Is it normal for babies to salivate a lot?
Baby salivating or pee is a natural thing. However, what if the baby is drooling excessively? Is this a normal condition or vice versa? Listen come on, Bun, the detailed explanation is below.
The salivary glands in babies are actually active when they are still in the womb. However, the work of the salivary glands will be very active in the first few months. At this age, babies cannot swallow all the saliva they produce. As a result, he will salivate more.
It's actually normal for babies to salivate a lot. However, this can also be a sign of health problems in the baby, especially if accompanied by other symptoms. So, mothers need to pay attention to the condition of the baby if the saliva he produces is much more than usual.
Causes of Babies Spewing Excessive Saliva
The following are some of the causes of excessive salivation that you need to know about:
1. Self-protection
When you start 2-6 months old, your baby will salivate more often. Although the exact cause is not known, the amount of saliva a baby produces may be a form of self-protection.
At this age, babies begin to often explore objects around them, even putting everything they hold in their mouths. The protein in saliva can protect it from germs or dirt that may be on these objects.
In addition, babies will begin to experience teething when they enter the age of 6 months. This condition will also usually cause the baby to salivate a lot. This happens because the increase in muscle movement in the mouth triggers the performance of the salivary glands to become more active.
2. Nerve Disorders
Babies born with neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy more prone to drooling. This condition occurs because the baby does not have the ability to close his mouth and swallow saliva properly.
In addition to drooling a lot, babies with cerebral palsy also experience some symptoms, such as stiff muscles, tremors or involuntary movements, and delays in motor development, such as crawling or grasping objects.
3. Reflux
Excess saliva can also be caused due to reflux of stomach acid. Stomach acid in infants occurs because the muscles that cover the pathway to the stomach in the lower esophagus have not fully developed and work properly, so stomach acid can rise back up into the esophagus and cause increased saliva production.
Some other symptoms that can appear due to reflux in infants are frequent coughing, hiccups, spitting up, difficulty eating or refusing to eat, and weight loss.
4. Other medical conditions
Other medical conditions that can increase saliva production in babies include allergic reactions, tumors, and infections in the neck (strep throat, tonsillitis, and sinusitis).
All of these conditions can cause swallowing disorders, so that saliva is blocked in the mouth and makes the baby salivate a lot.
Tips for Handling Excessive Saliva in Babies
Dealing with a baby drooling a lot can be confusing, especially for new mothers. However, you can do the following things to make it easier to handle, namely:
Immediately clean the saliva
Saliva can cause irritation and a red rash on the baby's skin. So that your little one's skin is protected from rashes caused by excessive salivation, Mother must get used to being diligent in wiping every baby salivating, right?.
Wiping off the saliva with a clean soft cloth is better than using a tissue that can irritate the skin.
Giving baby tooth toys
If the saliva seems to keep flowing because a tooth is growing, you can try putting something cold, such as a bite toy or a cool wet washcloth, on your baby's gum area to help reduce the pain he feels. Don't forget to dry your little one's mouth afterward.
Generally, drooling a lot is a sign of normal development in babies. However, if you feel that the saliva that comes out is excessive or there are other suspicious symptoms, you can consult a doctor so that your little one's condition can be checked and given proper treatment.
