Drooling

WildChildRose

Does anyone know if it's "normal" for a three year old to drool excessively? It's so bad that his clothing is always socking wet after a few hours. We tell him to swallow his spit or suck it in, but he'll do this and then 30 seconds later have a pile falling out of his mouth. Apparentally he's done this since he was born. I just think it's rather unusual and makes me think maybe he's got something wrong with his mouth. Anyone know? Thanks.

soulsinging

no idea, but it sure as hell makes me glad i dont have one.

eyedclaar

WildChildRose wrote:

Does anyone know if it's "normal" for a three year old to drool excessively? It's so bad that his clothing is always socking wet after a few hours. We tell him to swallow his spit or suck it in, but he'll do this and then 30 seconds later have a pile falling out of his mouth. Apparentally he's done this since he was born. I just think it's rather unusual and makes me think maybe he's got something wrong with his mouth. Anyone know? Thanks.

I still do my share of drooling and I'm 34. Does your kid drink a lot and stare at scantily clad girls?

Lizard

I wish i knew this way before my did got braces.

I believe it is from "mouth breathing". My kid drooled TONS and he has bad allergies just like his dad. It is not good far their jaw/teeth growing correctly because they lack the "tongue thrust" that occurs when you can breathe with your mouth closed.

A dentist could give you insight or an allergist.

WildChildRose

Yea I am thinking of taking him to a ear nose and throat specialist and also a dentist. It's just weird.... it's like he can't control it at all. It's making me think something is wrong. It could be allergies, he seems to have some. He gets rashes on his face sometimes. Here's a pic of the drool when it's moderate... it gets even worse than this!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a59/WildChildR/sky-1.jpg

Lizard

WildChildRose wrote:

Yea I am thinking of taking him to a ear nose and throat specialist and also a dentist. It's just weird.... it's like he can't control it at all. It's making me think something is wrong. It could be allergies, he seems to have some. He gets rashes on his face sometimes. Here's a pic of the drool when it's moderate... it gets even worse than this!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a59/WildChildR/sky-1.jpg

my kid had a bib on a LOT when he was little!!!!

geez...I wish I had known then what I know now!!!

WildChildRose

Lizard wrote:

my kid had a bib on a LOT when he was little!!!!

geez...I wish I had known then what I know now!!!

hahaha yea totally. I try to make him wear a bib too but he doesn't like it. Yea I want to get on top of this now before it's a huge problem later. I don't know what, if anything, he was exposed to in the womb, but it's been speculated, so I wonder if that could be a cause too.

Brain of J.Lo

I would check with an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist. I know that before my adenoids were removed (at age 10) I really had a hard time breathing through my nose. I didn't drool excessively or anything, but I noticed a HUGE difference once they were removed. Does he complain of sore throats in the morning ever? (That was one of the signs that my adenoids were inflamed.)

WildChildRose

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

I would check with an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist. I know that before my adenoids were removed (at age 10) I really had a hard time breathing through my nose. I didn't drool excessively or anything, but I noticed a HUGE difference once they were removed. Does he complain of sore throats in the morning ever? (That was one of the signs that my adenoids were inflamed.)

He's only 3 so his speech is limited. He never says anything about a sore throat. I haven't noticed his mouth breathing really. It seems like he breaths through his nose and the drool is just always coming out of his mouth. He chatters a lot though.

Brain of J.Lo

WildChildRose wrote:

He's only 3 so his speech is limited. He never says anything about a sore throat. I haven't noticed his mouth breathing really. It seems like he breaths through his nose and the drool is just always coming out of his mouth. He chatters a lot though.

Hmmm.. Well, as I said, I didn't have any issues with drooling, so no one probably noticed that I was constantly breathing through my mouth. It just so happened that once my adenoids were removed, I realized "wow, I can breath through my nose" and really hadn't been able to before.

Whenever I have a question about something random like this about my daughter, I check on the ivillage.com message boards. There are SO many message boards about parenting, including ones organized by age group. I would check out a board for people with 3 yr olds (and maybe one about kids with allergies) because you'll likely find someone else who has dealt with the same thing.

gobrowns19

Lizard wrote:

I wish i knew this way before my did got braces.

I believe it is from "mouth breathing". My kid drooled TONS and he has bad allergies just like his dad. It is not good far their jaw/teeth growing correctly because they lack the "tongue thrust" that occurs when you can breathe with your mouth closed.

A dentist could give you insight or an allergist.

My sister had his when she was younger and had her tonsils and adenoids taken out. I know you also drool a lot when you are teething, but my brother is about the same age as your son and he's prettty much done teething as your son appears to be.

WildChildRose

gobrowns19 wrote:

My sister had his when she was younger and had her tonsils and adenoids taken out. I know you also drool a lot when you are teething, but my brother is about the same age as your son and he's prettty much done teething as your son appears to be.

Yes definitely not a teething issue. I wonder if he would just keep drooling if this was never checked.

I'll check out ivillage too.

I thought he was just being lazy to swallow his spit but now I think it's probably a bit more than that.

stargirl69

Is his speech ok?Often low tongue,mouth and jaw tone can be strengthened by speech therapy like games.
Try getting him to play games like,blowing soap bubbles,sing together making exaggerated mouth shapes,set up a mirror and get him to make all sorts of mouth shapes,kissing etc into it,kids love this and its great for self awareness.Play blow football.Read Dr Seuss books and encourage him to copy the sounds you make,Dr Seuss boooks are used regularly by speech therapists as they are real tongue twisters.Try these for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.Its a worry for parents but the drooling rarely bothers the kids at this age.
Worth checking out ear/nose/throat clinic.It may be gromit,adenoid related.Good luck.

iluvcats

I searched on excessive drooling on google and many articles said it is fine up to the age of 4. Some websites mentioned low muscle tone in the jaw, as well as taking out adenoids, etc.

WildChildRose

His speech is okay. I wouldn't say it's excellent. We have been working on his speech. We read to him and use flash cards. He pronounces things weird but I think it's normal for his age. Like instead of saying, Patty, he says, Atty. Instead of saying Gizmo he says Emo. (that's our dog) He often chops of the beginning of a word. My neighbor Lisette is Sette. But he can say Brian really well. Some words come out great and others not so great.

covered in bliss

At 3, his speech shouldn't be "limited". Here are guidelines for a 36 month old, if he doesn't meet most of these, take him to a pediatrician right away.

Use pronouns I, you, me correctly
Is using some plurals and past tenses
Knows at least three prepositions, usually in, on, under
Knows chief parts of body and should be able to indicate these if not name
Handles three word sentences easily
Has in the neighborhood of 900-1000 words
About 90% of what child says should be intelligible
Verbs begin to predominate
Understands most simple questions dealing with his environment and activities
Relates his experiences so that they can be followed with reason
Able to reason out such questions as "what must you do when you are sleepy, hungry, cool, or thirsty?"
Should be able to give his sex, name, age
Should not be expected to answer all questions even though he understands what is expected

iluvcats

WildChildRose wrote:

His speech is okay. I wouldn't say it's excellent. We have been working on his speech. We read to him and use flash cards. He pronounces things weird but I think it's normal for his age. Like instead of saying, Patty, he says, Atty. Instead of saying Gizmo he says Emo. (that's our dog) He often chops of the beginning of a word. My neighbor Lisette is Sette. But he can say Brian really well. Some words come out great and others not so great.

this is what my niece does (no drooling however). She will be three soon and barely speaks. At christmas, she held a brush up in the air to me and repeatedly said, "rush" over and over. she pointed to santa's hat and said, "at." she points to her mouth when she wants something to drink. her parents have taken her to specialists. they don't know what's wrong :( she has an older brother and he's very chatty.

WildChildRose

covered in bliss wrote:

At 3, his speech shouldn't be "limited". Here are guidelines for a 36 month old, if he doesn't meet most of these, take him to a pediatrician right away.

Use pronouns I, you, me correctly
Is using some plurals and past tenses
Knows at least three prepositions, usually in, on, under
Knows chief parts of body and should be able to indicate these if not name
Handles three word sentences easily
Has in the neighborhood of 900-1000 words
About 90% of what child says should be intelligible
Verbs begin to predominate
Understands most simple questions dealing with his environment and activities
Relates his experiences so that they can be followed with reason
Able to reason out such questions as "what must you do when you are sleepy, hungry, cool, or thirsty?"
Should be able to give his sex, name, age
Should not be expected to answer all questions even though he understands what is expected

Well he is definitely not up to par on those things. And we take him to the Dr all the time yet he never has said anything. I have my suspicions bc I grew up with 3 brothers and also babysat. I recall my brothers speaking very well at 3.
He is not my biological son. his mother is a known drug-addict. she also abuses alcohol and smokes. She is pregnant now and is STILL partying it up like she wasn't. It sickens me.

The BIGGEST issue I have with Skyler now is the question thing. he cannot answer the simpliest of questions. He cannot recognize colors or shapes, numbers or letters. When I tell him, that's a bunny... he says, that's a kitty. And I say, no that's a bunny. he will just keep saying its a kitty. When I say, make a noise like a doggie, or what does a doggie say, he says, Doggie. I make the noise for him and ask again and I get the same answer.

He cannot give his name age or sex. Occasionally you may get lucky and he'll tell you but for the most part he will just stare blankly. He does know his body parts and can point to them. he can make 3 word sentences. But I wouldn't say 90 % is understandable. I don't think his vocab is that awesome either. He's got a good memory though. he always knows where we are when we are driving.

covered in bliss

WildChildRose wrote:

Well he is definitely not up to par on those things. And we take him to the Dr all the time yet he never has said anything. I have my suspicions bc I grew up with 3 brothers and also babysat. I recall my brothers speaking very well at 3.
He is not my biological son. his mother is a known drug-addict. she also abuses alcohol and smokes. She is pregnant now and is STILL partying it up like she wasn't. It sickens me.

The BIGGEST issue I have with Skyler now is the question thing. he cannot answer the simpliest of questions. He cannot recognize colors or shapes, numbers or letters. When I tell him, that's a bunny... he says, that's a kitty. And I say, no that's a bunny. he will just keep saying its a kitty. When I say, make a noise like a doggie, or what does a doggie say, he says, Doggie. I make the noise for him and ask again and I get the same answer.

He cannot give his name age or sex. Occasionally you may get lucky and he'll tell you but for the most part he will just stare blankly. He does know his body parts and can point to them. he can make 3 word sentences. But I wouldn't say 90 % is understandable. I don't think his vocab is that awesome either. He's got a good memory though. he always knows where we are when we are driving.

Something isn't right. I hope I'm wrong but gosh, his development seems delayed. Better to overreact than blow it off...

Call another pediatrician -AND- call your local school district. (look in the phone book or call a neighborhood school and ask for the phone number)

Ask if/when they are having their next district disability screening. I'm pretty sure most districts have these for 3-5 year olds.

WildChildRose

covered in bliss wrote:

Something isn't right. I hope I'm wrong but gosh, his development seems delayed. Better to overreact than blow it off...

Call another pediatrician -AND- call your local school district. (look in the phone book or call a neighborhood school and ask for the phone number)

Ask if/when they are having their next district disability screening. I'm pretty sure most districts have these for 3-5 year olds.

Thanks. I am fearing the same thing. He's had a tough life for a 3 yr old. His mom has put him through a lot. She is 100% the problem I am sure. I know she may be mentally retarded too. Her sister told me she is "slow" so I wonder if that could be part of it.

covered in bliss

WildChildRose wrote:

Thanks. I am fearing the same thing. He's had a tough life for a 3 yr old. His mom has put him through a lot. She is 100% the problem I am sure. I know she may be mentally retarded too. Her sister told me she is "slow" so I wonder if that could be part of it.

Get the ball rolling today, ok?

It could be genetic or it could be prenatal (you said she drank?)... it could be everything and maybe it's nothing major. Speech impediments are very common and the sooner therapy starts, the farther along he will be when school starts. If it's something deeper than that, early intervention is the key.

Good luck! Don't blow it off!

panthergirl

he may be developmentally delayed...
but don;t stress too much...
chidren are so resilient and many catch up before you know it.
they just need extra help and support.

does he go to any sort of pre-school program? or interact with other kids?

you've gotten some great advice above...
good luck!!!


(he's very lucky to have you in his life!!!!!)

WildChildRose

covered in bliss wrote:

Get the ball rolling today, ok?

It could be genetic or it could be prenatal (you said she drank?)... it could be everything and maybe it's nothing major. Speech impediments are very common and the sooner therapy starts, the farther along he will be when school starts. If it's something deeper than that, early intervention is the key.

Good luck! Don't blow it off!

oh I definitely will. I'm going to tell his father to schedule an appointment this week. He is often in complete denial. I guess I wouldn't want to think that my kid was delayed. I think he's fearful his son will take after his mother mentally (shes also schizophrenic) so it must be hard to see these things. I can see it more because I'm not so biased. I worry about his intelligence. I don't want him to go down the same path the mom did. She is a terrible influence on him. :(

WildChildRose

panthergirl wrote:

he may be developmentally delayed...
but don;t stress too much...
chidren are so resilient and many catch up before you know it.
they just need extra help and support.

does he go to any sort of pre-school program? or interact with other kids?

you've gotten some great advice above...
good luck!!!


(he's very lucky to have you in his life!!!!!)

oh thanks! It's funny bc he calls me Mommy and her mom. He's way more attached to me because I spend time with him and interact with him a lot.

He does go to a daycare but I think he would benefit from a pre-school. We're trying to get him into this one near Pike's place that I hear is excellent.

Brain of J.Lo

WildChildRose wrote:

Well he is definitely not up to par on those things. And we take him to the Dr all the time yet he never has said anything. I have my suspicions bc I grew up with 3 brothers and also babysat. I recall my brothers speaking very well at 3.
He is not my biological son. his mother is a known drug-addict. she also abuses alcohol and smokes. She is pregnant now and is STILL partying it up like she wasn't. It sickens me.

The BIGGEST issue I have with Skyler now is the question thing. he cannot answer the simpliest of questions. He cannot recognize colors or shapes, numbers or letters. When I tell him, that's a bunny... he says, that's a kitty. And I say, no that's a bunny. he will just keep saying its a kitty. When I say, make a noise like a doggie, or what does a doggie say, he says, Doggie. I make the noise for him and ask again and I get the same answer.

He cannot give his name age or sex. Occasionally you may get lucky and he'll tell you but for the most part he will just stare blankly. He does know his body parts and can point to them. he can make 3 word sentences. But I wouldn't say 90 % is understandable. I don't think his vocab is that awesome either. He's got a good memory though. he always knows where we are when we are driving.

I would talk to his pediatrician about all of these things because it sounds like he is experiencing some delays. What a shame about his mother. :( He is lucky to have you, because it sounds like you are on the ball.

WildChildRose

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

I would talk to his pediatrician about all of these things because it sounds like he is experiencing some delays. What a shame about his mother. :( He is lucky to have you, because it sounds like you are on the ball.

thanks. he is lucky that I'm not as idiotic as his mother. Is it some new trend to party when you're pregnant or something? She is the 3rd person I have seen that flaunts it. She posts pics on her myspace going out drinking. I just don't get it. I feel sorry for Skyler bc we have no way of knowing what she did when she was pregnant. His dad tells me that he is nearly 100% sure she did drugs (coke or meth). But we'll never know for sure. I just want the best for him. When I have a child, I would hate for that kid to be an over achiever and have Skyler struggling. (Pretty sure my kid will be smart if I ever have one) hehe.

covered in bliss

WildChildRose wrote:

oh I definitely will. I'm going to tell his father to schedule an appointment this week. He is often in complete denial. I guess I wouldn't want to think that my kid was delayed. I think he's fearful his son will take after his mother mentally (shes also schizophrenic) so it must be hard to see these things. I can see it more because I'm not so biased. I worry about his intelligence. I don't want him to go down the same path the mom did. She is a terrible influence on him. :(

I hope his father agrees with you and makes an appointment. Ignoring it won't make it go away (he's not going to grow out of it) and it's not a death sentence or anything. These years make all the difference.

--as someone said earlier, this boy is lucky to have you!

Brain of J.Lo

WildChildRose wrote:

thanks. he is lucky that I'm not as idiotic as his mother. Is it some new trend to party when you're pregnant or something? She is the 3rd person I have seen that flaunts it. She posts pics on her myspace going out drinking. I just don't get it. I feel sorry for Skyler bc we have no way of knowing what she did when she was pregnant. His dad tells me that he is nearly 100% sure she did drugs (coke or meth). But we'll never know for sure. I just want the best for him. When I have a child, I would hate for that kid to be an over achiever and have Skyler struggling. (Pretty sure my kid will be smart if I ever have one) hehe.

That's sickening. :( What is wrong with some people?

WildChildRose

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

That's sickening. :( What is wrong with some people?

I really don't know! I just don't understand how someone can be that ignorant. She is someone who should be a candidate for sterilization!

nick1977

I don't know what age is normal for kids to stop drooling. I know my 2 month old is a little drool monster! haha.

Have you asked his pediatrician?

WildChildRose

nick1977 wrote:

I don't know what age is normal for kids to stop drooling. I know my 2 month old is a little drool monster! haha.

Have you asked his pediatrician?

From what I understand everyone has passed it off as "oh that's normal." His Pediatrician, imo, isn't that good. He's super old. You would think in observing him, he would ask questions about it. Never once. It's irritating when you have to bring up a problem to someone who should recognize it.