Question
What causes drooling in children?
Answer
Drooling is a common occurrence during infancy, usually as the salivary glands mature and saliva production increases between three to four months. Around six months, when milk teeth begin to emerge, they stimulate the salivary glands to produce even more saliva. Since infants are not accustomed to swallowing excessive saliva and their oral cavity is shallow, saliva will continuously leak out. This is a normal physiological phenomenon, and as the child grows older, they will be able to swallow more saliva, and this condition will disappear naturally. Parents should not be anxious and no treatment is necessary. If saliva suddenly increases or if it starts to drool after not having done so before, then attention should be paid to whether the child has a fever, cries loudly, or checks if there is redness and swelling in the mouth. If it is due to oral inflammation, for mild cases, pay attention to oral hygiene, locally apply Bingxiong powder or Gentian Yellow Glycerin; if the redness and swelling are severe, and even there are ulcers in the mouth, oral care should be performed, with frequent cleaning and timely control of infection. After cleaning the mouth with 1:5000 Chlorhexidine solution or 0.1% acridine yellow, apply 1% gentian violet or 2.5% Gentian Yellow Cod Liver Oil to the ulcerated area. Some Tin Powder or Bingxiong powder can also be applied. For severe cases, antibiotics can be administered. If white spots are found on the oral mucosa that are difficult to wipe off, it may be thrush. Treatment can involve cleaning the mouth with 1%-2% sodium bicarbonate solution before breastfeeding or using it.