Drooling and other concerns

[MrsC8776]

Hi ladies,

I just need some advice or maybe just some opinions. One of my girls has been in EI for a few months now but they aren't addressing the things that need addressed. I don't think think anyone really knows what's going on with her. My heart and gut tell me is something but with her being so young it's hard to tell. Even the EI person said there is something but right now she's a "mystery." She constantly drools. And I'm not taking just a little here and there. It's everywhere and she's always soaked. We go to play groups and all the kids watch her drool on everything. I've even heard the "eww" comments. It might seem silly to worry about just the drooling but that's just the start of it. I'm worried about her and my heart breaks for her. A few other things are the way she uses her hands, her lack of works and how she gets so overwhelmed within a second. She has mixed receptive expressive language delay so our days can be challenging. The only what she knows to communicate is by yelling which can be very hard to deal with at times.

Anyone share the same experiences to any of the things I've talked about? I'm at a loss on what to do. We see the feeding and swallowing clinic on the 30th but I'm not sure how that will help with her constant drooling.

 

[Reid]

Hi didn't want to read and run I only have experience with speech delay really.
You might already have these but I found them great when my son was teething it's wee triangle shaped bibs there super absorbent would maybe help a little whilst you wait for her appointment xx

 

[MrsC8776]

Thank you for your reply. I wish she would keep bibs on. I'll look into them though.

 

[mummy2o]

My son use to drool a lot, but one day kinda stopped if that makes sense. I have no idea when it was but I know he was older than usual. Probably more around the 3 year mark, but can't say for sure as I have terrible baby brain right now. Also if she is teething right now, teething doesn't stop until 30months roughly, then excess drooling is to be expected. I do know at around the age your daughters are my son just learnt how to walk. Over night he went from crawling to walking with no falling over. He didn't have any words, if he wanted food/drink he would give me a plate/cup, but otherwise very self efficient and would put the TV/dvd player on, play on the computer, get himself in and out of his playpen. Just trust me when I say it does get easier as they get older. My son is now 7 and can talk to me like a normal little boy, although his language is still delayed, he can now dress himself as long as it doesn't involve buttons, he can read, do basic maths, a whizz at the computer and is starting to socialise with children, even if they are children older than him, but he's considering them as friends which is great.

 

[sequeena]

The drooling is probably because her mouth muscles are underdeveloped (hypotonia). Does she also have problems with chewing/gagging etc? It's all related to hypotonia including her speech delay. If she's really concentrating on things (like a toy) that will promote saliva to be produced.

Pop a bib on her to catch some of it and when wiping her mouth dab DON'T rub. Rubbing the mouth area stimulates saliva production.

Get her to suck straws (different sized straws, bendy straws, curly straws etc) it will really help improve her mouth muscles.

Please try not to be too upset xx my son is over 3 and still dribbles like crazy. He's the only 3 year old I know with bibs but he has funky bibs

 

[DonnaBallona]

my son has bulbar palsy and severe dysphagia which affects the muscles in his face, jaw and throat. Not surprisingly, he struggles with dribble too. he aspirates on it and gets frequent chest infections, he cannot swallow anything and is nil by mouth. anyway, I digress..... my son is on patches from our peadiatrician, called 'Hyoscine', they are small circular stickers that you put behind his ear and they slow the production of saliva. They could help your daughter by the sound of it!

good luck; I know how you feel- I'm constantly changing vests and tshirts as Jude won't wear a bib either!

 

[MrsC8776]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

mummy~ Sounds like your son is learning some great ways to communicate with you. I know it will get easier, its just the waiting part thats hard. She's not teething at the moment and has all her teeth except the back molars. She has always drooled like this and I keep hoping it will slow down or stop. Hopefully with time it will.

seq~ She does have a horrible gag reflex. She gags on everything. As an infant when she had colic I had to avoid giving her her reflux medicine while she was upset and I had to time it just right or else she would throw everything up all over the place. She still gags on a lot of things, even when she puts her bottle in her mouth too fast she will gag. Medicine is always a difficult one! We've done a barium swallow test and she has silent aspiration. She munches rather than chews if that makes sense.

Donna~ I will have to ask about those patch stickers.

Below are a few pictures. One is a picture where I accidentally caught the drool. I normally like to help her clean up before pictures. The other is showing what I mean about her hands. She always runs/walks with her arms held up by her chest and her right hand just like it is in the picture. Excuse the messy hair.

 

[sequeena]

Your lo needs food therapy. Does she have issues with textures too?

 

[MrsC8776]

Do you think that's what will be done at the feeding and swallowing clinic? She does have issues with textures. She doesn't like jello or pudding. Textures like that. She also has a hard time with really cold things like ice cream. She has issues with textures with her hands as well. She won't touch some things or let them touch her.

I should have mentioned above that the drooling picture is how it always is. We have puddles.

 

[sequeena]

My LO is exactly the same drooling wise - made worse now as he deliberately tucks his bib under his chin also once when he was ill he had an allergic reaction to antibiotics which made him dribble even more. We went through loads of towels mopping it up and he even slipped in it!!

I think they will. Your system is different to ours but Thomas had food therapy with an occupational therapist. They will probably desensitise your LO first then build up tolerances to food slowly. They did it through play with Thomas.