Teething is blamed for just about every symptom you can imagine in an infant. Crying, poor mood, fever, illness, drooling, disturbed sleep, diarrhoea, strong smelling nappies, red cheeks and rashes are all commonly believed to be symptoms of teeth erupting through the gums. And you know what? None of it's true. The only symptom which can be tied in any way to teething is loose stools, and even that connection is tenuous.

Australian paediatricians found this out by conducting daily monitoring of children aged six to 24 months. While parents reported a range of symptoms associated with the day they noticed a tooth erupting (as opposed to the day the tooth actually erupted, as measured by dentists), objective observation by clinicians found no such connection. The symptoms were purely coincidental.

This has led the paediatrician who conducted the study to warn parents and doctors to take all symptoms of illness seriously in children. There is a danger that some illnesses and behaviour problems may not be treated because the symptoms are written off as teething problems.

The study was reported in the December 2000 issue of the journal, Paediatrics.