What to do when your baby's mouth hurts

To relieve your little one's discomfort, you can take the following steps:

- Give their irritated gums a short, gentle massage with your fingers.

- Offer your little one foods that are soft and creamy.

- Put compresses soaked in mallow infusions on their gums.

- Place a towel on their pillow to stop the saliva irritating their chin and lips.

- Give your child something hard and smooth to chew; the colder the better.

- Apply gels to your child's gums, which have an immediate anaesthetic effect and are completely harmless. Their action tends to last for three hours.

- You can administer painkillers occasionally for four or five nights to help your child sleep. They must always be prescribed by their doctor. Their effect lasts for five or six hours.