What Foods are Best for Children When They are Teething
Calcium supplementation is very important during a baby's growth, and it becomes even more important during the teething period. To help your child develop healthy teeth, how should we adjust their diet to meet their calcium requirements during this period? Dr. Yang will tell you.
Spinach, amaranth, water spinach, and bamboo shoots are all vegetables that can be made into various porridge for babies. However, although they are nutritious, they also have a high oxalic acid content, which can easily form calcium oxalate deposits and affect calcium absorption. Therefore, it is best to blanch these vegetables with boiling water before feeding them to babies. These vegetables should also be gradually added one by one.
What are the different stages of teething:
Stage 1: 2 Teeth
Around 4-8 months, the lower central incisors of the baby quietly emerge, marking the end of the toothless phase. During this period, babies like to put anything they can hold into their mouths and chew on them, which can be both amusing and frustrating. Sometimes, they may even imitate adults by chewing on chopsticks and spoons.
During this stage, mothers can try giving babies some semi-solid foods, such as mashed potatoes, egg yolks, and oatmeal porridge, to help them transition from liquid to mushy foods. Semi-solid foods can help babies realize that their food is changing and lay the foundation for future chewing of solid foods with their teeth.
Stage 2: 4 Teeth
Around 8-12 months, the upper central incisors of the baby will grow out, and sometimes even more teeth. At this stage, the baby's nutritional needs increase, so mothers should offer them more choices, such as minced meat, tomatoes, tofu, etc. However, if the baby has poor chewing ability and weak digestion, solid foods that have not been crushed by teeth will not be easily broken down and utilized. Therefore, parents should consciously guide babies to practice chewing with solid foods during this stage.
Stage 3: 6-8 Teeth
Around 9-13 months, the lateral incisors on the upper jaw start to emerge, and around 10-16 months, the lateral incisors on the lower jaw will also come in. During this period, babies gradually adapt to solid foods, and their gastrointestinal function matures. Mothers can offer babies solid foods such as steamed eggs and vegetables.
Stage 4: 8-12 Teeth
Around 13-19 months, the first molars will emerge. With the molars, the baby's chewing ability greatly improves. During this stage, babies will enthusiastically use a spoon to feed themselves, even if they end up with food all over the table. This should be encouraged by parents, as it also influences the baby's character in the future. At this stage, liquid foods can be reduced and solid foods such as soft rice, bread, vegetables, and meat slices can be added.
Stage 5: 12-20 Teeth
Between 16 and 20 months, the baby's 20 primary teeth gradually grow in, completing the eruption process. At this stage, the baby can not only swallow food on their own, but also have better feeding skills. Mothers can offer regular slightly soft foods, such as rice, noodles, soybeans, etc.
What are the Best Foods for Children When They are Teething Symptoms of Teething and What to Eat
Symptoms of Teething in Babies
1. Swollen and Painful Gums
When a baby is teething, you can see that the gums in their mouth are slightly white or slightly inflamed, and when you touch the gums, you can feel the hard tip of the tooth. Gum swelling and pain are inevitable during the teething process. The cause of the baby's discomfort is inflammation of the gum, which is the soft gum fibers' only way to deal with the approaching teeth. The baby's first tooth and molar eruption is the most uncomfortable.
During this stage, the baby may become irritable and fussy. To alleviate the baby's discomfort, parents can use gauze dipped in ice water to wipe the swollen gums, which can provide both massage and cold compress to the swollen gums. In addition to cold compress, parents can also gently wipe the baby's gums with medical gauze soaked in saline solution, as salt has anti-inflammatory properties.
2. Fever
A few days before the eruption of the baby's milk teeth, the baby may exhibit some unusual behaviors, such as crying, increased saliva, and a tendency to bite fingers. In addition, some babies may also have low-grade fever. This is because when the teeth are trying to break through the gums, there may be "wounds" similar to wounds, causing discomfort to the baby. If the oral hygiene is not sufficient, it increases the chances of gum inflammation and fever.
Therefore, at this time, parents should pay attention to keeping the baby's mouth clean, encourage the baby to drink more water, and rinse the mouth after meals. However, teething can cause a slight increase in body temperature, so the baby may feel slightly warmer than usual. When the baby has a low-grade fever, parents do not need to worry too much. If the low-grade fever persists or the baby's temperature exceeds 38.5°C, it is advisable to seek medical attention at a hospital.
3. Drooling
When the baby is born, their central nervous system and salivary glands are not fully developed, so they produce relatively little saliva and do not drool. However, when the baby is around 3 months old, saliva production gradually increases. When the baby starts teething at around 6-7 months, the stimulation of the trigeminal nerve further increases saliva production. Additionally, the baby's mouth is small, and they do not know how to swallow or regulate saliva in their mouth, so it naturally flows out.
At this time, parents should promptly wipe away the saliva for the baby, but avoid using rough towels to avoid damaging the baby's skin. In addition, the baby's clothing, pillows, and bedding are easily contaminated by saliva, so they should be washed and sun-dried frequently to prevent the growth of bacteria.
4. Tooth Decay
The surface structure of a baby's milk teeth is relatively fragile, and if they are constantly covered with milk or food debris, tooth decay can easily occur. Therefore, after each meal, it is best for parents to have the baby rinse their mouth with plain water or a saline solution, or even brush the baby's teeth directly, to maintain oral cleanliness.
5. Diarrhea
When a baby is teething, the antibodies they received from their mother gradually disappear. At the same time, because the baby's immune system is not fully developed yet, changes in diet habits, such as the addition of complementary foods, can easily cause diarrhea.
Therefore, at this time, parents should pay attention to two aspects: on the one hand, they should pay special attention to the disinfection of the baby's utensils to effectively prevent bacteria from entering the mouth; on the other hand, mothers should prepare easily digestible foods such as porridge or soft noodles to feed the baby, and avoid suddenly adding too many complementary foods.
