Question
A 4-month-old baby has been continuously drooling since 2 months old and sometimes even blows bubbles. Is this normal?
Answer
Drooling, or saliva leakage, refers to the unintentional flow of saliva from the mouth. Typically, infants under 1 year old experience this due to their small oral cavity, large saliva production, and an underdeveloped nervous system that cannot control swallowing movements at will. As they grow and develop, the phenomenon of drooling usually diminishes around the age of 1. If a child continues to drool after the age of 2, it may be an abnormal condition.