Is it teething, or something else?
Teething takes the blame for a lot of illness — and that's exactly how a real infection gets missed.
This content is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Individual needs vary. Please consult an appropriately qualified healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs. Medical & Wellness Disclaimer.
"It's probably just teething" is the most-repeated sentence of the first two years, and it's right most of the time. The trouble is the times it isn't.
What teething tends to look like
- Drooling, sometimes a startling amount
- Chewing and gnawing on everything
- Red, swollen gums with a ridge you can feel
- More fussiness, worse in the evening and lying flat
- Broken sleep for a few nights around each tooth
- A drool rash on the chin and neck
What teething does not cause
- A true fever of 100.4°F or higher
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- A rash spreading across the body
- Refusing all feeds
- Lethargy, or a baby who's hard to wake
Babies teethe roughly from four months to two and a half years — the same window in which they meet their first illnesses. That overlap is why teething gets blamed for so much.
If any of the second list is present, treat it as illness and call your pediatrician. Any fever in a baby under three months is an immediate call, always.
Two to avoid: amber teething necklaces, which the American Academy of Pediatrics warns against on strangulation and choking grounds, and anything containing benzocaine, which the FDA has warned against in children under two.
Trust yourself
You know your baby better than any article does. If the cry sounds wrong to you, or you can't settle her the way you usually can, that instinct is real information.
Nobody has ever been thought foolish for calling. Make the call.
Questions women ask
Can teething cause a fever?
Not a true fever. Teething may raise temperature very slightly, but 100.4°F or above should be treated as illness. In a baby under three months, any fever needs immediate medical attention.
Can teething cause diarrhoea?
No. Extra swallowed drool may loosen stools slightly, but genuine diarrhoea is not caused by teething and should be assessed, especially with any sign of dehydration.
Sources & review
- American Academy of Pediatrics — teething guidance
- US Food and Drug Administration — benzocaine safety communication
This piece has not been reviewed by a qualified healthcare professional. We label content expert-reviewed only when one has genuinely participated.
