# high pitched screams...is it teething?



## zembla (Aug 18, 2006)

Help! Has anyone out there have a baby start teething by making a peculiar high pitched scream?

It's been going on about 2 days now--the screaming happens on and off irregularly and she can be distracted from it a bit. Most of the time she seems unhappy and distressed when she vocalizes, but not in god awful pain or I would have called the doctor by now.

She has no fever, has normal diapers. And though she's only 3 1/2 months, I've decided she must be teething because I can feel some ridges on her gum lines. I don't think it's gas (I tried Mylicon just in case and no change). So before I call the pediatrician I thought I'd see what I hear from all of you. Anyone out there experience this? She nearly sounds like a cat in heat sometimes....


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## fireant (Jan 10, 2006)

For us the high pitched screaming is teething. My dd now wakes up doing it too


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Was she recently vaccinated?

-Angela


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## tiffany21074 (Jan 22, 2006)

:


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
Was she recently vaccinated?

-Angela









:


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## zembla (Aug 18, 2006)

After much thought, we decided to do delayed and selected vaccs...and she had her DTaP shot on September 12--over 2 weeks ago. I wondered about that (horrified). But aside from some fussiness the day after the shot, she's seemed OK overall. Wouldn't a reaction have set in much sooner?


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## AlbertaJes (May 11, 2006)

My DD does that high pitched scream when she's mad at me. The first time it happened, I'd jostled her a bit and thought I hurt her (my hand slipped and her head dropped 1/2" onto the changing table), but now it happens a lot. Like if I decide changing the sopping wet diaper is more important than eating right this instant, or if I try to burp her between sides and she's not finished. Hmm. Okay, mostly it has to do with food. LOL. She's passionate.

She can occasionally be distracted, but not if she's screaming because she's hungry. Although, as soon as I pick her up after her diaper is changed, she stops screaming and just starts yelling at me. No words, of course, but she's got the tone & inflection down even though we don't yell in our house.

Edit to add: My DD is not vaxed.


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zembla* 
After much thought, we decided to do delayed and selected vaccs...and she had her DTaP shot on September 12--over 2 weeks ago. I wondered about that (horrified). But aside from some fussiness the day after the shot, she's seemed OK overall. Wouldn't a reaction have set in much sooner?

No, some reactions take months.


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Quote:

hepatitis B, hepatitis A, pertussis, diptheria and tetnus) contain *aluminum* as an adjuvant. Aluminum accumulates in the brain, muscle and bone tissue and can be linked to causing fibrosarcomas (cancerous tumors) at the injection site.
http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/a...cine/index.php

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...light=aluminum Here is an excellent thread.

Alos, take a peek at these ones.
http://vaers.hhs.gov/vaers.htm
and
http://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/index.html


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Just two weeks ago- yes it could be a reaction. Did she run a fever after?

Fwiw, high pitched screaming often indicates brain swelling.

-Angela


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## Lolafanana (Dec 29, 2005)

how often is the screaming? is it a lot or is it just sudden and out of nowhere every now and again? That would help us if we knew!

Elaina would scream out every now and again in her sleep when she was teething. I was terrified but then realized what was happening.

I'm sure your babe is fine!

Diana


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## zembla (Aug 18, 2006)

I'm going to read those links now...but if she had brain swelling I'd think she'd be in real pain, no? She seems fine most of the time--happy etc. But then has these turns when the screams kick in.

And, no, she had no fever after the vaccs. I monitored her pretty vigorously.


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## ERSsmom (Dec 6, 2004)

Ds does this also. Usually when he is angry. He is 7 months, but has been doing it for several months.

It could be a vax reaction, but you say she is easily distracted, so I am inclined to think that it isn't. From my experience, babies with the high pitched scream after vaccines are not easily distracted. However, my experience is limited.

I would give her a cold rag to chew on. I usually get one wet and put it in the freezer for a few minutes (I don't let it get hard, just really cold). That usually helps with teething pain. Since you feel the ridge in her gums, my guess is it is teething pain.


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zembla* 
I'm going to read those links now...but if she had brain swelling I'd think she'd be in real pain, no?

Well, since she can't speak, high pitched crying would be a good indicator of extreme pain.


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## zembla (Aug 18, 2006)

To answer Lola's questions, the screams come in fits and starts. Most of the time she seems ok...and then they'll kick in for a bit...then she'll be ok again. Sometimes she seems mildly annoyed when she does it. At other times, downright pissed off.


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## zembla (Aug 18, 2006)

Mama, I should have been clearer: I meant extreme pain all of the time. The scream very much comes and goes. And we have tried the frozen washcloth. She likes it...but it's not clear to me if she just likes the sucking. She's a pretty vigorous eater.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zembla* 
She's a pretty vigorous eater.

What do you mean by this? She's 3.5 months- correct? Do you mean she nurses a lot?

-Angela


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## zembla (Aug 18, 2006)

yes. she's only breast fed.


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## PGNPORTLAND (Jul 9, 2005)

my dd does this high pitched scream when she is teething. It is a very common side effect of teething. I would guess that's what it is.

pauline


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

It could be teething. It could be vaccine damage. It could be something else all together.

hope she feels better soon!

-Angela


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## Enudely (Jul 2, 2005)

When was his last vaccine? I don't want to scare you, but high pitched screaming is a common sign of vaccine damage.


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## PGNPORTLAND (Jul 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Enudely* 
When was his last vaccine? I don't want to scare you, but high pitched screaming is a common sign of vaccine damage.

the baby is a girl. let's try to at least read the whole post before we start with the scaring the momma to death with the vaccine fears . . .







:


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Enudely* 
When was his last vaccine? I don't want to scare you, but high pitched screaming is a common sign of vaccine damage.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *zembla*
she had her DTaP shot on September 12--over 2 weeks ago.

hth


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PGNPORTLAND* 
the baby is a girl. let's try to at least read the whole post before we start with the scaring the momma to death with the vaccine fears . . .







:

THANK YOU! Sheesh. This place sometimes!

My daughter is about the same age and has had no vaccines at this time but she also screams a lot. Not high pitched, just loud. It may just be something they do at this age as they struggle with teething and growing pains and, simultaneously, figure out they can make really big noises. She likes to watch the dog run around and if the dog lays down while she's watching, she'll yell at the dog at the top of her lungs. She also screams when the TV is on and we won't turn her around so she can see it, and when her gums hurt, and when she has lots of gas. In her case it's pretty clear she's just learning to express herself.

I have no idea if that's the case for the OP's daughter, just wanted to put something out there as an alternative to "omg you vaxed and now she's DAMAGED."


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BelgianSheepDog* 
THANK YOU! Sheesh. This place sometimes!

I have no idea if that's the case for the OP's daughter, just wanted to put something out there as an alternative to "omg you vaxed and now she's DAMAGED."

Would it be better not to say anything?
BTW-NO ONE said her child was damaged. But if the baby's brain is bleeding or swelling, at least she can bring her to the ER to be evaluated.


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## Blue Lotus (Jun 16, 2006)

My (very colicky, high-needs) dd used to do the same thing at your dd's age. For her, it seemed to be partly her "finding her voice" and partly grumping about her gums hurting from teething, since she could be distracted from screaming a lot of the time. My dd has grown out of most of the high-pitched screaming, and it has developed into more 'language' than anything now (usually expressing her boredom or frustration).

Since you kept a close watch on her after the vax, I would guess that it is teething as opposed to a vax reaction. However, you might still want to keep an eye on her development, since I understand that some vax reactions can happen weeks (months?) after the actual shot. If it continues for a few more weeks, or your mommy gut says there is a problem, then by all means take her in to the ped.

Good luck!


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## mkat (Jul 31, 2006)

My DS was doing the high pitched crying all night last night







:
He's been doing it the last few days... I guess it must be teething? He seems fussy and irritable, but not in extreme pain (aside from the crying). No vaxes, either. This thread helps... I wasn't sure about teething since there were no other signs.


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## *guest (Oct 7, 2005)

My 3.5 month old daughter just started going from zero to horrible screaming that definitely means pain. It's got to be teeth, I feel a sharp spot in the bottom gum, and she's drooling like a faucet. No other discernable physical cause. She's not vaxed. She did it once or twice a day this past weekend. Hyland's teething gel seemed to really help, or letting her chew on our fingers.


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

http://www.drgreene.com/21_27.html

Quote:

teething probably does not produce any symptoms at all ...but I strongly believe that it can be an uncomfortable process for some children, and can cause low-grade fevers, increased mucus and saliva, and related symptoms.
There is also some helpful information as what to do to help baby.


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