Drooling and cerebral palsy

Drooling beyond infancy may occur in some medical conditions such as:

• when there is inflammation of the mouth
• or as a reaction to some medications, which cause an increase in saliva

Drooling is usually related to:

• difficulties moving saliva to the back of the throat
• difficulties with swallowing
• poor mouth closure
• jaw instability
• tongue thrusting

Some people think an excess of saliva causes drooling. But it is more likely to be a tendency to swallow less.

The following can make it worse:

• lack of head control
• poor posture
• lack of sensation around the mouth
• breathing through the mouth
• excitement
• impaired concentration

There are health and hygiene implications for people who drool a lot:

• The skin around the mouth, chin and neck can become red and sore.
• Loss of fluid may lead to dehydration.
• There may be problems with eating.
• Infections and choking are more likely.

A variety of techniques can treat drooling. Some are more successful than others, but treatment will depend upon the individual. You will need an ear, nose and throat examination before choosing a treatment.

Treatments can include:

• rewarding or prompting to encourage swallowing
• exercises to increase muscle tone, improve oral-motor function and sensory awareness
• drugs that dry up saliva
• Botulinum toxin injections to help prevent and control drooling
• surgery to move the gland so that saliva moves towards the back rather than the front of the mouth
• in extreme cases, removal of a salivary gland

Your family doctor can make referrals to specialist services.

You can also contact speech and language therapy departments in hospitals or clinics without a referral.

Finding speech and language therapy services (The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists)