Why do babies drool when they sleep? What is the reason for babies drooling when they sleep?

Drooling while sleeping is a very common physiological phenomenon. Many people have the habit of drooling while sleeping. The reasons for drooling while sleeping are different for each person, and many babies have symptoms of drooling.

Why do babies drool while sleeping?

Babies often drool when they are five or six months old. Inexperienced parents do not know the cause, so they are very worried and sometimes use medicines indiscriminately, which results in more serious problems for the baby. However, drooling is a normal physiological phenomenon for babies, so parents do not need to worry too much.

1. Newborns

When babies are just born, their salivary glands are not fully functional and saliva secretion is less, so they generally do not have serious drooling.

2. About 6 months

From three or four months old, the baby's saliva secretion increases. After six months, due to the addition of complementary foods and changes in diet, the baby's nervous system is stimulated, making the saliva more, and the baby will often drool. The mouth of a baby around six months old is still relatively small, and it cannot adjust its oral environment by itself, so the baby's excessive saliva can only flow out of the mouth, so the baby drools.

3.6 months and above

Generally, babies will start to grow deciduous teeth at 6-8 months old. During the deciduous teeth eruption period, the teeth will break through the gums to grow, which will cause pain and itching of the gums. Under the action of nerves, the baby's saliva secretion increases. The baby's mouth is small and cannot adjust swallowing by itself, which makes drooling frequent. The above is the general situation of baby drooling. Of course, baby drooling may be caused by pathological reasons. If the baby is crying, refusing to eat, and having a fever while drooling, then there may be problems with the baby's mouth. At this time, the mother should check whether the baby has oral ulcers and treat them in time. No matter what the pathological reason is for the baby's drooling, the mother must take the baby to see a doctor in time.

What is the reason for the baby to drool while sleeping?

1. Physiological salivation

1. Babies drooling while sleeping often occurs during the teething period. At this time, the oral cavity is an important organ for the baby to change. The increased saliva can relieve the gum pain caused by the growth of deciduous teeth. Drooling at this time is normal, and mothers do not need to worry too much. Pay attention to oral hygiene at ordinary times. As the baby grows up, the drooling phenomenon will gradually disappear.

2. The salivary glands of newborns are not well developed, and the saliva secretion is small, so there is basically no drooling. When the baby grows up slowly, when he is four or five months old, the trigeminal nerve is stimulated by complementary food, the saliva secretion increases, and the baby's oral control ability is not strong, which will cause drooling. Mothers do not need to worry, as the baby grows and the swallowing ability is improved, the drooling phenomenon will generally disappear around the age of three.

2. Pathological causes

It mainly refers to the baby drooling due to some disease, such as oral ulcers, mucosal inflammation, cretinism caused by nervous system diseases, mental retardation, etc. At this time, mothers should pay attention and not delay the condition, and take the baby to the doctor for treatment in time.

Baby drools when sleeping

1. Immature development of esophageal function

The baby is still young and the esophagus function has not yet fully developed, so food cannot be completely digested. When the baby burps or spit up milk, there will be an odor, and therefore there will be a bad smell when drooling. There is no way to solve this situation for the time being. Only when the baby grows up and the esophagus matures, the situation will automatically improve.

2. Too many types of complementary foods

Babies aged four or five months can start to eat complementary foods. Mothers are afraid that their babies are not getting enough nutrition, so they feed them all kinds of fish and meat. If the baby cannot digest well, these things will produce bad odor in the mouth, and there will also be bad odor when drooling at night. Therefore, when adding complementary foods, mothers must pay attention to balanced nutrition, reasonable distribution of vegetables and meat, and not add too much at one time, and pay attention to the baby's digestive problems at all times.

3. Food residue

If the teeth are erupted and the roots are itchy, the baby will like to chew food, and food residues will be left in the crevices of the gums. If they are not cleaned in time, they will rot over time and form bad breath. Therefore, mothers should let their babies develop the habit of brushing their teeth in the morning and evening as early as possible, and remember to clean their mouths and tongues after each meal to prevent bacterial growth.

What to do if your baby drools while sleeping

1. If the baby drools badly when sleeping, the mother should do a good job of cleaning, especially the skin around the baby's mouth. Clean the baby with clean water every day to prevent eczema on the face and neck.

2. We know that saliva contains bacteria, amylase and other substances, which are irritating to the skin. If the baby drools and the parents do not take good care of the baby, the saliva will cause small red spots or eczema on the baby's skin. At this time, the mother should apply skin cream or use medication to treat the baby in time.

3. Do not use a rough towel to wipe the baby's face, as it will hurt the baby's skin. Use a soft towel or handkerchief to clean the baby and keep the area around the baby's face dry and clean.

4. Put a small bib on your baby. It should be made of soft, thick, and absorbent fabric so that even if the baby drools, it will not wet the neck and other parts.

5. During the baby's teething period, the mother can give the baby something of appropriate hardness for them to bite. This will reduce gum irritation, secrete more saliva, and reduce drooling.

6. If the baby has eczema or skin erosion, the mother should take the baby to see a doctor in time. During the recovery period, the baby's skin should be kept clean and fresh. If necessary, antibiotics or antipruritic drugs can be applied when the baby is asleep.