What Makes a Baby Slobber So Much?

Teething

• Some of the drool that escapes from your little one's mouth is the result of teething. Drool caused by the teeth working their way up from deep within the gums typically first appears when a baby is 2 to 4 months old. However, you usually won't start to see the teeth actually pushing up through the gums until he's about 6 months old.

Saliva Production

• Another reason why babies drool a lot when they hit the 2-to-4-month mark is that their large salivary glands, known as the parotid glands, have matured but their mouth control hasn't. This results in a mouth that produces a lot of saliva but can't hold it in or swallow it, so the only place for all that drool to go is out and down. Babies at this age have also begun to use their mouths to explore, which involves putting their hands and other objects in their mouths. Whenever your baby chomps down on something she's put in her mouth, it produces more saliva, and thus more drool.

Spit-up

• Spit-up is different from drool in that it doesn't occur all the time for hours on end. Spit-up is an involuntary reflux of the breast milk or formula he just ate, and it typically occurs just after eating. Most of the time, spit-up is harmless and normal, and most babies act blissfully unaware of when they spit up, according to Healthy Children. If your baby seems to be in pain or discomfort from spitting up, or if he suddenly starts vomiting up more than his regular amount of spit-up, contact your pediatrician.

Solutions

• Whether your baby drools occasionally or is a prolific drooler, keep her face clean by wiping it regularly with a dry cloth. Leaving drool on her skin can lead to skin irritation, so it's best to keep her face as clean as possible. If she drools a lot in her sleep, you can lay an absorbent towel or clean cotton diaper under her head to catch some of the mess. Bibs help keep your baby's clothing slobber-free during the day.