This is such a silly post but I'm curious to see if anyone else has this issue with their child: Drooling!! Now before you answer, I do know that babies drool, yes, fully aware of that. However, what's annoying is that Bennett is now 19 months and he still has to wear bibs! No, he's not teething!! But he didn't start drooling until he reached a year and most babies start at around 4 months. And what's even more confusing to me is that Bennett generally has good tone in his face, yes, he has big, chubby cheeks;) but all of this therapists have said his tone is very good, he doesn't let his tongue hang out, he drinks from straws, makes good sounds, etc. So why all the drool??
I'm assuming it's a Down syndrome thing- I think someone told me babies with DS produce more saliva...or something like that. His speech therapist thinks he just needs a little stimulation around his mouth to remember to swallow the saliva and when he starts eating more solids (ahem, anytime now Bennett!) it should get better. Bennett also likes to produce the drool and spit by purposely making "spitting" noises. Yes, he thinks it's fun to soak himself!! Needless to say his bibs and shirts are always wet and we seriously go through about 8 bibs a day! It's driving me crazy! Okay, it's not that bad but I'm wondering if anyone has or had this experience and if it got better? The only time Bennett is nice and dry is when he's sleeping, not one drop of drool, pj's are dry-it's a nice thing! So will I be sending Bennett to preschool in a bib!!?? Please tell me no!
Micah had occasional bouts of drooling, but NOTHING like what he's going through right now (before you get discouraged cuz he just turned three, let me explain).
ReplyDeleteMicah's private SLP (who has a passion for our kids) tells me that drooling tends to ebb and flow and that it is hopefully just a phase. We're trying to make HIM wipe his own chin, encouragie him to close his mouth, etc. Also, we're trying to use this to teach him the difference between wet and dry. Keep in mind that Micah has never been an "oral" kid. He's eating more these days, so he's probably producing more saliva too.
Good luck!
Does he have many teeth? If not, that could be an issue. Kaia never drooled so I don't have much to offer. My typical niece though wore a big until she was 2 1/2 or so because she drooled soooooo badly. Couldn't blame DS on her.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne, if you get any good advice, please pass it on! As I read your post, all I could think was that this is Wesley to a T! Wesley still drools all the time too, soaking through bibs and then through his shirts and his SPIO vest too if I don't get the bibs changed enough. (And he loves to spit too!) And yes, every night his PJs stay dry. I've always wondered how he manages that.
ReplyDeleteSo, no advice, but I can definitely sympathize with you.
Cameran is 21 months and drools constantly to the point her skin is parched on her chin and cheeks. However, she IS teething (yes, toothless at 21 mo is crazy...they are so stinkin close, but none will pop through!)
ReplyDeleteAnthony drools a LOT when he is exerting himself, like at therapy. He has chewed on chew toys since 4 months and still does all the time. He has all his teeth, but still enjoys chewing things. Anthony does not drool much most of the day though, just when playing real hard.
ReplyDeleteI have no advice for you, but hope that you get some good answers from others! Sweet Pea's drool isn't too bad unless she is teething...which is a lot of the time it seems. She is learning to wipe her chin with her sleeve though and that is really nice. I need to encourage it more or give her a washcloth to wipe with, but it's a start.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!!! Bennett is so adorable!!!!
My friends son will be 4 in January and he still drools alot. He has a speech problem and does not swallow very good. One of the things she told her to do was to try lemons because of the bitter taste. If he can suck on them it sometimes forces them to swallow. Good luck
ReplyDeleteMy oldest (whose middle name is Bennett!) is 5 and drooled a LOT---like soaking his shirts---until a year ago. We had to constantly remind him to wipe his chin and keep his mouth closed. He still tends to drool if he is concentrating on something really hard. He was in OT for some developmental delays when he was younger and his OT said that some children just tend to drool more than others, and whenever I'd question his pediatrician about it, she'd just say that he was extra "juicy". :)
ReplyDeleteWe don't necessarily have the drooling issue with Emily, but I do notice that if she drinks too much at once she will just let it run out of her mouth. It's as if she doesn't know how to handle excess fluid...which maybe is happening with Bennett? I am going to ask my ST about it and I'll let you know, but I think someone out there probably has better advice than me :-) By the way, Emily was totally jealous of those cute little girls Bennett was hanging out with in your previous post ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have two boys with CP and have the drooling problem. We use Robinul tabs doctors have to perscribe them. Also on days when even Robinul doesn't work.We have a script for Atropine Sulfate 1 percent. It is an eye drop but you use 1 to 2 drops under the tongue every 6 hours. It drys them right up. I don't use this unless we are going to be away from home where changing shirt or bibs all the time would be difficult. My boys doctor told me about the eye drops. The Robinul is a daily dose another special needs mom told me about. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteJanet
My oldest was quite the drooler as a baby. In every picture we have of her... she had on a bib. Justin has good tone in his face as well. No bib necessary, but I feel like I am always wiping the drool away. I think it is slowly getting better. Good luck! He is precious!
ReplyDeleteSometimes kids drool and it's a sensory thing. Does he have an OT? If so you could always ask him/her about doing a brush program or somthing to give him some added sensory input? I have no idea if that's what it is with your boy or not, but I've seen it...so I figured I'd throw it out there. :)
ReplyDeleteAlly had this issue also when she was younger. Her Speech Pathologist/ Therapist introduced us to the Beckman Oral Motor Stretches and it really helped her a lot. Her therapist taught me how to do the strecthes and we would do them several times a day. They really did help and not only with drooling but also several other issues. She also did Talk Tool Straw Therapy and Horn Therapy with her Speech Pathologist/ Therapist.
ReplyDeleteI hope this helps :)
Here is the website:
http://www.beckmanoralmotor.com/about.htm
http://www.talktools.net/s.nl/sc.23/.f