Diarrhea while teething

introduction

When teething, children experience many different symptoms. This can include a change in bowel movements. Typically, the stool becomes more fluid, from a water content of 75% in the stool one can speak of diarrhea. An increased amount of stool or stool frequency can also become noticeable. Often there is also a change in the color of the stool. For example, foamy or whitish deposits can be noticed.

Read more on the subject at: Diarrhea in the baby and Teething in the baby

Why does diarrhea occur when teething?

Diarrhea is a very common symptom that can originate in different parts of the digestive tract. During teething (when the first teeth break through the gums) there is an increased production of saliva in the mouth. Most of the saliva is swallowed, but teething children typically “drool” more often due to the high flow of saliva. The proportion of saliva that is swallowed can now change digestion in the intestine.

This can result in a different composition of the stool with a larger amount of fluid, which causes diarrhea. The color of the stool can also change, and in rare cases a different smell occurs. The swallowed saliva not only has an impact on digestion. In addition, the baby's saliva has to be excreted. This can manifest itself in the form of slimy to liquid deposits on the diarrhea. In addition, many children generally react to teething with changes in the digestive tract, so that the bowel produces more liquid stool due to the general irritation.

Read more on the subject at: Defecation in the baby

How do I differentiate diarrhea caused by teething from an infection?

In contrast to teething, an infection is often accompanied by other symptoms. For example, gastrointestinal infections often lead to a fever (during teething occasionally increased body temperatures can occur, but in most cases these do not exceed the limit of fever = 38.5 ° C).

Read more on the subject at: Fever in baby

In addition, children with gastrointestinal infections usually have foul-smelling diarrhea. In addition, the stool may turn green or yellow in color. When teething, a lighter color of the stool with slimy deposits would be expected. Both when teething and when infected, the children are often whimpering and not particularly cheerful. In addition, they often have less appetite than usual. However, the appetite during teething is reduced due to the uncomfortable to painful feeling in the mouth. In the case of gastrointestinal infections, on the other hand, children show an increased sensitivity in the abdomen.

Concomitant symptoms

When teething, the local change in the mouth is often noticeable in other parts of the body. This can lead to diarrhea due to the increased flow of saliva. Increased body temperatures and even a slight fever are not uncommon during teething. In addition, red cheeks can appear in babies.

Read more on the subject at: Fever when teething

When teething not only stimulates saliva production, many children also have a runny nose. However, there is usually no coughing, the mucus from the nose is typically clear (in contrast to infections, in which greenish to yellowish mucus occurs). Teething can also affect the child's general health, leaving them tired, exhausted and in a bad mood. Appetite can also be decreased. Due to the additional diarrhea, the children can also suffer from severe fluid loss.

Wonder Po

A sore bottom in diarrhea when teething is usually a result of diarrhea. Because of the changes, the stool can act a little more aggressively on the skin and mucous membranes and thus irritate the skin on the buttocks. In addition, the increased bowel movements generally lead to irritation of the skin, since, in contrast to the clean diaper, it is now exposed to more bowel movements and fluids. Frequent diapers and the associated cleaning of the baby's bottom can also damage the skin, depending on the towels used, and thus cause a sore bottom. It is important to apply lotion to the baby's bottom frequently so that the skin is valued in the long term.

Read more on the subject at: Diaper rash

Red cheeks

Red cheeks can appear in babies during teething. This is especially the case when the first molars are growing. But the incisors can also cause red cheeks in babies. The cheeks are often reddened, especially when the body temperature rises a little. A runny nose due to the increased production of saliva and mucus in the nose and throat can also contribute to red cheeks.

Read more on the subject at: Teething of the molar in the baby

fever

Fever is a very common symptom in children. It is usually an expression of changes taking place in the body. Especially when the children's immune system is activated, a fever or high body temperature occurs. During teething, the growth of the teeth may slightly raise the children's body temperature, but typically there is no pronounced fever. The body temperature therefore rarely exceeds the limit of 38.5 ° C. In connection with diarrhea, a fever must always be considered as an infectious cause of the increased temperature. So if diarrhea and severe fever occur at the same time, a gastrointestinal infection should first be ruled out.

Read more on the subject at: Fever in baby

Duration

The duration of teething varies from child to child. It is not uncommon for increased salivation and red cheeks to occur over a period of a few days to weeks. This is followed by diarrhea for a few days. However, until the teeth are actually visible, some such episodes can occur.

Some children already have their teeth erupting after a few days, while other children experience periods of diarrhea lasting several weeks while teething. Typically, babies' first teeth appear around six to eight months of age. Then the other teeth follow one by one until the deciduous dentition is complete at the age of two to three years. Teething symptoms are typically most pronounced around the first teeth, and they subside over time.

When do I have to go to the pediatrician?

If diarrhea occurs during teething, a visit to the pediatrician is not necessarily necessary. However, there are some signs that one should see a pediatrician. So you have to see a pediatrician if a pronounced fever (over 38.5 to 39 ° C) occurs while teething. Changes in bowel movements (especially color and smell) can also indicate causes other than teething and should therefore be investigated. If there are signs of dehydration in the child, care should be taken to ensure that they are drinking enough water. However, if the child cannot reach their drinking quantity, one should also go to the pediatrician.

Read more on the subject at: Dehydration in children

The pediatrician does that

When teething diarrhea, the pediatrician is primarily responsible for ruling out other causes of the symptoms. He should first look into the mouth so that he can determine whether the teeth have already erupted. This could help predict the duration of the symptoms. The pediatrician should also listen and palpate the baby's tummy. If you hear increased or particularly few intestinal noises, this can be an indication of a gastrointestinal infection.

The pediatrician can also write down medication such as suppositories or feverish juice for symptoms such as fever. These do not need to be taken if the temperature is slightly elevated, but can help if the fever increases. The pediatrician should also pay attention to whether there are any signs of dehydration.

Home remedies

Some home remedies can be used in babies' teething. We are happy to help the children with their teething by buying a teether or something similar. The babies can chew on it, so that the teething is supported. Other home remedies are mainly used against the additional symptoms. If you have diarrhea, you can try to change your diet a little and have a positive effect on the liquid stool.

Red cheeks and elevated body temperatures can be treated with cooling compresses. The hydration of babies is also very important. Because of the diarrhea and the increased body temperature, the children lose more fluids than usual. Depending on the age, additional water, tea, fruit juices or a vegetable broth can support the child's fluid balance.

Read more about the topic at: Home remedies to treat diarrhea