Baby drools a lot: Drooling and Your Baby – HealthyChildren.org

What to Do If Your Baby Drools a Lot

An excess of saliva and drooling is normal in babies. This is because they haven’t learned to swallow their saliva yet. While newborns don’t produce a great deal of saliva, after 2 months, babies begin to drool even more. 

At this age, babies start to suck and chew on everything, and saliva production increases without the baby even realizing it. Therefore, naturally, babies drool.

It all has to do with little ones’ swallowing system. When babies drink, they use the muscles in their mouths to suction and swallow. However, saliva production is automatic and remains in a baby’s mouth until it overflows.

Baby bibs are a great tool if your baby drools a lot. They help keep your baby’s chest from getting wet and also help them stay warm. We need to also pay attention and be sure to keep our baby‘s mouth dry to avoid possible irritation .

My baby drools a lot… When should I start to worry?

When a baby has a cold, it’s normal for drooling to be excessive.  If you notice this change though your baby isn’t sick, then you should consult your pediatrician .

If a baby’s drooling lasts for a long time, then it may mean there’s a problem in the nervous system. As a result, your baby is unable to swallow properly.

If your little one has difficulty eating and drools a lot, it may mean it hurts when he or she swallows. The cause is generally a viral infection that produces pain or sores in the mouth.

“In general, children drool until about the time they reach 18 months of age, though this may vary.”

If your child drools a lot, he or she runs the risk of getting choked up frequently or having constant nausea. It can also cause your child to have respiratory difficulties. In either of these situations, it’s important you stay calm and take your child to the pediatrician to rule out any illness.

Finally, it’s also important to remember that babies have an immature swallowing reflex and this can last for some time.

Is teething the only reason my baby drools so much?

Clearly, one of the main reasons that babies drool excessively is because of their teeth coming in. While they may take some time to appear, the cores of a baby’s teeth begin to move around in the gums at around 2 months.

Saliva contains enzymes, which help combat certain infections. This is why saliva production increases as soon as your little one’s first tooth comes in. At this point, your child will likely benefit from a teething ring. These are useful tools for providing relief from sore gums – however, they also trigger saliva production.

At the same time, one of the first things small babies discover are their hands. And once they do, they start putting them in their mouths. This allows them to discover new sensations. By playing with their hands, babies stimulate saliva and start to drool.

This habit is beneficial when babies start to eat solid foods. For example, they grasp their foods and put them in their mouths as a means of exploration. Little by little, they learn to eat solid foods on their own.

Of course, when babies start to chew on their fingers and play with their tongues, this stimulates salivation. Saliva is a key part in softening foods and swallowing them.

Infants tend to bite using the area of their gums where teeth are coming in. This region tends to appear swollen and red. Salivation is quite pronounced and necessary at this stage, as it keeps the area hydrated and prevents infection.

Saliva and eating

The new flavors and sensations that babies experience when they start to eat solids stimulate their taste buds. This also causes little ones to salivate more than normal. The role of saliva, in this case, is to lubricate and help foods make their way to the stomach.

You should pay special attention to your child’s drooling if it goes beyond what you think is normal.  In general, children drool until about the time they reach 18 months of age, though this may vary. It all depends on your child’s individual developmental process, his or her acceptance of solid foods, and teething.

That being said, there’s no need to become alarmed. Always keep a bib or burp cloth on hand as well as a pacifier or teether to help your baby through this stage. Calmly discover and enjoy this phase in your little one’s infancy. Remember, every moment in your baby’s life, whether good or bad, is unique.

Kid’s Dentist Answers: What’s the point of saliva?

Babies drool. A lot. Sometimes, parents feel like their baby drools a little too much. The truth is that saliva plays an important role in creating a healthy oral environment that also promotes good overall health. So, if your little one is going through five bibs a day because of drool, you shouldn’t be concerned. Her body is just doing what it needs to do to maintain optimal health.

What exactly is the saliva doing? Check out this blog to learn the benefits of saliva, why your little one drools so much, and what to do if you or your child isn’t producing enough of it!

The Benefits of Saliva Production

One fun fact about saliva is that without it, our foods and beverages wouldn’t taste the same. That’s pretty interesting and cool, but it isn’t close to all that saliva does for our mouths and bodies.

The benefits of proper saliva production include:

• Helps break down food for proper digestion
• Speeds up the healing process when the mouth is cut, burned, or wounded
• Remineralizes teeth to protect against cavities
• Rids the teeth and other surfaces of food particles
• Aids in chewing and swallowing
• Keeps mouth comfortable

As you can see, saliva is so necessary for our mouths. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to function properly, and life would be a little more difficult.

Is too much saliva a bad thing?

Constant drooling may seem concerning, but dental experts agree that an overly drooly baby is normal and even a positive thing! This usually means that the baby’s teeth are developing, and the saliva is actively cleaning the surfaces of his or her mouth. Saliva also helps your baby break down and digest food properly, so be thankful! Another thing to keep in mind is that babies have to learn how to get rid of the saliva by swallowing, so instead of it going down their throats, much of it comes out of their lips.

The only problem your little one may experience is skin irritation around her mouth. Use a soft cloth to gently clean the area, then rub Vaseline or another mild moisturizer to protect the skin.

What about too little saliva production?

Many adults have experienced dry mouth. Infants, adolescents, and teens experience it as well. In children, dehydration is the usual source. Be sure that your child is drinking enough water throughout the day and especially when he or she wakes up in the morning or from a nap.

Other remedies for dry mouth in children and adults include:

• Chew sugar-free gum
• Eliminate caffeine
• Breathe through the nose instead of the mouth
• Use a humidifier
• Eat a proper, mouth-friendly diet

Dry mouth is rare in children and is almost always due to dehydration, though certain medications may be the cause as well. Regular occurrences of dry mouth can lead to serious oral health problems like cavities and gum disease. If you are concerned about your little one’s saliva production, contact a pediatric dentist today to schedule an appointment.

Kid’s Dentist in Overland Park, KS

Have questions about your little one’s oral health and hygiene? Dr. Matt at Smiles Dentistry for Kids has answers! If you’re concerned about your child’s mouth or if it’s time to schedule a dental cleaning and exam appointment, contact our office today at (913) 685-9990.

A child drools at 2 months: reasons | is it dangerous?

Abundant salivation in babies of the first year of life is considered by most parents to be the first signs of erupting teeth, and therefore they are very worried if a child at 2 months begins to drool and bubbles. Some consider this a sign of endocrine diseases, others – neurological symptoms, but both of them spend a lot of effort, time and their nerve cells, figuring out whether this is normal and what to do about it.

Why babies drool at 2 months

The salivary glands begin their work during fetal development, but only by 2-3 months of life they become truly active and produce enough saliva. Therefore, parents whose children drool and bubble profusely at the age of 2-3 months should only rejoice at the new stage in the development of the child and try to make it as convenient as possible for the baby and others. Sufficient saliva production after 2 months is very important – it ensures the breakdown of milk starch in the oral cavity to sugars, which facilitates the digestion of food in the stomach, and in addition, saliva protects the baby’s oral cavity from drying out and pathogens.

Due to the fact that earlier there was little saliva and the child simply did not have such a need, he will learn to swallow excess liquid only by 4-5 months, and then the first teeth will arrive in time and the epic with salivation will begin again, in order to completely stop by 1.6-2, and even 3 years.

When drooling is not normal

If increased salivation is explained by the next stage in the child’s development, then he should not have any other signs of pathology. The baby should remain cheerful, calm, eat with appetite, play, walk and feel great, with the possible exception of redness and maceration of the skin on the chin, which appears in children due to constant irritation with saliva.

Sometimes a 2-month-old baby drools because of :

• SARS or colds – stuffy nose, fever and profuse salivation – these are the main signs of illness in a baby;
• allergic reactions – most often appear in young children when plant pollen, dust, detergent fumes and other allergens enter the body. It is quite easy to distinguish allergic rhinitis, in addition to a large amount of saliva, the child’s nose is constantly stuffy, his eyes turn red and watery, he sneezes and coughs;
• endocrine disorders – thyroid diseases at this age can be manifested by profuse salivation, but the child’s mouth is constantly open, the tongue is thickened and may not fit in the oral cavity, and there are other signs of developmental delay;
• neurological disorders – in this case, in addition to profuse salivation, the child has several other signs of developmental disorders – pulsation of a large fontanel, constant crying, developmental delay – the baby does not hold his head in weight, cannot lift it while lying on his stomach, and so on.

If you think that your child is drooling too much or something is bothering you in his behavior and development, seek the advice of a pediatrician or neurologist – a specialist will help you dispel all your fears and simply enjoy every stage of your baby’s growth.

Date: 05/22/2015.

Updated: 12/14/2015

Photo: pixabay.com

Why adults drool during sleep

Health

The discomfort and hygiene problems associated with nighttime salivation are familiar to adults and children alike. And if a baby’s flowing saliva can even become a reason for tenderness of parents, then an adult person definitely does not need this. Even a severe cold can become a side effect of the process – it is bad to sleep on a wet pillow in a cool room.

Photo

LightFieldStudios/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

Why people drool while sleeping

This problem usually has two causes: increased salivation associated with various processes (for example, teething in children), or difficulty breathing, and the associated habit of sleeping with your mouth open.

Abundant saliva can be a kind of normal – if this does not bother a person, then there is nothing to fear. But breathing difficulties are unpleasant both in themselves and when they are symptoms of certain diseases or signs of injury:

damage to the nasal septum;

· narrowing of the respiratory passages due to the growth of lymphoid tissue, inflammation of the sinuses, lymph nodes;

increased salivation due to manipulations in the oral region – extraction or treatment of teeth, operations on the palate or lips;

· nasal congestion due to a cold or infectious disease.

People prone to snoring often suffer from excessive salivation. Also, the problem – drooling during sleep in an adult – is associated with overweight and high blood pressure.

During many studies, scientists have found that this may be due to difficulty in swallowing that occurs with traumatic brain injury, stroke or Parkinson’s disease. This will often manifest itself during the day.

Photo

Astronaut Images/ Caiaimage/ Getty Images

What to do if your child drools during the night:

• the same as in an adult, with difficult breathing;
• for babies with clearly erupting teeth, anxiety is unreasonable, but you still need to look after the baby – perhaps the teeth are not the only reason;
• if teeth have erupted and excessive salivation has not disappeared, you should change your sleeping position and, probably, contact an ENT doctor to check the respiratory passages.

The same applies to adults:

• sleeping on the back is the best option for flowing saliva, and persistent habits of sleeping on the back are difficult to get rid of – you will have to put a roller or fold the blanket so that it prevents you from turning;
• you can also raise the pillow higher, replace it with a more rigid product;
• it is also desirable to drink less liquid before going to bed and, if possible, get rid of excess weight, normalize the functioning of the body as a whole.