Baby drooling, commonly known as "drooling", is more common in children aged 6 months to 1 and a half years. The reasons can be physiological or pathological. In newborns, the salivary glands are not well developed, resulting in drooling. Inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa, facial nerve paralysis, and swallowing difficulties can also contribute to drooling. Many parents like to use massage techniques to treat drooling in babies. So, is baby drooling massage effective?
Is baby drooling massage effective?
Baby drooling massage has a certain relieving effect.
Frequent drooling in babies is often due to weakness of the spleen and stomach, and the inability to regulate properly. By using the correct massage techniques, the corresponding organs in the body can undergo changes, promoting the harmonization of qi and blood, ensuring smooth meridians, and balancing yin and yang. This effectively regulates the spleen and stomach, and helps to reduce drooling and alleviate the symptoms of drooling.
Clinical symptoms of baby drooling
Drooling from the corners of the mouth, difficult to control, poor appetite, limbs feel cold, pale complexion, tiredness, loose stools, pale tongue with thin white coating, weak pulse, pale fingerprints.
Basic massage techniques for baby drooling
Abdominal rubbing: The child lies on their back, and the masseur stands on the child's side, gently placing their palms on the child's abdomen. Keep the shoulders relaxed and the elbows down, use the forearms to move the wrists in a circular and rhythmic rubbing motion, starting from the upper left abdomen, upper right abdomen, lower right abdomen, and lower left abdomen in that order. Rub in this way for 5 minutes, exerting light pressure rather than heavy, and using a slow and gentle rhythm.
Rubbing the Gate of Essence: The child lies on their back, and the masseur stands on the child's side, with one hand supporting the child's forearm. Use the other hand's thumb to rub back and forth on the palm of the child's hand at the base of the fingers, repeating this motion 300 times.
Rubbing Zusanli: The child lies on their back, and the masseur stands on the child's side, using one thumb to apply rubbing pressure on the Zusanli acupoint on the child's foot for 3 minutes. During the massage, the thumb should be firmly pressed on the Zusanli acupoint, using the proximal part of the limb to drive the distal part in a small, deep, and circular rubbing motion. The pressure should be uniform and the movements should be coordinated and rhythmic.
Rubbing Sanyinjiao: The child sits upright, and the masseur stands in front of the child. One hand supports the child's lower leg, while the other thumb applies rubbing pressure on the Sanyinjiao acupoint. Use the proximal part of the limb to drive the distal part in a small, deep, and circular rubbing motion on the deep tissues, ensuring uniform pressure and coordinated and rhythmic movements.
Pinching the Spine: The child lies prone, and the masseur's index fingers are placed on the child's back. Then, use both thumbs to extend towards the front of the index fingers, and pinch and roll the muscles in a flipping motion. Move both hands alternately forward, pinching from the bottom to the top of the spine, repeating this action 5-6 times.
Massage areas for baby drooling
Treatment principle: Tonify the spleen, warm the middle, nourish the qi, and solidify the saliva.
Massage prescription: Tonify the spleen meridian, rub San Guan, rub Shidou, rub Zhongwan, rub Qihai, rub Pishu, rub Gaohuangyu, rub Ganzai, rub Yongquan, and stimulate the outer labor palace and the five meridians. The Gate of Essence can also be stimulated. A "Hunmen and Yangguan saliva control formula" or a "Erguan and Zhongwan saliva control formula" can also be used.
Analysis of drooling massage methods
Tonifying the spleen meridian, rubbing San Guan, stimulating the outer labor palace, rubbing Pishu, rubbing Gaohuangyu, rubbing Ganzai, stimulating Yongquan, massaging Qihai, and stimulating the five meridians can tonify the Mingmen, warm the spleen and stop drooling. Rubbing Shidou, Zhongwan, and stimulating the Gate of Essence can nourish qi, blood, and the source of metabolism, aid digestion, and alleviate excess symptoms.
The "Hunmen and Yangguan saliva control formula" consists of rubbing Hunmen and Yangguan, which can nourish liver yin, regulate the pivot, protect the soul and spirit, and control salivary secretion. It is suitable for drooling caused by insufficient liver yin, poor pivot function, and loss of control over salivary secretion.
The "Erguan and Zhongwan saliva control formula" consists of rubbing Geduan, Neiguan, and Zhongwan, which can regulate qi, widen the chest, and treat drooling caused by qi stagnation.
