You are quite right about avoiding antibiotics for your little one. Antibiotics should be the last resort to treat any medical problems, especially for such a young child. Your daughter would be getting her first molars and canines at this age and the symptoms that you describe are rather common ones for teething. Other symptoms include irritability, drooling, biting, gnawing, and a low fever. Your daughter could also develop diarrhoea and a chin rash. However, there are a number of things that you can do at home to help ease the pain of teething.
The simplest and most effective measure is teething rings. These could be filled with water or be made from rubber. You could also give her some cold water to drink because this is also known to help relieve the pain. Drinking the water will also help replenish any loss of fluid that might have occurred. It has also been found that giving your baby cold food can help ease this discomfort. You can try pureeing some cold fruits or feeding your child some chilled yogurt. Another good remedial measure is wetting a soft cloth in some water and then chilling it for a little while in the refrigerator. Once it is cold, give it to your daughter to chew on.
answered by G M