Teething rash in babies: Symptoms and relief tips
Our resident GP explains everything you need to know about this common baby rash, including why it happens, common symptoms and how to treat it.
Teething is one of the many developmental milestones you'll go through in the first year or so with your baby. While some babies teeth may appear with little or no side effects, many babies experience discomfort, sore gums and lots of drooling. And with all that extra dribbling many babies also develop a teething rash, which can add to their irritability and unease.
To help you navigate this tricky phase and help your baby feel as comfortable and settled as possible while their teeth come through we spoke to NHS GP Dr Philippa Kaye about teething rash – including how to treat it successfully at home and why it happens in the first place.
What is baby teething rash and what is it caused by?
"Teething rash isn’t actually due to teething, but rather due to the saliva caused by the drooling from teething," says Dr Philippa Kaye. "Hence it is also called drool rash, or even lick rash. Teething makes your baby drool more, and the constant exposure of the skin to saliva can lead to a rash. It tends to occur around the mouth but can extend to the chin and neck as the baby drools. A baby’s skin is delicate, so this constant wetness leads to irritation, as can friction from playing or rubbing the skin."
What are the common symptoms of teething rash and where does it occur?
When your baby develops a rash it can be quite alarming and many parents worry it's a sign of something more sinister, however as teething rash is usually very localised and accompanies a noticeable amount of extra drooling, it is usually very easy to self-diagnose.
"The rash related to teething around the mouth, chin, neck and cheeks can simply look like dry skin, which may be cracked or chapped in appearance," says Dr Philippa. "Small red raised bumps can develop, on black or brown skin these may not look red but the areas affected may look darker, or greyish/whitish in colour."
How do you treat a teething rash?
No parent wants to see their baby in pain and teething can be a tricky time for everyone to get through, especially if baby also develops a teething rash on top of the other symptoms. However, there are ways to successfully treat baby teething rash at home.
"Prevention is, as always, better than cure, so ensure that you regularly wipe away the excess saliva from your baby’s face," says Dr Philippa. "You can use a muslin or other soft cloth and you can even fasten a neckerchief-style bib to soak up saliva which runs down into the folds of the neck and chin and even the upper chest to try to prevent irritation. And think about changing them more regularly if their clothing becomes wet. You can apply a barrier cream, or even petroleum to help protect the skin.
"If these measures don’t help or the rash keeps spreading, started bleeding or shows signs of being infected please see your doctor."
Read more:
- Baby teething: signs, stages and relief tips
- How to soothe your baby when they're teething
- 10 of the best baby teethers