Baby Born With Teeth: Parents 'Shocked' After Noticing Newborn's Two Front Teeth
A newborn's dental development made national headlines this week when CNN and other news organizations reported that a Missouri baby was born with two bottom row front teeth already in.
But the occurrence, while rare, is not exactly unheard of; these days, one in every 2,000 to 3,000 babies may be born with teeth already in, Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC pointed out.
Still, when Alyssa Bailey arrived three days after Christmas, "everybody was just shocked," according to Jaklina Bailey, her mother.
"Just like, 'She has two front teeth? No kidding? Really?'" Bailey said were the questions asked at the hospital. "It was just a big talk about it, you know, in the delivery room."
Doctors assured the new mom that there was no medical issue and that Alyssa is perfectly healthy. They instructed Bailey, however, to keep watch on the baby's teeth because they could pose a choking hazard if they were to come loose and fall out.
That did not keep doctors from wanting to take a peek at the unusual condition, Bailey told CNN.
"We had two other doctors that came in just to look, and nurses," she recalled. "They were kind of like, 'What's going on? Can I just see? Let me see,'" she added.
Her own doctor told her it was only the second time in 25 years of practice that she had delivered a baby with teeth already in.
Dr. Laura Corio, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, insisted, however, that the condition is not as out-of-this-world as perceived.
"Teeth can be present in oral cavities at birth and may be related to certain other health problems -- but not always," Corio told ABC News. When they appear, teeth are usually on the lower gums, but on occasion you might see a baby born with a whole mouthful, she added.
Often, doctor will remove the natal teeth as soon as possible to avoid problems with nursing and prevent babies from cutting their tongue, the doctor added. Since they are an extra set, the teeth are usually replaced with "normal" baby teeth as the newborn grows.
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