Excessive dribbling in 3 and half year old...is it a sign of anything?

[tiredandwornoutmum]

He has all his teeth (so says the dentist) but over the last few months the dribbling has continued to increase.

Is it normal for a toddler/child to dribble like this?

TIA

Not particulary, at least nothing I've picked up on.

Our ds had this - due to enlarged adenoids/tonsils, blocked nose and chronic glue ear. (He also had breathing problems when he was asleep, difficulties swallowing certain food (bread, and things that ball up in your mouth), and was slow with speech (due to the glue ear). Got a lot better after adenoids/tonsils removed.

We did go to a speech therapist at first since sometimes drooling is caused by weak muscles around the mouth. (was referred by health visitor).

I have noticed it's worse if he's coming down with a cold or an illness.

Yes, blocked up nose means that they have to breath through the mouth - hence more dribbling.

I have the exact same thing with my DS of the same age. Hes had his tonsils and ananoids out and tubes put in his ears so it can't be that. Although he often suffers from nasal congestion so it could be that.....don't you love MN - I was only thinking last night how blardy annoying it is and then today heres a thread about it!!

Pepa - my ds takes daily antihistamine (a non-drowsy one) for his nasal congestion - very low dose but does keep his nose dry.
(at one point they tried nasal steroids but they were useless and he hated having them squirted up his nose)

Pepa, how funnny...guess it can't be too serious if they both do it.

ds (now 4.5yo) has started recently 'drying up' with this but used to be really bad. I thought he would be going to school with dribble every where but it has slowed down now (though still bad if he has cold).

We were told by paed (seeing for something else) that as long as his speech was fine and he had no problems with swallowing/eating then it should be alright. If he does have probs with either of those then you need to get it checked out.

Milarkie - the pead suggested antihistamine but I was concerned at how long we should give it to him? I think given what you have said I might start them again....

tired@wornout - its comforting to know there are other mums pondering over the same "minor" inconveniences as I am....I felt a bit daft going to the doctor about it!

I know what you mean...it's one of those things you think hmmmmmmm about but wouldn't dream of asking anyone professional about because you'd feel silly!

tiredandwornoutmum my ds is/was the same, nothing wrong with him I alwasy put it down to he was a drooler, hes 5 now but still drools quite alot when he sleeps

Mine use to a lot,especially around 3 and had slight speech problems at that age too. He is now 5 and still has a tendency to have quite wet lips and will suck on the bottom one, so that they get quite chapped round them some times.

And thats another problem how on earth do you get chapstick on a 3 year old without just encouraging him to lick his lips more to see what it tastes like....my life is full of this little dilemas !

oops should have said "these" not "this"

Pepa - we started on a 5ml dose of antihistamine once a day and then I took it down to 2.5ml and nose stayed dry and we took him off it completely for a couple of months over winter..nose has just started getting bunged up again so we have restarted. He is 7 now and at school and was being picked on by other kids because of his nose so we feel it's worth it.

Some kids are just very dribbly. My DS used to be (in fact my first post on MN was a query about his dribbling). I kept him in a bib till he was 2 because otherwise he would have got through about 4 tops a day, then I moved onto using bandannas round his neck cowboy style, then at some time in his 3rd year he just sort of dried up. (He is 4 now).
There were never any problems with speech or swallowing, and the HV said it wasn't anything to worry about, it's just that some kids dribble.