Drooling in babies: When should you get concerned?

By Agnes Kyotalengerire

“My little Gabriella is 10 months old, but she always has a string of saliva hanging from her mouth and a large wet stain on her dress. One may think she is just fi ve months old,” says Lillian Namukoma, a fi rst-time mother.

Namukoma says she has to change her daughter’s clothes often to keep her dry. However, she is wondering why her child, despite her age, keeps drooling all over her clothes.Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, a paediatrician working with Mulago Hospital, says drooling, which she describes as the flow of saliva from the mouth in infants and toddlers, is normal.

Causes

According to Dr. Catherine Nyangabyaki, a paediatrician in Nsambya Hospital, drooling is caused by excessive production of saliva, which cannot be kept under control.

She adds that drooling usually starts when a child is introduced to solid foods at about six months of age. But as the babies grow older, they learn how to control their secretions and by two years, they outgrow the drooling.

When should it be a health concern?

If the child has a fever and is unable to chew or swallow, Dr. Nyangabyaki observes that drooling may be a sign of a serious disease. In most cases drooling is associated with throat infections like acute tonsillitis, which may cause inflammation of the glands.

She adds that one may blame teething, which may result in infl ammation of the gums. “Most times infl ammation may spread to the salivary glands causing overproduction of saliva,” she says.

Children suffering from a cold, infl uenza, upper respiratory infections and nasal allergies may have excessive saliva and drooling since they breathe through their mouths.

William Magala, a physiotherapist at Mulago Hospital, says injury on the part of the brain, which controls involuntary movement results in drooling in children.

“This makes it diffi cult for muscles and nerves to work properly making it diffi cult for children to control saliva,” says Magala. He adds that drooling caused by damage to the brain continues past the age of two.

Why should drooling be controlled?

Excessive salivation wets clothes necessitating multiple changing of clothing or bibs.“Drooling can irritate the skin on the face, neck and chest and can also increase the risk of infection,” says Dr. Kitaka. Besides, excessive drooling can be embarrassing to parents and to older children, making it hard for the child to fi t in with his peers.

Treatment

 Different cultures handle drooling differently. For example, in western and central Uganda, it is believed that drooling can be cured when the child’s paternal aunt eats food mixed with the baby’s saliva.

However, medical experts refute this remedy, saying drooling caused by physiological factors gradually reduces as the child grows. Although it is normal for babies to drool, medical help must be sought if a child drools excessively.

There are drugs that can treat conditions like throat infections or gum inflammation, which cause excessive salivation. Jolly Rubambarana, a nursing offi cer, encourages parents to use bibs to protect the baby’s skin and clothes from being soiled by saliva. “It is important to change clothing when it gets wet and ensuring oral hygiene, especially for older children with mental retardation,” she advises.

How we coped...

Prossy Nakijoba, the mother of one year- old Nigel Siro  Siro started drooling at six months. He would keep his mouth open and saliva would flow all the time, wetting his shirts. I put a bib around his neck and wiped the saliva whenever I was with him.

Scovia Nalule, the mother of Rebecca Nantumbwe, four months old She started drooling when she was three months old. Now she has made it fun. Whenever the saliva flows out, she blows it off making bubbles. I put a bib around her neck and wipe his mouth with clean cotton cloth all the time. I also keep her clean by bathing her three times a day.

Faridah Nakyesero, the mother to three month- old Rose Nasozi Nasozi is drooling at the moment. It normally happens whenever she is sucking her fingers, which makes her clothes wet. I always tie a bib around her neck to protect her clothes. She is first of my three children to drool.