Q. How can I tell if my baby is teething?

Babies who are teething have a lower coping threshold and trouble settling down. But, they usually forget the pain of throbbing gums when they are busy playing.

A lot of symptoms are blamed on teething—from runny nose, diarrhea, and fever, to sleep disruption. Teething pretty much gets blamed for everything and is usually responsible for nothing. Your baby is allowed to have a cold virus AND teething . . . or acid reflux AND teething. It’s a good idea to check things out and not just blame every problem on teething.

First-year molars come in somewhere between 12 to18 months, even if the more central teeth are not in yet. And yes, these do hurt more than the others when they start to erupt. Don’t be fooled when your baby starts pulling on his ears—it’s most likely not an ear infection. Look in his mouth. It’s often the jaw pain from the molars that causes the ear pulling. It will save you a trip to the doctor.

Old Wives Tales

Teething causes a fever. False. Teething causes diarrhea. False. Teething causes a runny nose. False.