17 Nov 😳Have you noticed that your child with low muscle tone drools all the time
👶🏻Children with low muscle tone, a condition known as hypotonia, often experience challenges in muscle control and coordination, including the muscles involved in swallowing. Hypotonia can affect various muscles in the body, including those in the face and mouth, leading to difficulties in managing saliva.
Here are some reasons why children with low muscle tone may drool more:
1. Oral Motor Weakness:
Low muscle tone can result in weakness in the oral muscles, making it challenging for a child to effectively control and swallow saliva. The muscles responsible for sealing the lips and moving the tongue may be less responsive or less coordinated.
2. Impaired Swallowing Reflex:
Children with hypotonia may have an impaired swallowing reflex. This means that the normal reflexes that trigger the swallowing process may not be as efficient, leading to a delay in swallowing saliva.
3. Poor Lip Closure:
Low muscle tone can affect the strength and coordination of the muscles around the mouth, making it difficult for a child to maintain proper lip closure. This can result in saliva escaping from the mouth more easily.
4. Delayed Developmental Milestones:
Children with low muscle tone may experience delays in achieving developmental milestones, including those related to oral motor skills. This can contribute to difficulties in managing saliva.
5. Sensory Processing Issues:
Some children with hypotonia may also have sensory processing issues, which can impact their response to oral stimuli. This may affect their ability to recognise and respond to the sensation of saliva in the mouth.
Physiotherapists 🤓and speech pathologists can work with children with hypotonia to develop oral motor skills, improve muscle tone, and enhance overall motor coordination, which can contribute to better saliva control.
If you are concerned about your child’s drooling and suspect low muscle tone may be a factor, ring My Favourite Physio 📱on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our 🤓 Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today.