(Mirror Daily, United States) – According to the latest studies in the area, fever is not linked to teething. So if your child is crying, not eating and has a fever, you should head out to the doctor’s office because teething may not be the only thing bothering the little bundle.

High fever has been associated with teething since forever. But doctors have found that fever is not linked to teething and that babies who display an unnaturally high level in temperature have underlying issues that are not connected with the teething process.

The director of the Pediatric Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry Policy and Research Center of the American Academy, Paul Casamassimo, urges the parents and doctors who encounter children with high fever to do extensive check-ups of the babies and not attribute the baby’s condition to teething.

The analysis of the doctors revealed that the most usual symptoms of the process are crankiness, drooling, and swollen gums. Of course, the crankiness may be caused by itching or even pain in the gums area because the teeth are actually forcing themselves out of the baby’s gums. It’s a good thing we bear no memories from that age.

Dr. Casamassimo also added that the parents must supervise the baby’s condition and be aware of important factors like nourishment and hydration.

There are additional symptoms that can occur when the baby is going through the teething process. A slight rise in temperature (not more than 101 Fahrenheit, 38.3 Celsius), sleeping problems, decreased appetite and even, on rare occasions, vomiting, rash, and diarrhea.

Small children are not able to point out to their parents or doctors the actual reason of their discomfort so most of the diagnostics are presumed. Fever was associated with teething ever since Hippocrates wrote the basics of medical care.

Even in the eighteenth century, teething was considered a very complex process that could lead to the death of a child. The sixth child of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was declared dead due to worms, whooping cough, and teething.

For an extended period of time, teething was also associated with convulsions. But doctors eventually realized that convulsions were a sign of child epilepsy and renounced the idea that they might be in any way linked to the teething process.

Now, doctors have concluded that fever is not linked to teething, so the symptom will be erased from future medical textbooks. But for the moment, Dr. Casamassimo is urging child physicians to raise a red flag when a child, who is at a teething age, presents itself with a high fever.

Teething can be managed by comforting the child. In some cases, a cold rag applied to the swollen gums might ease the discomfort. There are also all kinds of teething toys on the market. The special trinkets are filled with a special gel that soothes the gums.

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