Why do children drool a lot?

It is actually normal for babies to drool a lot. Drooling means that the baby is growing teeth. Generally speaking, babies will start to add complementary foods after 6 months. These foods will stimulate the baby's nerves and therefore cause the baby to drool. As the baby grows older, these symptoms will disappear. If the baby drools, parents must wipe the baby's saliva frequently.

Why do babies drool?

First of all, newborns don't drool. This is because the baby is still in the neonatal period (0-3 months), the salivary glands are not yet developed, and the saliva secreted is relatively small, not enough to flow out of the mouth. At the same time, since milk powder and breast milk do not stimulate the salivary glands much during the neonatal period, the amount of saliva secretion is also less.

When the baby is four or five months old, he or she will gradually accept complementary foods. The salivary glands will be stimulated by starch, vegetables, fruit juice, etc., and the saliva secretion will increase. Because the baby's oral capacity is small during this period, excess saliva flows out naturally. Moreover, during this period, the baby's swallowing movements are not coordinated and saliva is easy to flow out.

The baby's saliva volume will increase during teething.

Generally, babies start to grow deciduous teeth at six or seven months old. The eruption process of deciduous teeth will stimulate the gum tissue and cause swelling. The dental nerves and salivary glands will also be stimulated, leading to increased saliva.

Children's deciduous teeth usually erupt when they are 2-3 years old, which also causes babies to drool excessively during the period of 1-3 years old. However, as the baby grows, most infants aged 1-3 years old are able to control their saliva and do not drool too much. If your baby is still drooling after he is over 3 years old, be alert to intellectual developmental delay. Because drooling is also a sign of delayed growth and development, especially intellectual development.

Several manifestations of delayed intellectual development in babies:

1. Abnormal crying, easy to scream, eyes straightening, staring, irritability and convulsions, etc.

2. Poor sucking ability, prone to spitting up milk, choking, vomiting, etc., making it difficult to feed.

3. It is difficult to hold the head upright. Generally, the baby cannot turn the head or hold it upright in March or April.

4. Dull expression.

5. Slow response to external stimuli.

6. Delayed language development.

7. Lack of interest in the external environment, etc.

Drooling after the age of 3 may also be caused by:

1. Oral problems: abnormal oral occlusion and inability to close.

2. Facial paralysis or other neurological problems can cause the baby's oral muscle coordination disorder, affecting swallowing and chewing.

3. Oral mucosal problems, such as oral ulcers, caries, etc.

4. Consider whether it is rhinitis, etc.

What to do if your baby drools

1. Give your baby a bib, not only to keep it clean, but also to prevent discomfort to the chin and neck skin.

2. Clean your mouth and chin frequently, and take good care of your skin, such as applying facial cream. Avoid eczema and chapped skin.

3. Avoid wiping the skin with rough paper towels, towels, etc., otherwise it is easy to scratch the skin. Baby tissues are very important. Buying the wrong one can be dangerous. Parents, would you buy it?

4. If the deciduous teeth have already erupted, you can choose semi-liquid food to improve chewing ability and reduce drooling.