Speech development and drooling

Drooling in small children is a normal part of development. Teeth are coming in, they put everything in their little mouths, and they haven't developed the habit of keeping their lips together. Eventually, though, you should be able to look forward to having a dry kid-at both ends!

As long as the rest of a child's development is on track, drooling is not of much concern unless it continues past her third birthday.

However, if there are other concerns about a child's development, you should mention these concerns to your pediatrician and seek a referral to developmental specialists in the area of physical, occupational, or speech therapy, depending upon your areas of concern.

Drooling can be considered a "soft" neurological sign, meaning it can indicate some level of neurological damage, and is of concern if it continues into the third year or if it is accompanied by other developmental delays such as a very clumsy gait, fine motor delays, or language delays. Of course, allowance is made for erupting teeth and finger or thumb sucking.

Usually, though, there is a more simple explanation: children who drool are often noted to keep their mouths open at rest. This may be due to nasal congestion caused by a cold or allergies, or it may be due to low facial tone. When the oral muscles are weak, a child may keep her mouth open simply because it is easier.

There is some evidence to suggest that children who are mouth breathers have a higher risk of articulation delay, which appears to be due to poor muscle tone in the tongue.

If you think about where your tongue is while you are sitting with your mouth closed, you'll notice it is up against the roof of your mouth. This resting posture requires more muscle strength than is needed when the mouth is open with the tongue resting on the floor of the mouth. That muscle tone is really important when it comes to producing the sounds for r, l, and th, and it is those sounds that many children who are mouth breathers have difficulty with.

There are some fun activities you can do with your child now to improve oral motor control and reduce drooling. You will need a supply of miniature marshmallows and Cheerios or a similar type of cereal. Have your child place a mini marshmallow between her lips and hold it in place. Ask her to "squish it tight" and then "hold it soft." She should be able to hold it in place for at least 10 seconds, and the alternating contraction and relaxation provides a good workout for the lips and surrounding muscles.

The second exercise is actually for the tongue tip to promote good muscle tone. Place a small piece of cereal on your daughter's tongue tip and challenge her to bring it up to just behind her teeth and hold it there while you count. Again, she should be able to work up to a count of 10.

These exercises can be done once or twice a day for as long as your child is interested in completing them. It is the only sport I know of where the participants are encouraged to eat the exercise equipment!

Another way to encourage a closed-mouth resting posture is simply to remind your child to "close your lips." Don't forget to catch her doing it and praise her for keeping her lips together. Make it fun, and your child will develop good habits early.