Patient's question:
Detailed medical condition and consultation purpose: Saliva flowDuration of the current illness: Started flowing three or four months ago
Current general condition: In winter, he drools a lot, but now he has grown two new teeth
Doctor's answer:
Hello: This issue needs to be explained starting from the characteristics of children's oral cavities. The oral cavity of a child changes with growth and development. Newborns have no teeth in their mouths, with a short and wide tongue, thick fat layers in the cheeks, well-developed facial muscles, and thickened, protruding mucous membranes of the jawbones. All of these are conducive to gripping the nipple during feeding and coordinating sucking movements. Due to the absence of erupted teeth and underdeveloped alveolar ridges, the palate and oral floor of infants are relatively shallow. Between 6 to 7 months of age, the secretion of saliva gradually increases, but during this period, the swallowing reflex of infants is not sensitive. Saliva is secreted without the obstruction of alveolar ridges and is not swallowed. Therefore, infants often exhibit drooling during this time, which is a physiological condition known as sialorrhea and requires no treatment. As growth and development progress, with the eruption of teeth, the gradual formation of alveolar ridges, the slow elevation of the palate, the gradual deepening of the oral floor, and the training of swallowing movements, the drooling phenomenon will improve.It is worth noting for parents that some infants' drooling may be pathological, indicating that the infant may be suffering from certain diseases. For example, if an infant drools excessively and has cracked, inflamed corners of the mouth, it is likely due to angular cheilitis-induced sialorrhea. If accompanied by redness or ulcers in the oral mucosa, refusal to eat, and irritability, it is referred to as sialorrhea caused by stomatitis. If accompanied by unilateral or bilateral facial muscle atrophy and weak chewing ability, it may be due to sialorrhea caused by poor digestion or intestinal ascariasis. If accompanied by intellectual developmental delays or dementia, it may be due to underdevelopment of the brain's nervous system. The above pathological sialorrhea conditions require medical examination and treatment. Generally, once the underlying cause is eliminated, the infant's sialorrhea will improve or resolve.
Since saliva contains digestive enzymes and other substances