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Is My Baby Sick? Or Is It Just A Case Of Teething?

By Dr. Dave Hnida

(CBS4) -Is my baby sick? Or is it just a case of teething?

It's a question that's been forced onto parents for time eternal, especially sending first time moms and dads into the dreaded spiral of new baby worry and confusion. "I don't know what's wrong here."

I know it happened to me as a parent, and now see it all of the time on the other end of the stethoscope... wondering if I'm dealing with a sick kid or one that's simply cranky because a new tooth pushing through a gum line.

Well a new study in the Journal Pediatrics tries to take come of the confusion and anxiety as to whether that baby is sick or simply teething.

The bottom line conclusion is pretty simple: if your baby is running a true temperature—meaning higher than 100.4---then whatever is going on is NOT teething.

Sure, it can be confusing. You've a got a cranky infant drooling all over the place, pushing away food or milk, tugging at an ear, and just squirming all over the place.

Something is sure going on. And sometimes we doctors do need to take a look at ears and so forth to make sure there isn't an infection

But once again, the bottom line remains, if there is true fever, the cause is not a new tooth.

Now does that mean a baby always needs to be examined if there is fever? Not really---this is one where a parent needs to determine how sick the baby is acting. And frankly , the clues to that one are pretty simple too—kids that look and act sick should be seen by a doctor (temperature or not).

The researchers do admit that this all can be a tough call for parents, but do say that if the child is a tad warm, a tad cranky, and isn't too sick, maybe the best remedy is a tincture of time.

One good home remedy, they say, is something like, a chilled teething ring if you can feel something that's trying to break through the gum. Yet don't bring quick to reach for the ibuprofen or natural teething ointments or gels. A kid simply shouldn't require that much therapy besides some extra TLC if teething is the diagnosis.

It sure can be a tough call on parents, experienced or new alike. But be thankful that if it is teething, the process should be complete in 4-5 days, and one day all of those spaces will be filled with teeth.

Then you get to deal with all of the other issues they bring to the table as they get older.

Good luck with all of those. Four kids down the road, I've been there.

Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida

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