[zipworth]

Hello everyone,

I have a wonderful 2 1/2 year old boy. He has had all of his teeth for several months now, so I thought teething woes were over. For the last 3 weeks, he has been behaving as though he is a person teething.

-He has started drooling a lot more than usual, his shirt front is soaked all day long.

-He is constantly mouthing his hands and jamming his fingers into his mouth.

-When he nurses he bites down hard (ouch!) and he seems to be unable to fall asleep at the breast like he used to.

-He has a renewed interest in his soother, he found his old one (he gave these up at around 5 months of age) and has been sucking it throughout parts of the day.

-He is taking an hour to two and a half hours to fall asleep, where he used to fall asleep within a half hour

Could this be something psychological ? Could he be sensing the impending birth of his sibling (I am almost 8 months pregnant), and he is feeling insecure? Or is this a sign of something amiss physically?

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Shiloh]

molars?

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/refcap/539861.html

 

[zipworth]

No, he has all his teeth, including molars........

 

[Shiloh]

3 weeks he's not congested, stuffy prone to allergies or athsma?
I might have him seen by a dr/dentist as some kids will get the next set very early or ?

found this on the net:

The reason we don't drool is that we swallow this saliva. Drooling thus suggests the possibilities of an impaired ability to swallow, an impaired ability to retain saliva in the mouth or excessive saliva production.

Excessive saliva production occurs in infants and children with gum inflammation (gingivitis) or dental disease. Infants who are teething tend to drool, but this is obviously not the explanation for drooling in your three-year-old. In an older child, drooling can be related to gingivitis or tooth decay or infection. Excessive saliva production is also a symptom of poisoning from particular chemicals, such as anticholinesterases, which are present in insect poison....may also be related to disproportion between the tongue and lower jaw. Tongue enlargement occurs in a few uncommon syndromes. Far more commonly, tongue size is normal, but the lower jaw is not growing in proportion to the tongue and face.
A pediatric dentist is best qualified to assess the health of your son's teeth and gums and to determine whether there is a growth abnormality of the tongue or jaw. An ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT) is best qualified to assess the possibility that enlarged tonsils and adenoids are causing your son's drooling problem. An ENT can also assess the growth of the tongue and lower jaw. Speech pathologists are best qualified to assess the neurologic aspects of swallowing. "

But kids at that age tend to not close their mouths, it could just be a habit he's picked up? Or he could have a dental issue even something as small as having inflamed his gums with his new oral fixation habits as often the gums hurt more than the teeth or it could be a cavity? or when do they get the next set of molars after the ones they get by three? some kids are advanced?

 

[zipworth]

Tahnks for the reply Shiloh, I think I will book an appointment for him, just because it seems so excessive. I am thinking maybe ENT issues as well.

Natalie

 

[JaneS]

How is his digestion?

This is commonly a sign of yeast too.

 

[zipworth]

Really, yeast eh?....I will have to look into that. He has been eating a lot of sugar lately...