Can teething cause loss of appetite?

Question

My daughter is 6 1/2 months old. Recently she has become very irritable and fussy and doesnt want to drink much of formula. Her sleep is also disturbed. Could this be because of teething? She is biting on anything and everything these days and stops crying if I massage her lower gums with my finger. When she bites, its a strong and sometimes painful bite. Also, she rubs her jaws together.

Answer 1

sounds like she is defintely teething! and yes, it is normal for babies to eat less while teething. if your mouth was that sore, you probably wouldn't want to eat either!! good new is, the worst of it usually only last a few days. try giving your baby teethers, frozen washclothes, a frozen bagel to gnaw on... and if she is in pain it is definitely okay to give her infants tylenol or motrin, especially before bed!

Answer 2

Absolutely! Teething is very painful for babies and sometimes ever worse for the parents. Some Baby Tylenol or Motrin (some type of ibuprofen) should help the pain and should get her to start eating again. I've also found that Baby Orajel is extremely helpful. I is/was a nanny for a very close friend and together we found this solution: We found that Tylenol is better for fevers so I gave my little guy Motrin, wait 15 min, numbed his gums with the Orajel (use your finger), and gave him his bottle. Worked like a charm... Find toys meant for teething to stick in the refrigerator, not the freezer... they can't get a good grip on it if its frozen. Just monitor her very closely to make sure she's not losing any weight. Remember, you're a mother, trust your instinct. If you're concerned, call your doctor, explain the situation and see if your baby needs to be seen. It can never hurt to be too through. Good Luck, I know its tough to see them hurting but its part of growing up.

Answer 3

Absolutely,my 6 month old just got done teething and that is exactly how he was.He threw up a lot,chewed everything he could,woke up a lot,was a grump,and his appetite changed a lot.You should feel little bumps coming through soon.Try soaking a a clean washcloth in warm water or apple juice for the pain,my son loved it.As for the appetite,if he starts loosing weight take him to the doctors.Congratulations on your baby and good luck.I hope I was helpful.

Answer 4

Yes, your little one is teething. Don't worry about her appetite, she will eat when she is hungry. Have you tried teething rings? If you do not have one, cut a washcloth in 4 pieces, dampen them, then put them in the freezer. It really doesn't take long for them to get frosty. Let her bite on those for a while. You will be surprised how she reacts to them..

Answer 5

Most likely she is teething and yes she will have a loss of appetite. If she doesn't have any teething toys try giving her a really cold infant spoon to gnaw on.

Answer 6

Rub anbesol on her gums and then rub it on your own. When it wears off in your mouth it has worn off in hers. Reapply as needed. Give her a wet washcloth to chew on and tylenol every 4 to 6 hrs. It is very painful to children. especially top fronty and canines!

Answer 7

teething has got to be very painful for a child i would assume that when sucking on the bottle it would hurt, i recommend getting some teething toys or keep doing what your doing. if you get to worried contact your child's doctor. mother of three and EMT

Answer 8

let me ask you this...would you be fussy if you had a sharp bone poking its way through your gums and busting through your muscle to get there? thats what i thought. and as for her bitng on stuff, sometimes pressure on the point where the tooth is coming through helps, just like if your elbow hurts you hold it right? same concept.

Answer 9

i would think not because babies like to chew on things to make their gums stop hurting. then again it depends on the level of pain, she may not want to be bothered with drinking milk. buy her something to chew on, a rubber toy or something.