Drooling In Babies

Now that your little one is growing too fast there are certain things you need to take care with them, the way they eat, the way they urinate, the way they excrete.
Drooling is quite common during infancy and some babies drool more than the others, forcing the parents to carry several extra towels or handkerchief to wipe the mouth dry.
For a new parent honesty, this thing can be very tricky and irritating also and how to handle it.

Drooling is the excess production of saliva in the mouth, so much so that it dribbles out of the mouth. The medical term for hypersalivation is sialorrhea.

Why does drooling take place?

Drooling usually begins at the age of two months when the baby’s salivary glands become functionally present.
Babies lack precision control of their neck muscles in that duration and are not able to swallow the saliva produced continuously in their mouth.
Young infants also do not have teeth to hold back the saliva. Due to these reasons, there is nowhere else for the saliva to go than outside the mouth.

Drooling is a body’s mechanism which has advantages also, helps in the following ways:

1. Protection:

Protects the baby’s gums. Once the baby has teeth, the compounds in saliva prevent tooth decay.
Natural antacid: Saliva works as a natural antacid that helps prevent hyperacidity in the stomach.

2. Moisture in mouth:

Keeps the baby’s mouth moist.

3. Food residue wash:

Washes away food residue.

4. Softening of solids:

Softens foods when the baby starts eating solids, thus making it easier to swallow.

5. The active role of saliva:

Saliva naturally contains compounds that convert starch into sugar.

There is no reason to worry if your baby or toddler is drooling too much as it is a part of body’s mechanism and is otherwise healthy and active in other things.

What Causes Excessive Drooling In Babies?

These conditions can lead to excessive drooling in infants and toddlers:

Excessive drooling is usually the first sign of teething. Your baby can have their first teeth somewhere between five and seven months, when they may salivate more than usual.
Infection of the upper respiratory system may cause a baby to drool more than usual.
Doctors check for drooling, one of the significant symptoms of the condition.
Drooling is often linked to disorders like mental retardation and cerebral palsy.

Drooling is one of the earliest symptoms of cerebral palsy and is also linked to autism. Autistic disorders are often linked with low muscle tone and developmental delay both of which are said to contribute to excessive drooling.

Anomalies of the facial bones, mouth, or lips all contribute to orofacial abnormalities.
Numerous orofacial conditions such as cleft lip and dysphagia can cause excessive drooling in babies. Cleft lip is when the baby is born with a split upper lip.
Dental alignment gone wrong in older kids can also lead to drooling.

If the baby is drooling unusually more, you may want to visit a doctor.

Doctor’s role in drooling

Not needed to consult when your baby is drooling a lot. If your baby is alright in general, then there is no reason to worry about it. The condition will go away on its own.

But about the time when you need to worry are:

Fever of 100.4°F or above. Baby’s fever should not be ignored irrespective of anything drooling or no drooling, they need to have immediate medical assistance. You notice redness inside the baby’s mouth and the throat. An older infant with teeth has trouble chewing or swallowing. Excessive fussiness and colic.
Inability to eat and sleep properly.
Drooling repeatedly, causing the baby to choke. Drooling can also be a sign of an object stuck in the baby’s throat, causing the child to choke. If you suspect this, seek your doctor’s help immediately.

Treatment of babies in Drooling.

Drooling will not require treatment. If the baby displays other signs of a problem, then the doctor will diagnose the underlying condition causing the drooling and then proceed to treat it.
A home care is all that is needed to deal with drooling in babies, there would be the treatment of secondary cause like anomalies or infection.

How To Manage Drooling At Home?

Managing with a few simple steps like:

1. Bib or handkerchief pinned up:

You can buy a drool bib and let the baby wear it all the time. Drool bibs absorb the saliva and prevent it from creating a mess. Keep several drool bibs handy, for you never know how much your baby may drool today. Or pin up a handkerchief on their upper-wear the main thing is to keep a cloth handy whenever you need it
Keep changing them and wash them every day with a safe disinfectant detergent for babies.

2. Give a teething toy:

If your baby drools predominantly when it is teething, then give them a teething toy. It can help relieve the sore gums and bring down the excess salivation by irritated gums.

Duration of Drooling In Babies.

Drooling will stop between the age of two and three years. By the end of toddlerhood, most children stop drooling even if they are yet to get permanent teeth. It is an individual process and does not have fixed time constraints in any of the kid. The main thing here is to curb down parent’s anxiety, by confirming that it is completed normally.
If your child continues to drool excessively beyond the age of three, then it is advisable to take them to a doctor. Drooling could suddenly start in older toddlers if they contract a respiratory illness, in that case, they become prone to drooling.
Your kid will often drool during infancy and toddlerhood even in some cases adults also drool in sleep.
As your little one grows older, the instances get fewer. Be observant and aware of the child’s overall condition to figure out why the child may be drooling. And most importantly to rule out any illness you should see your child’s active participation, if that is present then your kid is completely normal.