacies and children's stores. Wet wipes in the shape of a fingertip are impregnated with a composition that effectively cleans the child’s oral cavity and prevents the appearance of early caries. It is recommended to use these napkins after every meal.

From 1.5 to 2 years. When the child has already erupted most of his teeth, you can accustom him to a toothbrush. A baby brush should have soft bristles and a small head. A hard brush can injure the baby’s sensitive gums, and infections can easily enter through a wound in the mouth.

Toothpaste for little ones should be fluoride-free and contain a minimum amount of abrasives. Fluoride is certainly beneficial for teeth, but at such an early age an overdose can occur. After all, it is quite difficult to control how much toothpaste the baby swallowed while brushing his teeth. At first, the mother should brush the child’s teeth. Do this in front of a mirror, showing you how to hold the brush correctly.

In conclusion, we note: oral care should begin as soon as the baby’s first tooth emerges. Morning and evening, carefully clean each baby’s tooth from all sides until he learns to do it correctly.

Stages of nursing premature babies

The first stage of nursing is care and supervision by medical staff in the maternity hospital. Large perinatal centers have a special intensive care unit for such newborns. At this stage, it is important that the baby does not become hypothermic, so doctors touch him only with warm hands, wrap him in heated diapers, and even the changing table is preheated.

The second stage is nursing the baby in the pathology department of the hospital. In modern departments, mothers can stay with their children. The child is weighed every day, height and head circumference are measured. As soon as the newborn reaches the desired two kilograms in weight, he is discharged home. If there are any deviations in health, the baby is left in the pathology department until complete recovery.

And finally, stage three : observation at home. The doctor and nurse at the children's clinic must examine the child on the first day after discharge. Then doctors will periodically visit the baby, monitor his condition and development and give recommendations for care to parents. Humidity is about 70%, a comfortable temperature of 20-22C, ventilation of the room, water for bathing heated to approximately 39C: premature babies require all this. The stages of nursing include, first of all, medical control and a special, attentive attitude of mom and dad to the child.

Tips to help keep your teeth and gums healthy

We looked at what healthy gums should be like, why gum diseases occur and how to prevent them. Here are some more simple tips for oral health:

1. You need to eat less foods that contain a lot of fast carbohydrates (sugar, baked goods). Because of such food, plaque is formed in which bacteria multiply, destroying gums and teeth.
2. You should not overuse seeds and nuts. Small particles clog into the spaces between the teeth, and bacteria actively multiply there. This also applies to fruits and berries with small seeds (strawberries, raspberries). After eating such products, you should rinse your mouth or use dental floss.
3. You need to eat less soft foods (packaged puree soups, souffles). Such food relieves teeth from their intended purpose - chewing. And just during chewing, the right amount of saliva is produced to cleanse the oral cavity. Remember that solid foods are very important for dental health. Every day you need to eat an apple or carrot. By the way, such products are useful not only for teeth and gums, but also for the whole body.
4. It should be remembered that inflammation can occur even with the slightest damage to the gums. To prevent various wounds and cracks, you need to use special anti-inflammatory mouth rinses.

If you follow these simple tips, your teeth and gums will always be healthy.

Nursing premature babies

Caring for a premature baby in a maternity hospital usually begins with placing the baby in a special “incubator” with a given temperature and humidity. Here the baby grows up in conditions as close as possible to those in the womb. He is weighed daily. Parents can talk to the baby and hold his hand, and later, when he gets stronger, pick him up and hold him close. It has been proven that this has a positive effect on the neuropsychic development of the child.

After the premature baby has gained vital grams, doctors can finally discharge him and his mother home.

It is also important to maintain proper child care at home. Parents are recommended to carry out special gymnastics and massage for the baby. Massage at this stage, as a rule, is an important component of care: you can resort to the services of a professional, but it is better for the specialist to come to you himself, and all manipulations take place in the usual home conditions. The immunity of early children is very weak at first, so it’s worth being safe.

The newborn should be placed on his stomach: this will strengthen his muscles in the back of the head, limbs, abdomen and back. It is important to harden the baby: give him “air baths” and bathe him every day, but the water temperature should not be lower than 37 degrees.

The nutrition of a premature baby should not be based on the principle: the more the baby eats, the better, because he will gain weight faster. At the same time, overfeeding such children is a common mistake of parents. The digestive system of early babies is not well developed, as is the sucking reflex, which is important for the child. Therefore, it is better to feed more often, but in small portions, so as not to overload digestion. The best nutrition for a baby born prematurely is mother's milk. But, if for some reason natural feeding is not possible, the doctor will help the parents select a special artificial formula.

Features of feeding children born prematurely

Depending on the degree of prematurity of the child, that is, the week of pregnancy in which the baby was born, different complementary feeding options can be used:

• breastfeeding from the first days of life (1st degree of prematurity, presence of a sucking reflex);
• bottle feeding (2nd degree of prematurity, feeding with expressed breast milk);
• feeding through a special tube (3-4 degrees of prematurity).

The option of feeding a child is determined by a doctor in the first hours of the baby’s life and is based on the general condition of the child, his ability to feed independently, and the maturity of the main body systems.

Breast milk is considered the preferred product for feeding premature babies. If possible, breastfeeding should be maintained for as long as possible.

While in the maternity hospital, feeding of premature babies is monitored by doctors, and if necessary, adjustments are made to the amount of food offered. Upon discharge from the hospital, doctors give their nutritional recommendations, and the process comes under the control of the parents.

The required amount of milk per day is calculated based on the child’s weight and age.

Offering your baby the exact amount of food per feeding is quite difficult, especially when breastfeeding.

• When breastfeeding, you need to focus on the child's behavior: he will not eat more than he should.
• When artificial feeding, it is recommended to pour formula or milk in an amount exceeding the norm by 10-15 ml, taking into account that the baby will not drink everything.

Feeding a premature baby is an important factor in the baby's development. It is recommended to develop a nutritional and complementary feeding plan together with a pediatrician, taking into account the characteristics of a particular baby.