Why do Babies Dribble?

Mums Tips

Baby & Toddlers

Published on Saturday, 04 October 2014 19:00

Last Updated on 15 October 2014

almar2014

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Most babies will start to dribble or drool at around the age of three months. Fortunately a dribble bib helps keep baby’s clothes dry throughout the day, but without a bib a baby will be soaking wet from dribble very quickly. This is because the salivary glands are starting to work in preparation for solid foods but not capable of moving the saliva to the back of the mouth to swallow it.

At this age they have voluntary control over their limbs; combined with the urge to suck which means anything they can get hold of, they put in their mouth. This is a good time to introduce teething toys to suck on.

These normal developmental changes can be mistaken as signs of teething even though the teeth do not actually come through the gum until six to eight months of age. However a baby is sometimes born with a tooth!

Another reason for all the dribble is that stomach acid is neutralized by the saliva, the baby’s intestinal lining is further developed from all that drool, and heals the oesophageal lining that may become very irritated from spitting up regularly. In addition, drool has special enzymes that will help your baby begin to digest solid food when they start eating it around six months of age.

Drool also helps to cool down your baby’s tender gums. However not all babies and toddlers dribble as much as others. I certainly recall that I didn’t have a problem at all with my own children when they were babies, yet my grandchildren were both avid dribblers!

This was my inspiration behind the “Dribblebuster” brand of baby dribble bib.

My daughter noticed that her baby often had chills that were caused by the wet dribble on his chest, so the Dribblebuster was designed to be high at the neck to stop the dribble running down his neck and on to his chest.

It was created to the shape it is, large enough to catch the dribble without hiding his lovely outfits. They are in a large variety of fabrics including many from the Liberty soft tana lawn, so there is one to complement every outfit!