Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-05-03

Mary is so slow in teething,"
said Jane, | wonder why.
Yes she is a little slow but not
so much slower then Mary. | am
sure there is nothing to worry about,
she has two and is getting two more,
answered Helen as she looked in the
baby's mouth.
'Oh. are you sure there are two
more coming soon,' exclaimed Mary.
How can you tell?"
The gums are swollen consider
ably and she objects to me touching
her mouth. See how she bites at
that rubber ring, that is a pretty
sure sign of new teeth.
Didn't Billy Boy have two teeth
months old"
Yes, but that was extra early.
The bony skeleton, including the
lier in some children than others
and Billy Boy was one of that kind"
Il think you will find that Mary's
teeth will come faster after she is
weaned and is able to digest cereals
and vegetables that contain miner
ais"
Il just dread Mary's second sum-
mer. Why cross the brige before
you get to it? You are probably
dreading the second summer because
you have heard about so many babies
dying in hot weather from teething
but if you will read some of the good
books in baby raising you will learn
that teething is a natural function
and that although babies are possib-
ly more liable to bowel infection
during teething because the irrita-
ton the infection really comes from
something taken into the stomach
through the mouth. That is why
more bottle babies suffer from bowel
trouble than nursing babies"
my doctor says that flies carry
infection to babies"
"Of course they do, the dirty
things light on and carry hundreds
of filthy germs on their feet. A baby
cannot defend itself or its food so ii
is the worst sufferer"
"Do you wash your baby's teeth?'
Certainly ! do. / formed the habit
with his first tooth and now ii seems
just as natural to wash his teeth
when / give him his bath as to battle
any other part of the body
II wish ! had come sort of a
memorandum so l would know just
when to expect Mary's teeth"
mo one can give you that, be-
cause as l said before. children vary
so in their functions but l will give
you an approximate table that will
give you the average age of babies
teeth"
&c hoy Eo1an
TEETH
The embryonic teeth begin 10 de-
velop at least six months before
birth. 1t is probable that a nutritious
diet for the prospective mother lays
the foundation for healthy teeth in
the baby and that lack of proper
feed for the mother may deprive
both her own and the baby's teeth
of some part of their normal vigor.
Every child has two sets Of teeth.
The first set, known as the decid-
uous or milk" teeth. are replaced
beginning at about the sixth year.
with the permanent or second"
teeth. Nearly all so-called "teething"
troubles belong TO the first period, as
disturbance is rarely connected
with the coming of the permanent
set.
At the birth each tiny tooth of
bith sets lies partly embedded in
cavity of the jawbone. surrounded
with and covered by the softer It's
sues of the gum. AS the baby grows,
the teeth grow also. and if the baby
is healthy they are ready to cut
through the gums, beginning at
about the seventh month of life.
There are 20 of the milk teeth. 5
in each half jaw. The teeth appear
in groups. There are five of these
groups. with intervals between their
appearance. After the first group
there is a pause of five to eight
weeks; after the second a pause of
one to three months; after the third,
one of from two to three months; af-
ter the fourth, one of from two to
four months. Thus. by the time a
baby is year old it may have
teeth; at l u years there should be
~; at 2 years, 16 teeth; and at 21a
years the entire set should be cut
There is considerable variation. both
as to the order in which they appear
and in the time, so that the mother