Patient's question:
A one-year-old baby always drools a lot and needs six or seven bibs a day. It has been drooling since the age of four or five months and has continued until now. What could be the reason, and is there any solution?Doctor's answer:
Infant drooling, known as sialorrhea in written language, is mostly a normal physiological phenomenon. The regulation of saliva secretion relies on two mechanisms: local stimulation within the oral cavity and central nervous system control. Newborns, due to the underdeveloped central nervous system and salivary glands, produce very little saliva. By the age of three months, saliva secretion gradually increases, and some infants with stronger secretion abilities may drool. By six to seven months, as infants' milk teeth erupt, stimulation of the trigeminal nerve enhances saliva secretion. Additionally, infants have small oral cavities and cannot swallow saliva effectively, leading to the accumulation and natural overflow of saliva.