Teething - 3wks old?????

Chesty LaRue

My DS is 3wks old tomorrow and I swear I think he is teething. He has been very unsettled for past few days and munching on his fists. We thought he was hungry and have been offering him his feeds every 2 and half hrs. However I spotted his gums yesterday and there is very obviously 2 very white lumps on the top at the front. Today I touched them with my finger and I can feel one of them cutting through the gum. Went to the chemist to see if I could get anything to relieve his discomfort - lady in chemist thought I was mad, dont think she believed me when I said he was teething. Anyhow, got Teetha Gel which seems to help him but only for a short while. Has anyone else ever heard/seen a baby cut teeth so early and if so is there anything I can get to help him....Ta.... (BTW, my other son (now 7yrs) had his first 2 teeth at 4mths.

sarahlulu

some babies are born with teeth, not out of the question at all that he could be teething so early. Afraid I don't know what to recommend with such a small litttle tot though, sorry.

crazy cat lady

I'm no expert, but I've heard of babies being born with teeth so I guess it wouldn't be unheard of for a 3 week old baby to be teething!

Stan and Ollie

My daughter is one week old today. She has been biting on her fists for the past week but particularly the past two days. She has also been very irritable as well. There are white 'stumps' in her gums but i never thought they could be teeth!

That said, when my wife goes to feed her, she takes the breast each time so I guess it could just be hunger...hope it's not teeth already.

Chesty LaRue

I am going to docs tomorrow for 2wk post natal check up and will check to see if he is actually teething. Told my PHN and she says it sounds like he is. Will keep you posted...

Das Kitty

Well if you can feel a sharp little tooth I'd say he almost definitely is!

Chesty LaRue

Well, been to docs....his teeth are not cutting but are very prominent in his gums for his age...so she told me not to be surprised if they start cutting when he is about 2mths. And yes, they could be irritating him at the mo but I cant give him anything...so keeping Nelsons Teetha on hand!
Interesting Info:- She also told me some babies are born with teeth and quite often they would be loose in the gum and they need to have them removed in case they inhale/choke on them. :eek:

cbyrd

it takes a while for them to cut through the gum it's the last stage of teething but they do hurt as they come up.. red cheeks, dribbling and nappy rash are all signs.. chewing on things helps as the pressure eases the gum and helps push the tooth through.
it can take up to six months for the tooth to work it's way up..:eek:

littlebug

Fists in mouth and irritability (in the absence of other teething signs) can also be a sign of reflux in a small baby. People were telling me my baby was teething from really early on and she didn't cut a tooth til she was a year old.

If in doubt consult your phn or gp.

Chesty LaRue

Thanks Littlebug. My son was a dream baby for first 17days but has been very unsettled since. Having some discomfort when feeding (not every bottle). Tummy gurgling, gulping and losing his breath swallowing.
However he doesnt throw up his bottles and is feeding every 2 and half hrs or so around 85mls (3oz). His sleep is disturbed and he has a slight cough. I googled these symptoms and came up with Reflux.

Was at docs yesterday, he is gaining weight and in good health so she wasnt worried but did mention in passing it could be minor reflux with his cough. Although, she said the gurgly tummy was prob wind.

Have left a message for my PHN to call me back.

Does anyone know how Reflux diagnosed?

littlebug

With reflux the norm is that the baby is bringing a lot of their feed back up... not talking about normal spit ups here and also wanting to feed more frequently as a result (and also to ease the pain) but without those symptoms it could be harder to diagnose but still be silent reflux (no bringing back up feed). It took me 5 hellish months and numerous dr trips before the word reflux was mentioned and then my GP suggested gaviscon which made a big difference.
I mean Infant Gaviscon which is a powder sachet which goes in the bottle.

Could he also just have a bit of a sore throat if he has a cough/ cold which would make feeding uncomfortable?

hacked

Stan and Ollie wrote: »

My daughter is one week old today. She has been biting on her fists for the past week but particularly the past two days. She has also been very irritable as well. There are white 'stumps' in her gums but i never thought they could be teeth!

That said, when my wife goes to feed her, she takes the breast each time so I guess it could just be hunger...hope it's not teeth already.

IT's the same with my little girl. She is almost 7 weeks, chewing on her fists a lot the last few days and has the white stumps....i didn't think of teeth either. I'm sure it's got to be something else?

Chesty LaRue

Possibility it cld be sore throat as I had a cold/sore throat last cpl weeks ago but his feeding is becoming more troublesome for him. He drinks about 60mls with high pitched sound as if gulping for air. Starts to squirm so give him a break and try to wind him. He crys for the rest but when I try to feed him his tummy is gurgling and he sounds like he is choking/gasping for air while swallowing. Anyone know what this could be?

gowayouttadat

hacked wrote: »

IT's the same with my little girl. She is almost 7 weeks, chewing on her fists a lot the last few days and has the white stumps....i didn't think of teeth either. I'm sure it's got to be something else?

DS was like that from 8 weeks on. I wouldn't take much notice of it. He cut his first tooth a few weeks ago at 8 months. You could see the stumps in his gums from very early on but it's not actually teething.

Chewing fists can be a sign of wind. It's also purely developmental and natural for them to do and doesn't have to be directly linked to teething.

Chesty LaRue wrote:

Possibility it cld be sore throat as I had a cold/sore throat last cpl weeks ago but his feeding is becoming more troublesome for him. He drinks about 60mls with high pitched sound as if gulping for air. Starts to squirm so give him a break and try to wind him. He crys for the rest but when I try to feed him his tummy is gurgling and he sounds like he is choking/gasping for air while swallowing. Anyone know what this could be?

I'd agree with littlebug unfortunately. My DS has silent reflux. He started doing what your little one is doing around the 8 week mark. It took so long to figure out what was wrong because he doesn't actually throw up. The acid comes up the throat but he swallows it back down again. He started pulling off bottles and fighting feeds and was very uncomfortable, arching his back, couldn't sit on your lap properly etc
He sounded like he was gulping air down when drinking his bottle. You could hear the bottle sloshing around in his stomach afterwards.
If I was you I'd try putting infant gaviscon in his feeds. You can get it over the counter and it's worth a try.

Chesty LaRue

Yeah, I am inclined to think it is silent reflux. PHN calling to see him on Monday. If she says ok I will try the infant Gaviscon. He will be 4wks on Monday. Is he too young? Should I wait a few weeks? Thanks to everyone for answering. Parenthood can be scary at times and you just want to make sure you doing the right thing...Cheers everyone!

gowayouttadat

Chesty LaRue wrote: »

Yeah, I am inclined to think it is silent reflux. PHN calling to see him on Monday. If she says ok I will try the infant Gaviscon. He will be 4wks on Monday. Is he too young? Should I wait a few weeks? Thanks to everyone for answering. Parenthood can be scary at times and you just want to make sure you doing the right thing...Cheers everyone!

I wouldn't wait at all if you suspect that it's silent reflux. What happens with reflux is the acid from the stomach comes up the oesophagus causing it to burn. It gets worse and worse as the time goes by. It might not irritate them for a few weeks because the damage builds up over time. The more time you leave go by the worse the pain becomes for the baby.
The gaviscon is over the counter and can be given from week 1 as far as I know. Just be aware that it can cause constipation. The other thing would be to change to a thicker comfort formula?

Don't mean to scare you at all. It's nothing that can't be sorted! I just know that my son really struggled for weeks while we tried to figure out what was going on. It's not easy when he's not actually getting sick! We tried gaviscon but it caused constipation. We tried all kinds of formula and nothing worked. Eventually the doctor put him on Zantac for reflux and we put him on a special reflux formula and the combination did the trick.

cbyrd

littlebug wrote: »

With reflux the norm is that the baby is bringing a lot of their feed back up... not talking about normal spit ups here and also wanting to feed more frequently as a result (and also to ease the pain) but without those symptoms it could be harder to diagnose but still be silent reflux (no bringing back up feed).

this sounds like my little lad although he has really dry skin patches that look like eczema(according to phn) but he gets a really bad blocked and snotty nose about an hour after he has a bottle also has bad dry skin patches which the phn says looks like eczema.
so we switched him onto the comfort food and it's working to an extent.. his nose isn't snotty but he's still spitting up and still has the dry skin. so we were told to switch back to the ordinary aptimil for a day with the infant gavisgon but we gave him his morning bottle and an hour later he wasn't able to breathe through his nose and got so distressed we put him back onto the aptimil comfort.. which you can't use with the gavisgon cos it already has a thickner..
I'm at my wits end now as to what to do.. i was advised not to give him the wysoy cos of fertility issues later on (according to the PHN) so if anyone has gone through this i'd love to hear any solutions
Were currently waiting for an appointment for him with a pediatritian but they're not taking any new private patients in Drogheda and i don't know when we'll get a response from them for an appointment.. currently waiting 4 weeks..
I'm lactose intolereant and it's what i initially thought it was but it looks more like allergy symptoms, as he doesn't get pain or bad wind (just smelly wind:D)

caprilicious

I think my little one has started teething in the past few days, she's 9 weeks old! I can see definitely one and possibly another 2 teeth cutting through. The poor little pet its so painful for her & she had her 6 in 1 vaccine the day she started teething so she's not having a good week!

gowayouttadat

cbyrd wrote: »

this sounds like my little lad although he has really dry skin patches that look like eczema(according to phn) but he gets a really bad blocked and snotty nose about an hour after he has a bottle also has bad dry skin patches which the phn says looks like eczema.
so we switched him onto the comfort food and it's working to an extent.. his nose isn't snotty but he's still spitting up and still has the dry skin. so we were told to switch back to the ordinary aptimil for a day with the infant gavisgon but we gave him his morning bottle and an hour later he wasn't able to breathe through his nose and got so distressed we put him back onto the aptimil comfort.. which you can't use with the gavisgon cos it already has a thickner..
I'm at my wits end now as to what to do.. i was advised not to give him the wysoy cos of fertility issues later on (according to the PHN) so if anyone has gone through this i'd love to hear any solutions
Were currently waiting for an appointment for him with a pediatritian but they're not taking any new private patients in Drogheda and i don't know when we'll get a response from them for an appointment.. currently waiting 4 weeks..
I'm lactose intolereant and it's what i initially thought it was but it looks more like allergy symptoms, as he doesn't get pain or bad wind (just smelly wind:D)

God it's so hard to know what to do isn't it??
We initially thought DS was lactose intolerant too.
After months and months of trying to figure out what worked for DS this is what I'd suggest and it's only my advice...

If you think it's an allergy ask your GP about switching to a formula like Nutramigen or Neocate. The Neocate is supposed to be the best but you need a prescription to get it. It's very expensive but you can get it on the DPS scheme so you'd only have to pay 120 a month.
Switching to one of those should tell you if it's an allergy or not. If he improves then obviously it is.

Not sure if you've every been on this website before but I am pretty sure that quite a few moms on www.magicmum.ie have used gaviscon with comfort formula. All you need to do it get a bigger teat as it will be thicker. Maybe you could post a thread there and ask? I am 100% convinced I've seen threads about it before.

cbyrd

gowayouttadat wrote: »

God it's so hard to know what to do isn't it??
We initially thought DS was lactose intolerant too.
After months and months of trying to figure out what worked for DS this is what I'd suggest and it's only my advice...

If you think it's an allergy ask your GP about switching to a formula like Nutramigen or Neocate. The Neocate is supposed to be the best but you need a prescription to get it. It's very expensive but you can get it on the DPS scheme so you'd only have to pay 120 a month.
Switching to one of those should tell you if it's an allergy or not. If he improves then obviously it is.

Not sure if you've every been on this website before but I am pretty sure that quite a few moms on www.magicmum.ie have used gaviscon with comfort formula. All you need to do it get a bigger teat as it will be thicker. Maybe you could post a thread there and ask? I am 100% convinced I've seen threads about it before.

thanks a million cap i googled the two of them and there's a questionaire and it looks like he has an allergy.. now my next problem is will the gp prescribe it or do i have to see a specialist? i'm now 3 weeks waiting to hear form the hospital...
i feel like i'm getting fobbed off.. when i first showed the phn his skin she said it was heat rash?? wtf? i feel like i could slowly strangle someone.. it's so obvious its allergy.. i know .. i have intolerance.. i haven't eaten dairy in years.. he only got it when he started bottles and low and behold this started.. i have severe allergies to paracetamol and a random spice both result in annaphylaxis. why do the ones in the precription writing seat not listen?
*rant over*

gowayouttadat

cbyrd wrote: »

thanks a million cap i googled the two of them and there's a questionaire and it looks like he has an allergy.. now my next problem is will the gp prescribe it or do i have to see a specialist? i'm now 3 weeks waiting to hear form the hospital...
i feel like i'm getting fobbed off.. when i first showed the phn his skin she said it was heat rash?? wtf? i feel like i could slowly strangle someone.. it's so obvious its allergy.. i know .. i have intolerance.. i haven't eaten dairy in years.. he only got it when he started bottles and low and behold this started.. i have severe allergies to paracetamol and a random spice both result in annaphylaxis. why do the ones in the precription writing seat not listen?
*rant over*

Your GP should prescribe it. Mine did, although I'm going to him for years and he's very good to me.
I was given a referral to a public paed for my son in December. I still haven't heard a thing from them about it!!! I went private so it doesn't matter now but it's absolutely disgraceful. The child was self starving and wouldn't feed and months later I still haven't heard anything from the HSE.

If your GP doesn't prescribe it you could try the Nutramigen?? You don't need a prescription for is although it's not as good as the Neocate. Beware the Nutramigen tastes awful. It took my guy a few days before he got used to it. I got a tip to get some glucose in the chemist and put it into it to make it taste a bit better.

Chesty LaRue

I'm back....I am soooooooooooo stressed out.

First I thought it was teething, then I thought it was silent reflux now a friend of mine (nurse) thinks he has a dairy intolerance!!!! DS settled a little the past few days (not as cranky, but still uncomfortable) so I didnt try the Gaviscon. Called to my friend today and he was very irritable, wouldnt settle not even if you carried/held him. He woke at 7am this morn and didnt sleep until 6pm this eve. Few cat naps here and there where he whimpered and grimaced. Poor little mite, my heart is broke looking at him and trying to make him comfortable. Anyhow, her son (now 2) is lactose intolerant and she said he was exactly the same as a baby. He was diagnosed by a stool sample when he was 8wks old and she put him on soya. He settled after a couple of weeks.

My 7yr old son has a significant milk allergy which was diagnosed when he was 1, however I put him on soya at 6mths when I took him off the boob. And even though I told doctors and PHN that I felt he was allergic to dairy they fobbed me off and said prob not as it is highly unusual!!! I went with my instincts and changed him to Infasoy. When he was 1 and in hospital with pneumonia they tested his allergies with a blood test and it showed he was allergic to cows milk and egg white (Grade 3 on a graded 6 test). So chances are my new son could have an allergy/intolerance too.

My husband thinks I am a bit neurotic and am looking for things to diagnose but as silly as it sounds it is a mothers instinct to know when something is upsetting her baby. I am sick of people saying ah he is colicky or all babies cry. I know they do but he is only 4wks old and should be a lot more settled.

Rang doc today and told her my concerns, asked if I could get him tested, and she told me there is no test for it!!!! WTF?
Said to change him to Soya gradually and in a couple of weeks if he settles then he obviously has an allergy/intolerance. Been checking on net bout switching formulas and have now read about soya affecting childs reproductive system.....HELPPP....what do I do?????

caprilicious

Poor Chesty, its so frustrating trying to figure out how to get the right balance with babies feed.
We were like that for the first 2 weeks with Rose because she had desperately painful gas and wind, though thankfully she seemed to grow out of it by the time she got to 3 weeks.

I googled the lactose intolerance test and came across the following article;

"Stool Acidity Test
The lactose tolerance and hydrogen breath tests are not given to infants and very young children who are suspected of having lactose intolerance. A large lactose load may be dangerous for the very young because they are more prone to the dehydration that can result from diarrhoea caused by the lactose. If a baby or young child is experiencing symptoms of lactose intolerance, many paediatricians simply recommend changing from cow's milk to soy formula and waiting for symptoms to abate.

If necessary, a stool acidity test, which measures the amount of acid in the stool, may be given to infants and young children. Undigested lactose fermented by bacteria in the colon creates lactic acid and other short-chain fatty acids that can be detected in a stool sample. In addition, glucose may be present in the sample as a result of unabsorbed lactose in the colon."

So although not common, there does appear to be a stool acidity test that can be done. I wonder if you spoke to a different GP would they carry out the test for you before you go changing formulas?

If not, I have heard that about the soya based formula alright, what about using Enfamil (rice based formula), Goats milk formula or a hydrolysed/part hydrolysed formula like Aptimil easy digest?

I read that it is incommon for babies to be lactose intolerant, that it is more common for them to have difficulty digesting the protein in the milk.
The hydrolysed formula has the protein in it broken down so it is easy to digest.
I wonder would your PHN be any more help in suggesting what step to take next?

Just came across this site either where you can get a gene test to diagnose lactose intolerance;
http://www.btsireland.com/bts/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33:lactose-intolerance-&catid=31:general&Itemid=46

If all else fails it might be worth a try?

Hope you get sorted soon

Edit: Here's a link to the Enfamil site, they help you chose what formula to use according to symptoms your baby has;
http://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/enfamil/articleGen.do?dm=enf&id=-10691&iwpst=B2C&ls=0&csred=1&r=3451055039

Here's a link to the Aptimil site about the lactose intolerant formula, all though it describes it moreso as for the relief of colic;
http://www.milupa-aptamil.ie/baby/zeroToThreeMonths/yourBaby/articles/12/

gowayouttadat

Hi Chesty, as cap said it's highly uncommon for a baby to be lactose intolerant. If they are lactose intolerant it's usually caused by something else. It's more likely that your little one has an intolerance to the dairy proteins in the milk.
I'd suggest changing to one of the hypoallegenic formulas like Nutramigen or Neocate.
Neocate is supposed to be the best of the whole lot as it is free of any of the allergens.

cbyrd

Chesty i know what you're going through although i have a very sympathic GP
she sent off for a peds appointment 3 weeks ago, then yesterday told me i now have to get on the phone and basically hound them.. i'm getting fobbed off you know the usual.. oh we haven't recieved the letter...blah blah blah:(
there are tests available, for intolerance and allergy, its just a case of when you get it.
my gp has stressed that he cannot start solids til he's tested and marked it urgent but still.. 'ring us back on FRIDAY'... i cannot type the language spewing out of me:eek::D

i was told by my PHN not to give him the infasoy or the wysoy.. cos of the estrogen in it they don't recommend it for little boys... is this true??

Chesty LaRue

PHN called today and in typical fashion (although I am not complaining) DS was in great form! Gave him a bottle while she was here and there was no squirming/choking/wheezing etc....however he was passing wind and she knew by him that he is a very windy baby. She also said he was very nasaly and seemed to have a build up of mucus and she also thought he may have a floppy larynx. Seemingly it isnt a problem just immature and over next couple of months will strengthen. This is probably causing his wheezing/cough.

She said not to put him on soya formula as it is not recommended for babies under 6mths. Yep, seemingly there is some controversy regarding soya and reproductive problems with boys in puberty but after reading about it on the web there hasnt been enough research on the matter.
My 7yr old went on soya at 6mths and I still make a bottle up to use on his cereal as he doesnt like the carton soya! Think I will have to try him with milk again, he prob outgrown his allergy (as he eats chocolate - lots of)..:D
She suggested Colief drops as it breaks down the lactose in the formula, if he still uncomfortable to try him on the Cow N Gate Comfort as this is easier on the digestive system. Anyone try either of these?

TBH, I think when babies are so young, and it isnt a clear cut problem with them, all the docs, nurses etc...dont know the answers and just suggest lots of different things, that we Mums probably know already. Well heres to another day of worry and wonder, I am off to bed to catch some z's before the night shift starts.:)

littlebug

Chesty LaRue wrote: »

TBH, I think when babies are so young, and it isnt a clear cut problem with them, all the docs, nurses etc...dont know the answers and just suggest lots of different things, that we Mums probably know already.

Yup... and by the time you've been through all the possibilities and all the possible solutions the baby has grown out of whatever it is that was bothering them and you move right along to the next minor crisis:D .

gowayouttadat

Chesty LaRue wrote: »

PHN called today and in typical fashion (although I am not complaining) DS was in great form! Gave him a bottle while she was here and there was no squirming/choking/wheezing etc....however he was passing wind and she knew by him that he is a very windy baby. She also said he was very nasaly and seemed to have a build up of mucus and she also thought he may have a floppy larynx. Seemingly it isnt a problem just immature and over next couple of months will strengthen. This is probably causing his wheezing/cough.

She said not to put him on soya formula as it is not recommended for babies under 6mths. Yep, seemingly there is some controversy regarding soya and reproductive problems with boys in puberty but after reading about it on the web there hasnt been enough research on the matter.
My 7yr old went on soya at 6mths and I still make a bottle up to use on his cereal as he doesnt like the carton soya! Think I will have to try him with milk again, he prob outgrown his allergy (as he eats chocolate - lots of)..:D
She suggested Colief drops as it breaks down the lactose in the formula, if he still uncomfortable to try him on the Cow N Gate Comfort as this is easier on the digestive system. Anyone try either of these?

TBH, I think when babies are so young, and it isnt a clear cut problem with them, all the docs, nurses etc...dont know the answers and just suggest lots of different things, that we Mums probably know already. Well heres to another day of worry and wonder, I am off to bed to catch some z's before the night shift starts.:)

Chesty colief saved my life when DS was three weeks old!!! Literally after the 1st bottle with the drops he was back to his contented self. It stopped working around 8 weeks though... dunno why!

cbyrd

I was so fed up this morning ben was refusing his bottle again.. did this yesterday and it was 11am before he had his first bottle and then he only drank 3 ounces.:( it's so frustrating...
So after i read chesty's post i decided to get the colief and go back to the ordinary aptimal and throw in some infant gavisgon for the laugh to see what happened

He guzzled an 8 ounce bottle in about a minute flat llike the starving baby he is and i waited and waited and not a snot in sight no stuffy nose and he hasnt' spit up yet... he's been so happy i feel like i have my baby back...;)
I know 2 bottles is too early to tell but it usually only takes an hour before his nose swells up and runs..
And to top it off i got a phone call from the hospital to say his appointment has been sent out and i should recieve it tomorrow or monday..
Oh joy
it's been a good day!! :D
and aswell as that, i used to use aloe lips when my nipples cracked so i thought to myself if it worked for me maybe it'll work on his little arms..(very dry red and sore) and it seems to be
only trouble is if i take him to the peds with no symptoms maybe it'll do him a disservice...?? hard to know

i have tried the cow and gate and the aptimal comfort but he just didn't like the thickness of it. it's half the lactose so he still got a bit snotty and still spat up a lot ..

gowayouttadat

cbyrd that's great!! I know with DS once he had one bottle with colief he was a different baba, it was unreal the difference it made!!! Hopefully it'll be the same for you. My DS also hated the C&G comfort. Would only drink 3 ounces or so at a go.

caprilicious

Cbyrd that's fantastic that Ben is feeding so well, must be such a relief

I started wondering was I mad thinking Rose was teething this early but as of tonight the top part of 2 teeth have now cut through & there's another 2 about to come through.
Poor Rose, as well as being in pain with the teeth cutting she had her mad mammy frighten the life out of her screeching with delight when I seen her little teeth finally through!!!