The question of whether teething causes diarrhoea in babies is as probably as old as the practice baby nursing among humans.
Teething refers to the process of tooth eruption. Generally, most babies will start getting their first teeth between four and seven months of age. Many times the first are the bottom two teeth followed by the top. It has been observed that many infants experience teething and diarrhoea at the same time, and that the diarrhoea could be due to teething.
Teething is a normal physiological event in all infants. It has been associated with many myths and erroneous beliefs. Some infants go through the process of teething without any problems and yet other infants develop many symptoms.
Diarrhoea during teething does not occur in all babies. Some experts believe that perhaps the excess saliva produced during teething may stimulate the bowels to move more frequently.
A baby with diarrhoea during teething may also have a flu-like illness, irritable and have a flushed face, suggesting infection with a flu virus and nothing to do with teething. When teething diarrhoea is associated with a fever, abdominal pain or blood in the stools, then a visit to a doctor is recommended.
Children growing teeth may have other symptoms including drooling, rash around the chin, a mild wet cough, itchy gum, pain, low grade fever, poor sleep and loss of appetite. All these symptoms are short lived and usually worse after eruption of the first teeth.
Once the first two teeth have appeared, the rest of teething process goes without many problems. However, in most cases, diarrhoea during teething is short lived, disappears within 24-48 hours and is usually mild consisting of a few loose bowel motions.
The treatment of teething-related diarrhoea is supportive. The baby should be observed to ensure that the abdomen is not getting distended and that he/she is taking in adequate fluids.
Most babies who have diarrhoea during teething generally show no discomfort except for a few loose bowel movements. In case of persistent diarrhoea, which lasts more than two to three days, you should seek medical help.