Increased Drooling in a Neurologically Impaired Child- Is it a Run of the Mill Finding?

Excerpt

To the Editor: Drooling is a physiological phenomenon of spilling saliva from the mouth onto the lips, chin, neck, and clothing. It is a normal occurrence in a developing child which improves by the age of 24 mo. Approximately 10% to 38% of individuals with cerebral palsy are estimated to have abnormally persisting drooling [1]. In a neurologically impaired child, primary functions such as lip closer, intraoral tongue suction, and swallowing might be hampered. Drooling can also be a result of disturbed coordination of tongue mobility because generally there is no excess saliva production [2]. There is an increased risk of foreign body (FB) ingestion in children with neurodevelopmental delay due to various causes such as poor hand-to-mouth control, exploration tendencies, sub-optimal protective mechanisms, and impaired communication [3]. Increased drooling, coughing, and dysphagia are the common presentation of FB ingestion and this may be marked in a child who has cerebral palsy [4]. …