Most parents deal with excessive drooling mainly when their baby is teething, but a select few will just have drippy, sloppy kids who drool pretty much all the time. My son is just one of those kids with overactive saliva glands. As a result those same select parents including myself also get the joy of dealing with drool rash more than once every tooth now and then.
What is drool rash exactly?
Drool rash is a very non-scientific but accurate term used to describe redness and irritation (a rash) on the face (usually the chin) caused by excessive drool. It’s a rare baby that dodges the occurrence of drool rash at least once in their life, with the majority of babies first experiencing the rash while teething. The constant moisture on sensitive skin is often enough to cause irritation and friction from rubbing on things such as pillow cases and cozy parent shoulders can make things worse. Drool rash can also become infected causing a condition called infant impetigo. This is a contagious bacterial infection characterized by yellow to honey colored crusting over the surface of the rash. You may also see blistering. Impetigo should be treated with antibiotics by your pediatrician in most cases.
How can you treat drool rash in your baby or toddler?
If your baby or toddlers rash doesn’t escalate to impetigo there’s really no need for a doctor’s visit. While it may appear unsightly drool rash generally isn’t painful and is easy to treat at home. While most treatment actually falls under the prevention category applying an antibacterial barrier at night can help skin gain a fighting advantage and heal faster. You can clean the area with witch hazel or simply a gentle soap and water and then apply a lubricant such as petroleum jelly, lanolin or Lansinoh or use an all in one product such as Neosporin or Aquaphor. Avoid simply applying a lubricant as this may actually seal bacteria in, always cleanse the area first. Some parents also swear by using diaper rash cream, but be sure you read the label as drool rash is generally near the mouth. In severe cases hydrocortisone 1% cream applied around twice a day can also prove helpful.
How can you prevent drool rash in your baby or toddler?
Naturally you can’t stop your baby or toddler from drooling so your main method of prevention is to try and keep your child as dry as possible. Bibs can help prevent rashes from spreading to the chest area. Remember to pat your child’s face dry often with a clean cloth. Don’t rub or wipe, but pat the skin dry. You can also place an absorbent material under your baby’s head while sleeping. Unused cloth diaper inserts can work excellent for this and can be replaced and washed as needed.
You may also enjoy:
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Hyland’s Teething Tablets: Are They Safe?
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Sources:
What is impetigo?
http://www.drgreene.com/azguide/impetigo
Treating drool rash
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/11/T082900.asp
