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Why Does My Baby Make Bubbles In Their Sleep? Here’s The Science

Baby

Cavan Images/Cavan/Getty Images

It’s totally normal... and kind of cute.

Updated: July 13, 2022

Originally Published: July 27, 2017

Parenthood is weird, and the sheer strangeness of it all is made all the more obvious by the fact that you can stare at a baby's face for hours, completely content. Every slight facial expression is riveting. Sometimes you're convinced you'll explode from all the cuteness. And then your baby does something strange and you're just at a loss — like that bubble thing. Honestly, why does a newborn spit bubbles while sleeping? Turns out, it's pretty normal.

When we're talking about blowing bubbles, we don't mean the kind that come out of jar with a cute wand. Some people refer to it as a frothy substance that comes out of their baby's mouth. Others say it looks like spit in the corners of their baby's mouth. The one thing these descriptions have in common is a lovely thing called saliva (so, no, it is not caused by soapy milk). But what does it mean exactly when a newborn sleeps with a foamy mouth?

Why do newborns blow bubbles while sleeping?

If your 2-week old baby spits bubbles while sleeping, it isn’t typically a cause for alarm. In fact, it’s usually a result of gravity. “When babies sleep on their backs, saliva will usually go down the back of their throats and then be swallowed,” Dr. Jessica Madden, M.D., FAAP, IBCLC, founder of Primrose Newborn Care, tells Romper. “When they are sleeping on their stomach or side, saliva can easily pool and escape through their mouths. This is the same reason that some older children and adults drool when they sleep (including me).”

Blowing bubbles is also actually a healthy part of development for many babies. “This is a normal part of oral-motor function development that occurs between 3 and 6 months of age,” Madden says. “Drooling is also associated with teething, and many babies get their first tooth around 6 months or so.” Of course, the bubbles your baby makes while they are sleeping are likely not meant to communicate anything to you, at least on a conscious level.

So long as it’s not a massive amount of spit, drooling while sleeping just shows that your baby is developing. “Babies are born with salivary glands, but they do not start to rapidly develop until they are between 3 and 6 months old,” Madden explains. “So babies make small amounts of saliva after birth, but not copious amounts until they are at least 2 to 3 months old.”

In short, the increased saliva that begins appearing around the 2-month mark is the reason your baby can make those bubbles in the first place. Your baby is also experimenting with new facial movements and new motor skills, essentially putting that saliva to work. If the bubble-blowing during sleep isn't waking your baby up, then the only downside to it all is your picture-perfect photo op being a little more, well, foamy and bubbly looking.

Can newborns have excessive saliva bubbles?

Drooling and making spit bubbles while sleeping is very normal, for the most part. However, if the drooling seems excessive, or if your baby appears to be ill, it is best to check with your child's doctor to rule out something else. “Lots of drooling is not normal during the newborn period,” Madden says. “Any newborn or young infant (less than 2 months old) with a lot of drooling needs to be evaluated to make sure they do not have a problem with swallowing or their esophagus.”

Another cause of increased drooling, especially as your baby gets older, is a common cold. “Older infants may start to sleep with their mouths open and drool more when they are asleep if they have nasal obstruction (i.e. from mucus with a cold virus),” Madden says. “This should improve as they recover from having a cold.”

Still, precautions should be taken if you notice a major increase in saliva by your baby at any age. “A sudden onset of excessive drooling should be evaluated at any age to make sure there is not a problem with something blocking the throat, such as a foreign body, or an infection of the tonsils or epiglottis,” Madden says.

All in all, drooling is incredibly common — at all ages, of course, but especially for a developing newborn. As with all concerns, though, if you have questions about your baby’s health, definitely reach out to pediatrician for medical advice.

Expert:

Dr. Jessica Madden, M.D., FAAP, IBCLC, founder of Primrose Newborn Care

This article was originally published on July 27, 2017

Stomatitis in children under one year old

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Stomatitis in children under one year old: essence and methods of treatment

The mucous membrane of the mouth of a baby is thin and tender, so he quickly picks up stomatitis. Under this concept, doctors designate all inflammatory diseases, as well as injuries of the oral cavity.

How dangerous is stomatitis in children under one year old?

Infants most often suffer from candidal stomatitis. Due to the fact that the mouth and tongue are covered with a curdled coating, it is popularly called thrush. Burning and dry mouth make the baby cry and refuse to eat, so he weakens, loses weight. If you start the disease, the virus can reach the gastrointestinal tract and worsen the baby's digestion. The disease is especially dangerous for infants with reduced immunity - their weakened body is not able to resist the fungus. As a result of this, microorganisms easily grow and spread in the blood of the baby and settle in the internal organs, which ends with generalized mycosis.

If a child is struck by a mild form of herpetic stomatitis, then his temperature rises, and bubbles appear in his mouth, which then turn into erosion. Moderate and severe forms of the disease are dangerous poisoning of the whole organism. Aphthous stomatitis in children up to a year threatens with a complication - secondary infection. With this form of the disease, inflammation of the lymph nodes and fever are possible. Since herpetic and aphthous stomatitis pose a threat to the health and life of an infant, hospitalization of the patient is mandatory! Fortunately, infants rarely get sick with these ailments.

What are the treatments for stomatitis in an infant?

A sick child is prescribed antifungal drugs at the Pediatric Dentistry Center. The mucous membrane of the mouth is wiped several times a day with the prescribed agent, applied to a cotton swab or sterile bandage. If a child is prescribed an antibiotic for internal use, then it must be given until the end of the course of treatment. Medications should not be canceled prematurely even after the complete disappearance of the rash - so as not to provoke a recurrence of the disease!

Often in the treatment of stomatitis in children under one year old, borax in glycerin is used - it prevents the fungus from attaching and growing, but at the same time it can cause side effects. Antiseptic aerosols should not be used to relieve pain. Pharmaceutical gels are suitable for crumbs, which are used for itching during the eruption of the first teeth. Do not use hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green - they can burn the delicate mucous membrane of the baby's mouth. It is also undesirable to use honey, since it will "attract" various bacteria into the baby's oral cavity.

Proper care in many cases can save a child from stomatitis. So, adults should not lick the pacifier and kiss the baby on the lips. All his little things - from bottles to toys - must be sterilized before use. In this case, it is advisable to use a solution that is prepared from one teaspoon of baking soda and a glass of boiled water. With the prepared infusion, it is necessary to treat the child's mouth after each feeding so that food debris does not become a source of fungus reproduction. The fact is that a solution of soda creates an alkaline environment in the mouth, which is detrimental to pathogens. Mom needs to wipe her breasts and nipple area with the same solution before each feeding, as well as after it. If you follow simple tips and recommendations, stomatitis in children under one year old, as a rule, does not occur!

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Stomatitis in a child - what is it? .

Stomatitis is an inflammation of the oral mucosa. The name comes from the Latin word “stoma” (mouth). Stomatitis occurs in both children and adults, but most often it appears in infants and preschoolers. This is because the mucosa at this age is thinner and more tender. It’s more common for everyone to say “stomatitis”, but it would be more correct to say “stomatitis”, since this is a generalizing concept for a whole group of diseases.

Causes of stomatitis in children

Causes of stomatitis in children are different. These are dirty hands, and fragile children's immunity, and the features of thermoregulation, on which the respiratory system directly depends. You need to understand that the children's mucosa, unlike the adult one, is a very thin and vulnerable substance, so the attachment of any infection occurs very quickly. At an early age, salivation is not yet fully formed in a child, and saliva enzymes play a very important role in protecting the body. As a result, the mucous membrane often dries up, cracks appear, an infection occurs, and stomatitis follows it. It is impossible not to take into account the long-term use of medications, such as antibiotics, as well as neuropsychiatric disorders, unfavorable living conditions, poor child care and inadequate oral hygiene by the parents themselves.

It is often the parents who help the doctor to find out the cause of the disease. Only they can try to analyze what caused the appearance of a bubble, sore or plaque. For example, the child ate something wrong, bought a new toothpaste or toothbrush, or maybe the baby suffered a temperature drop.

Depending on the causes, stomatitis can be divided into several types, each of which has a number of features.

Viral, herpes, or herpetic stomatitis in children is one of the most common types of childhood stomatitis. Usually a child becomes infected with it by airborne droplets. The virus is also transmitted through dishes, toys, household items. Most often, herpetic stomatitis in a child appears at the age of one to 4 years. The disease begins as a cold and is accompanied by a rash on the lips, lethargy, and fever. Sometimes there is a runny nose and cough. Around the second day, aphthae appear on the lips, tongue, and inside of the cheeks - small round or oval sores of light yellow color with a bright red border. They exude an unpleasant odor, are easily torn off and then bleed. These ulcers are the main symptom of this type of stomatitis. Therefore, such stomatitis in children is also called aphthous, or ulcerative. This is a particularly unpleasant type of disease, as it can be severe and accompanied by severe intoxication. Viral stomatitis in children also often occurs against the background of other viral diseases, such as influenza, chickenpox or measles.

Infectious stomatitis occurs in children of both school and preschool age. Most often they occur with tonsillitis, sinusitis, pneumonia. The main symptom is a thick yellow crust on the lips. At the same time, the lips stick together, the mouth opens with difficulty. The temperature usually rises. Bacterial stomatitis in a child most often occurs due to weakened immunity in the autumn-winter period.

Traumatic stomatitis in a child is caused by mechanical trauma to the oral cavity. For example, burns from hot food, a too hard nipple, the habit of chewing on a pencil. Also, traumatic stomatitis often occurs in children with malocclusion due to frequent biting of the cheeks and tongue.

Candidal stomatitis occurs in children under one year old. The cause is Candida fungus. The milk left in the baby's mouth after breastfeeding is an excellent breeding ground for them. Therefore, parents call candidal stomatitis in children thrush. The main symptom is the appearance of white plaque in the baby's mouth. It is worth noting that this plaque should not be confused with the usual plaque after feeding. A cause for alarm is if the plaque does not go away, and the child refuses to eat.

Drug-induced or allergic stomatitis in children is caused by some type of allergy or drug reaction. In case of suspicion of this type of disease, the allergen should be identified and removed, otherwise there is a risk of getting unpleasant consequences, up to anaphylactic shock.

Symptoms of stomatitis in children

For all types of stomatitis, a common and defining symptom is inflammation of the oral mucosa and the appearance on any of its parts, such as the tongue, the inside of the lips, cheeks, throat of various formations in the form of sores, vesicles, characteristic plaque, vesicles (blistering rashes) and in cases of traumatic stomatitis - burns, bites, injuries. It is important to understand that stomatitis is not one acute or chronic disease with certain classic symptoms, each type has its own special cause, and they manifest themselves in the oral cavity in different ways, therefore, they need to be treated differently.

Treatment of stomatitis in children

There is no single algorithm for the treatment of stomatitis in children. Each case is individual in its own way. It often happens when a mother comes in the hope that the doctor will prescribe an ointment, and she will immediately cure her child with it. This does not happen! It is necessary to understand what preceded the inflammation, taking into account the age of the child, the stage and severity of the disease. Treatment is carried out both locally and symptomatically, i.e. symptoms are relieved. Doctors dentist-therapist and pediatrician give their recommendations, it is possible to involve highly specialized specialists, such as ENT, mycologist, dermatologist. Of course, there are some textbook principles that guide specialists in order to relieve or relieve pain or prevent complications. We are talking about compliance with the rules of oral hygiene, diet and sleep, treatment of the mucous membrane with special gels, solutions and applications. For example, with allergic stomatitis in children, antihistamines are recommended, with herpetic forms - antiviral, if there is a temperature - it is antipyretic. It is important that when you find a problem, contact a specialist without delay.

Caring for a child with stomatitis

Parental involvement in treatment and proper care of a child are not only important, they are crucial. With stomatitis, it is necessary to strictly follow the treatment plan, which is often very laborious, so the result depends on parental care and control. The oral cavity is a kind of epicenter of pain, so it is not surprising that the child will be capricious a lot. Therefore, it is important for parents to stock up on patience and perseverance.
Most moms and dads are concerned about how to feed a child with stomatitis. Firstly, it is necessary to consume only soft, warm (not hotter than 30 degrees) and mushy food, for example, in the form of mashed potatoes. The main thing is that the food is high-calorie and positive, because the child's immunity is already weakened. After eating, it is imperative to rinse your mouth so as not to provoke the development of stomatitis and not to attach any additional infection. A diet for stomatitis in a child should be with the exclusion from the diet of spicy, sour, sweet foods and citrus fruits.

Children with stomatitis need to be anesthetized. It is carried out with the help of various medications in order to avoid refusal of food and deterioration of sleep. In addition, with stomatitis in children, proper treatment of the oral cavity is very important. How to handle and rinse the child's mouth should be recommended by the doctor.

Prevention of stomatitis in children

If a person had stomatitis at least once in his life, there will always be a risk of its recurrence, so prevention comes to the fore - in general, strengthening immunity in order to prevent the disease from returning. Both parents and children should follow simple rules of oral hygiene. Obligatory observation at the dentist 2 - 3 times a year, even eating the child does not bother anything. It is advisable, when choosing personal hygiene products, to be guided by the recommendations of your attending dentist.

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