Let’s Talk About Drool
How much drool is too much drool? When should my kiddo stop drooling? Is drooling normal? These are questions that I get asked regularly by friends, fellow parents and my speech pathology clients. Read on to learn more about drool from a mother of two, speech pathologist, and baby snuggler of many drooly babies.
What Is The Deal With Drool?
Drool is just excess saliva coming out of the mouth. Babies are born with active salivary glands, the part of the body that produces saliva, and they produce and swallow saliva all day long. Saliva is important as it has some antibacterial properties that help with oral hygiene and serves a surprising amount of functions.
Saliva contains water and traces of other substances like salts and mucus. The function of mucus in saliva is to protect the mouth and throat when eating. It keeps gum tissue healthy, removes bacteria from the mouth, reduces breath odour and begins the digestion process. — Grainne Ryan
Now that we understand the importance of saliva, why do babies drool so much?
Saliva production is basically at full capacity when a child is between 3 and 4 months old. That is a lot of saliva for a small and toothless baby! When the saliva is increasing, many babies do not have the oral motor skills to keep their lips closed, or to coordinate swallowing all of that saliva, or teeth to help keep the saliva from spilling out of their mouths. All of that develops later. A drooling baby is totally normal and expected.
Then, around 6 months, babies will start to have their first teeth come in and irritation of the gums that accompanies it. Saliva production increases at this time to prepare for the new teeth erupting from the gums but also the stimulation from chewing or teething on different objects. This is when you start to see children chewing on their hands, their toys, and almost everything that they can fit in their mouth. (Definitely time to babyproof the spaces they are playing in if you haven’t already to avoid choking). Only allow children to chew on toys that are washed before they teethe on them and that are specifically made for young babies. Saliva helps us with the digestion process so any time we are chewing on something, saliva production will increase.
Also, around this time, babies are eating their first foods. New flavors and more complex foods increase saliva production in all humans, but especially babies. They do not have the oral motor skills to clear all the bits of food from their mouth after swallowing. The increase in saliva production occurs to help break down these foods.
When Does Drooling Get Better?
Around the age of two, most children stop drooling outside of occasional or intermittent drool. This is the age that children have many of their teeth (the teeth help to serve as a dam to keep the saliva in their mouth), teething is letting up, and they are much better at thoroughly chewing and clearing their mouth of food when eating. Also their oral motor control has improved and they are better able to keep their lips closed.
Around this time children also have better gross motor control of their bodies. When a child or baby is leaning forward or laying on their side, they are more likely to drool than if they are sitting or standing upright. At this age, we see children demonstrating a variety of motor skills that help to strengthen and all of those big muscles and typically developing children are standing and walking around more.
What If My Child Is Still Drooling After Two?
There are a variety of reasons that a child may be drooling after two year old. When a child has a stuffy nose, is feeling sick, or is getting over a cold they are more likely to drool. This is because it is harder to keep their mouth closed and breathe. Children are also more likely to drool when teething and around mealtimes. At this age, drooling in typically developing children is often due to situational or temporary causes.
If your child is still chronically drooling, wetting through multiple bibs/shirts a day without one of these situational or temporary causes, there may be other reasons for chronic drooling. Chronic drooling can be a sign of an underlying issue with the strength, coordination, and muscle control required to keep the lips closed and swallow. It can also be a sign that the child may have difficulty with sensation to feel and attention to notice that they have drool coming out of their mouth.
What Can I Do To Help?
Whenever a parent or a caregiver is concerned, I always recommend speaking with the child’s pediatrician. Let them know what your concerns are and ask for support. They can do an exam to see if there is an underlying health issue that is causing the drooling.
In addition to a physician, I recommend checking in with a speech pathologist. Speech pathologists are specially trained to assess and treat speech and swallowing. Speech pathologists can assess to see if all of the muscles of the child’s face have adequate strength and coordination to swallow and can create a therapeutic plan to improve lip closure and swallowing if necessary. Additionally, if attention and awareness are contributing to the saliva management, speech pathologists can assist with this as well. Speech pathologists can also assess to ensure that the child has adequate strength and control of the muscles required to articulate speech sounds. Some children that have difficulty with oral control also have difficulty with producing speech. Check in with a pediatric speech pathologist if you feel an assessment would be helpful. Your child’s physician or your insurance company can provide you with recommended specialists in your area.
Here Is The Takeaway Message
Drooling is often a normal part of childhood. Babies and small children produce more saliva when teething and eating and have more trouble managing saliva when they are sick. By the age of two, children typically develop the strength, coordination, motor skills, sensory awareness, and attention to swallow the saliva and hold it in their mouth. When children are drooling chronic and copious amounts, it is a good idea to check in with their doctor to see if there is an underlying medical condition, and a speech pathologist to ensure their oral motor skills are intact.
TLC Speech Therapy is a speech pathology private practice, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in feeding, swallowing, and communication skills in infants, children, teens, and adults.
For more information check out our website at tlcspeechtherapy.com or contact us at hello@tlcspeechtherapy.com
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