Symptoms Associated With Infant Teething: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Many mild symptoms previously thought to be associated with teething were found in this study to be temporally associated with teething. However, no symptom cluster could reliably predict the imminent emergence of a tooth. Before caregivers attribute any infants' signs or symptoms of a potentially serious illness to teething, other possible causes must be ruled out.teething, tooth eruption, teeth, deciduous dentition.

Prospective Longitudinal Study of Signs and Symptoms Associated With Primary Tooth Eruption

“…10,18 Significant differences were found in mean tympanic temperature between noneruption days and day of eruption, 1 day before eruption, and 1 day after eruption. However, there was a significant difference in axillary temperature only between noneruption days and 1 day after eruption.…”

“…The aim of assessing the day before and after tooth eruption was based on previous studies reporting that infants exhibit signs and symptoms on days surrounding the day of eruption that may be associated with teething. 10,18 Methods were used to minimize observer bias. The data-collection sequence (temperature reading, followed by interview with mother, and, lastly, the clinical examination) was designed so that mothers would not be biased with regard to communicating more signs and symptoms when it was determined that a tooth was erupting.…”

“…The aforementioned study conducted in Cleveland also reports an association between teething and increased salivation, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of appetite on the day of eruption. 10 Some of these signs and symptoms may be explained by the increase in inflammatory cytokine levels in the gingival crevicular fluid surrounding the teeth. High levels of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor ␣ have been correlated with fever, gastrointestinal disturbance, sleep disturbance, and appetite disturbance.…”

“…1 Although some studies involving parents, pediatricians, and other health care professionals have associated teething with signs and symptoms, [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] prospective studies have offered contradictory findings. 10,11 In a study involving 21 children aged between 6 months and 2 years institutionalized at day care centers in Melbourne, Australia, tympanic temperature readings and clinical oral examinations were conducted, and the results did not confirm any association between tooth eruption and disturbances. 11 However, such an association was found in a study conducted in Cleveland, Ohio, involving 111 infants between 3 and 5.6 months of age at the beginning of the data-collection period.…”

“…11 However, such an association was found in a study conducted in Cleveland, Ohio, involving 111 infants between 3 and 5.6 months of age at the beginning of the data-collection period. 10 The parents read the tympanic temperature and observed the presence or absence of 18 symptoms on a daily basis until the infants reached 12 months of age. The eruption of 475 teeth was observed in this period, and the following were the most frequent symptoms: increased salivation, irritability, loss of appetite for solid foods, and rise in mean temperature.…”