Summary

The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of some Nigerian nurses on the various societal beliefs about teething. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 542 nurses in the teaching, general and Local Government hospitals and clinics in Ibadan, a city in south western Nigeria.
The outcome of the study revealed that the majority of the nurses believed that loss of appetite, crying, increased salivation and general irritability were a necessary part of the teething process. Furthermore, 82,1%, 61,4% and 27,9 % of them implicated fever, diarrhoea and boils respectively as signs of teething. The older and more experienced nurses and males seemed to ascribe symptoms more with the teething process.
From this study, it is clearly evident that there are erroneous beliefs concerning teething persistent among Nigerian nurses. Since the societal beliefs may be harmful to the health of the children, there is a desperate need to address them. In doing this, a health education programme should be formulated to educate these misconceptions among the general public and especially target older and more experienced nurses as well as the males. Nursing and expectant mothers should also be reached.

Résumé