High fevers and other potentially serious symptoms in infants should not be written off as normal signs of teething, according to a new study in Pediatrics (August 8, 2011).
The study found that teething typically caused irritability, drooling, a day or so of diarrhea, and poor sleep, Reuters Health reported. But it was not linked to serious symptoms such as high fevers or prolonged bouts of diarrhea.
The findings are based on 47 Brazilian infants between the ages of 5 and 15 months. Over eight months, the researchers visited the babies' homes daily to take their temperature, check for tooth eruptions, and interview mothers about any symptoms.
On days when the babies had a tooth erupt, they typically had a slight increase in temperature but no high fever, the researchers reported. They were also more likely to be fussy or have diarrhea or a poor appetite.
These findings are in line with other studies that have failed to connect teething to severe signs and symptoms, Reuters noted.
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