The infant sticks out its tongue. Why can a baby stick out his tongue, in what cases should you worry about a newborn baby? Disease of the endocrine system - hypothyroidism
Those who have small children are well aware of how much work it takes to fight for their health. Some mothers start to shudder at the slightest deviation from the usual way of things. Suddenly, something is wrong with their child, they worry and ask seemingly impossible questions. For example, such: why does the baby stick out his tongue, what are the reasons for this?
Almost all parents worry about the health of their children - that's how parental instincts make themselves felt. In addition, it is a behavioral response associated with the desire to protect and take care. They try to protect babies from threats from the outside world, try to strengthen their immunity, make them less susceptible to threats from the outside world. Especially when it comes to a baby from two months to six months and a little older, because they have not yet fully formed their own immunity.
Sometimes young children may have strange behavioral or physiological abnormalities. Sometimes, of course, this is just a game element or some sign of development when the baby gets to know his body. But sometimes deviations act as warning signals. They must be responded to in a timely manner if you do not want to become the culprit of launching your own blood. Today we will talk about one of them.
In fact, for many young mothers, the situation when the baby sticks out its tongue causes a lot of anxiety. Let's see if this is a problem or a bad upbringing. Of course, it is always better to be forewarned, and therefore armed.
Key points
So, an attentive mother noticed something unusual in the behavior of the baby, and after talking with the household, she found out that no one specially taught him this. But why does the child stick out his tongue? With what it can be connected? What could it mean for your child? Is it worth it to see a doctor in this case?
If a baby sticks out his tongue, this is an occasion to start watching him more closely. Indeed, in some cases, these can actually be prerequisites for serious diseases. Pay attention to how calmly he sleeps, whether he throws his head back, or grimaces. It is important to determine from the very beginning whether the baby is doing this effortlessly, or everything happens as if by itself, involuntarily. Listen to your maternal experience, perhaps this will be a clue.
Consider the moment that a baby sticks out his tongue during games - this is considered a completely natural behavioral reaction. He similarly shows his emotions, makes grimaces. But if this happens all the time, and the child cannot control this process, contact your pediatrician immediately. Otherwise, if you start the situation, you can contribute to the development of serious diseases that will greatly spoil the life of a little man.
So, let's take a closer look at the main reasons why your sun can stick out his tongue. By the way, the reasons themselves can also be divided into several subcategories, depending on the danger that these symptoms carry. Perhaps this is an element of an innocent game, or perhaps it is the seedlings of much more serious problems.
harmless grimaces
- The baby often sticks out his tongue when interacting with you. This is how he plays with you. Perhaps he saw somewhere a similar grimace and is trying to copy it. The reason is that he has not yet learned how to express his emotions well enough. In any case, such behavior is a completely normal reaction to what is happening. You will not scold children for trying to copy you, will you?
- Even a newborn often shows his tongue in the process of teething. This will be true for children from 2 months to six months. Their gums swell, and babies constantly try to lick the sore places, thereby trying to reduce irritation in the oral cavity.
- He "plays" with his muscles. The newborn is trying to learn to feel and use his muscles. So the very fact that he moves his tongue is quite normal. He cognizes the world that has just opened before him. A newborn can constantly move certain muscles - this is quite normal. Plus, in this way he does a kind of exercise, kneads his limbs, muscles.
- If your child constantly shows his tongue, then this is an occasion to think about how much time you devote to him. What if he doesn’t have enough time that you allocated him, and touches. After all, the child is important tactile contact with the mother. If he does not receive it in full, then these are prerequisites for the development of serious nervousness and psychological problems in the future. Do not neglect the process of breastfeeding, do not forget to communicate with the baby after sleeping or feeding: hug, talk, sing.
Dangerous symptoms of dangerous ailments
- Your little one may have contracted thrush. Candida is a type of fungus. Carefully examine the child's mouth. You may notice white spots there, which will indicate that the baby has this disease. In this case, immediately go to the pediatrician.
- Be careful! If your child throws his head back and sticks his tongue out at the same time, this is a sure sign that he may have increased intracranial pressure. We think there is no need to talk about the consequences of this disease. The doctor will help you solve the problem.
- In addition, if the tongue just falls out, then there is a high probability that your baby has facial paralysis. This pathology makes it difficult to control muscle movements, including the tongue.
- Perhaps your child has a certain type of neurosis, which also gives rise to the need to immediately go to the pediatrician.
Summing up. If you find that your child's tongue is sticking out, then do not rush to panic - first understand all the possible reasons for this behavior. Perhaps he just makes faces at you or trains your facial and tongue muscles. But if you find signs of dangerous disorders and diseases such as candidiasis or signs of paralysis, then immediately consult a doctor.
Take care of the health of your child in advance, give him your love and care, and after a certain time he will repay you in the same way. Being a parent is a great happiness, and being a caring and loving parent is a double happiness. Take care of your children!
Your baby is developing and growing. He looks around and absorbs like a sponge everything he sees and hears. Therefore, from time to time he surprises mom and dad with new unexpected actions. When the baby suddenly begins to show his tongue, the family usually rushes to find out who could teach him this.
However, this is not quite the right approach. Pediatricians are sure that in most cases this is a harmless gesture that does not represent anything terrible. But it’s still worth paying attention to it, because in some cases a protruding tongue speaks of problems in the body. In this article, we will look at a variety of reasons.
When it's not scary
Let's start with the reasons that are not a cause for concern. And even if they are banal and simple, their knowledge will help parents calm down and not panic over trifles. So:
- mischief. Usually, sticking out the tongue is perceived as a prank by adults. Often it is: the baby just wants to play. But, of course, this is not always the case.
- Environmental research. Babies develop very quickly, and in many ways the speed of this development depends on natural curiosity. In the fascinating business of knowing the world, the baby is helped not only by pens, legs and eyes. With the help of language, he can also get a lot of information. For example, about the shape, taste or structure of objects.
- A bad example is contagious. The baby can simply copy what someone from his environment did. Then, sticking out the tongue, he simply adopts a new gesture. Often in such cases, the baby shows the tongue not just like that, but “addressed” (to one of the adults).
- Warm-up before pronouncing sounds. Maybe the baby wants to repeat some sound after the parents, but so far it hasn’t worked out. He pulls out the tongue, thereby developing articulation, and this is an excellent exercise and preparation for speech.
- If you are involved in something important. Often this is also observed in adults: when a person is absorbed in some activity with his head, and also when he tries very hard, he sticks out his tongue (tip). You may notice this when the child is looking at pictures or trying to do something new.
- Hungry or just wants to kiss your chest. Then the baby not only pulls out the tongue, but also sucks or chews it. And with natural feeding, the baby often does this with a lack of communication with the mother. He needs tactile contact, and the chest is associated not only with food. This is warmth, and care, and unity with the person closest to him.
- Replacing a Bad Habit. It happens that kids who are used to sucking on a pacifier replace it with their tongue. This is very important during the weaning period. As a rule, the habit disappears by itself as soon as the child manages to overcome the sucking reflex.
- Active phase of teething. As you know, this process causes quite a lot of discomfort for children: they feel itching and pain, the gums swell. The tongue in this case helps to scratch the gums, as well as to study the changing relief.
- Hot. Or the baby is thirsty. It's even easier here. Dress the baby according to the weather, offer water.
- Anatomical features. Firstly, it is possible that the baby does not have a sufficiently long frenulum of the tongue, which is noticeable by the capture of the breast (nipples) and is reflected in the feeding process as a whole. Doctors usually recommend making an incision on the frenulum, thereby lengthening it.
Secondly, the tongue may have little space in the oral cavity due to developmental features. That is, the tongue for the jaw is large, because it develops somewhat more slowly. Do not worry, with the growth of the baby, the proportions will return to normal (as a rule, this problem is safely forgotten by the age of 6-8 months).
Health problems
Unfortunately, sometimes protruding tongue indicates the presence of some problems in the body. Just do not forget that this alone cannot be a symptom. Therefore, if you find that the little one is pulling out the tongue, you should watch him for a while. What is his behavior and state of health? Does he sleep calmly, does he throw his head back, does he have an appetite and mood? In general, everything unusual for a normal state should be noted and remembered. Usually, mothers always accurately determine when a child plays or indulges, and when something happens involuntarily.
What could be bothering him?
1. Stomatitis. This is a disease of the oral cavity, which has the following causes:
- dirt and bacteria;
- toxins;
- herpes.
Distinctive signs of stomatitis:
- the appearance on the mucous membranes of the mouth of small painful sores, white plaque on the tongue and cheeks from the inside;
- body temperature may rise;
- there is swelling and redness of the gums;
- increased secretion of saliva;
- the baby may (but not necessarily) have bad breath;
- restless sleep, capriciousness.
An indirect symptom is also the refusal to eat because of the painful sensations that accompany sucking the breast or bottle. By sticking out his tongue, the child, as it were, shows his mother his discomfort.
This disease must be treated. After passing the tests and making a diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe means for treating the oral cavity, drugs to strengthen the immune system, and a diet.
2. Thrush. This is a fungal disease of the mouth. It is easy to recognize by its symptoms:
- white cheesy plaque appears on the mucous membranes in the mouth;
- the inner surface of the cheeks and tongue turn red.
Because of this, the baby experiences very unpleasant sensations and sticks out his tongue. The diagnosis should also be made by the doctor on the basis of the examination and test results. He will prescribe the right medicines.
3. Intracranial pressure (ICP)- fluid pressure inside the ventricles of the brain and in the spinal canal. ICP changes for the usual reasons. For example, with emotional and physical stress. ICP in infants may rise slightly even during meals.
But there is also an abnormal increase in ICP, various reasons can contribute to this (birth trauma, diseases affecting the central nervous system, such as meningitis, tumors, rapid closure of the fontanel).
In children under one year of increased ICP they say:
- rapid growth of head circumference;
- protrusion of the eyeballs and abduction down (symptom of the "setting sun");
- strabismus;
- frequent spitting up or vomiting;
- refusal to take liquids;
- divergence of the sutures of the skull;
- the fontanel, as it were, swells and protrudes above the surface;
- trembling of the chin and hands;
- increased muscle tone;
- disturbing dream;
- frequent tilting of the head, including during sleep;
- tongue protrusion.
If there are signs that worry you, make an appointment with a neurologist and an ophthalmologist. Of the studies, CT, neurosonography, examination of the fundus and measurement of head circumference can be prescribed.
As a treatment, drugs are prescribed that improve blood circulation, a diuretic, vitamins, massage courses and physiotherapy exercises.
If your child is given such a diagnosis, we advise you to visit several specialists at once to make sure it is correct. The fact is that lately ICP has been put too often and not always justified. And children undergo treatment by no means harmless drugs, so it’s better to double-check once again.
4. Hypothyroidism- a disease associated with a decrease in thyroid function. If it is congenital, it can be recognized by symptoms at 2-3 months of a child’s life or earlier by passing an analysis. The disease is dangerous because it threatens the newborn with a serious developmental delay. Symptoms:
- dryness of the epidermis;
- yellowness or marbling of the skin;
- constipation;
- inconsistency of body weight to the norm;
- bluish tint of the nasolabial triangle;
- the tongue swells and begins to protrude from the mouth.
For diagnosis, you need to contact an endocrinologist. Assign, as a rule, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and a blood test for the level of certain hormones. Treatment involves taking drugs that normalize the hormonal background.
5. Decreased tone of the tongue. There is also this. This is when the tongue is sluggish and inactive. Possible reasons: prematurity, complication after illness. Symptoms:
- general lethargy, drowsiness;
- underdeveloped sucking reflex;
- a small increase in body weight;
- the child practically does not show emotions;
- the baby belatedly begins to hold his head and sit up on his own.
The diagnosis is made by a neurologist on the basis of examination and ultrasound. Often prescribed massage, physiotherapy.
6. Atrophy of the facial muscles. It is difficult not to notice it, because the symptoms are pronounced and visible to the naked eye:
- sunken eyelids;
- facial asymmetry;
- swelling of the lips;
- poor facial expressions, lack of wrinkles on the forehead when the child tries to grimace;
- the little one cannot smile;
- the face gradually becomes like a mask due to a decrease in facial expressions.
The diagnosis is made by a neurologist. Reasons: examination, results of computed tomography, MRI, electromyography. Treatment usually includes physiotherapy, a course of medications and vitamins, and massage. This disease is very rare, and the chances that your baby suffers from it are very small.
7. Falls out - run to the doctor. In any case, if the baby does not show the tongue, but it is precisely his involuntary prolapse that occurs, it is urgent to contact a pediatrician. This can be caused by a lot of reasons, which are of a very serious nature.
As you have noticed, the reasons why a child sticks out his tongue are often quite harmless. There is no need to panic if there are no other symptoms that, in combination, may indicate the presence of a pathology. But when the general condition or behavior of the child causes concern, it is better not to hesitate to show it to the doctor. If any of the diagnoses is nevertheless confirmed, do not worry: timely detection and proper treatment in most cases lead to a complete recovery. Let your baby be healthy!
In the first year of a child's life, a lot of things that are incomprehensible to his parents and strange happen. Often they are worried about the question - why does the baby constantly stick out his tongue? Maybe it's some sign of one of the many diseases? Or maybe he just copies someone's movements or plays? In this article we will talk about the reasons for this behavior of the child.
Watching the baby
If you notice that the baby is constantly sticking out his tongue, you need to watch him and determine in connection with what circumstances he performs such actions. If this happens when he is playing with you, then there is no cause for concern. In this situation, tongue protrusion is common.
You should consult a pediatrician if the baby's tongue is much larger than the size of the oral cavity, and also if the child sticks it out during sleep.
We find out the reasons
Often, babies, with the help of a protruding tongue, report discomfort. A commonly protruding tongue in an infant may indicate the following:
- The child is hungry. If the newborn wants to eat, then he sticks out his tongue and sucks lightly on it, which serves as a signal to his mother to feed him.
- kid exercising. You have probably noticed how a baby, lying in a crib, waves its arms, moves its legs or tries to roll over. He can also move his tongue, as it is a muscle that performs important functions in the human body. Like any other organ, the tongue needs training and development.
- The child is teething. The appearance of the first teeth in infants is accompanied by a strong swelling of the gums and pain. To muffle the pain and scratch the itchy gums, the baby reflexively leads the tongue.
- The language is tight. In some children, the tongue turns out to be larger than the prescribed size, which is why it does not fit well in the mouth. In this case, you should not sound the alarm, because over time (when the baby grows up) everything will return to normal.
- Baby is hot. If the newborn becomes hot, then by sticking out his tongue, he increases the area through which moisture evaporates, thereby cooling his body.
- attention deficit. Many pediatricians claim that a protruding tongue in babies may indicate a lack of tactile contact with the mother. For example, breastfed babies often stick their tongue out, chew, and suck when they are "alone". This is absolutely normal.
Possible diseases
In addition to the reasons described above, the constant protrusion of the tongue can be caused by a dangerous disease. Let's consider the most common of them.
Hypothyroidism. This pathology is associated with the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can appear in a child from three months if the mother did not have enough iodine during pregnancy. In addition to a protruding tongue, dry skin, a pale yellow complexion, late teeth, slow development of a baby, the formation of coarse facial features (thick lips, a wide nose, a short neck), an edematous tongue that does not just protrude, but literally fall out of mouth. If you suspect hypothyroidism, you should immediately show the child to an endocrinologist and do all the necessary tests.
Increased intracranial pressure (ICP). In addition to the frequent protrusion of the tongue, a sign of this phenomenon may be tilting the head back in a dream. To diagnose ICP, it is necessary to show the baby to a neurologist and undergo an ultrasound examination. Treatment usually includes physical education, medication, massage courses.
Thrush. If your baby constantly sticks out his tongue, carefully examine his mouth. If you find a white coating on the tongue, palate, inner sides of the cheeks, most likely this indicates the presence of thrush (a fungal disease). It causes discomfort in the child and that is why he sticks out his tongue. To cure thrush in infants, you need to consult a pediatrician.
Stomatitis. With this disease, damage to the oral mucosa occurs. Sores appear quite painful in the mouth, sometimes they form under the tongue, which the child sticks out to relieve pain. out of 5 (5 votes)
Good day to you, dear friends! Today we will analyze another issue that concerns the health of your baby. It's about sticking out the tongue. Surely this phenomenon has not passed by any young family, and I am sure that it causes concern among parents. “What if this is a very serious illness?” That's what most mothers think.
Looking ahead a little, I want to say right away that sticking out the tongue is quite normal for babies. Almost any small child will sooner or later begin to do this. He will also spit and drool, there is no getting away from this.
It is also worth distinguishing between such two concepts as the tongue sticks out by the baby himself, or he constantly falls out and does not hold on. If you have the second option, then here you urgently need to sound the alarm and run to the pediatrician.
In the reasons for the protrusion of the tongue, I will help you figure it out. It is also worth noting that they may differ depending on the age of the baby.
Reasons for a child sticking out his tongue, which should not be feared
A month old baby sticks out his tongue
It is at this age that most babies begin to do this. Although they were recently born, they have already mastered such an “exercise”. Why is this happening:
- The child may simply want to eat, because he captures the nipple or nipple on the bottle with the help of the tongue. Therefore, if the baby repeats the same actions with the tongue as when eating, then it may be time to feed him. He may also begin to suck on his tongue and even bite slightly.
- At this very young age, the child is already becoming interested in everything and with the help of the tongue, he can study his mouth and lips. He can get carried away with something, he can stare at his father or mother, at some toy and involuntarily stick out his tongue, this is normal.
- If it's summer and the temperature is too high, then the baby could just overheat a little, it's hot. That is why the child sticks out the tip of the tongue or completely.
- In very rare cases, it happens that the baby was born with a very large tongue. He doesn’t really want to fit in his mouth and the baby sticks it out. There is nothing to worry about and there is nothing to worry about. After a while, the dimensions will fall into place.
Baby sticks out tongue at 2.3 months
To all of the above reasons, the fact that the baby is already beginning to worry about the first teeth is added. Yes, at such a very young age, his gums may already begin to itch. In this regard, the baby begins to worry and scratch the gums with his tongue and even massage them. From the outside, it will look like he has stuck his tongue out of his mouth and moves it back and forth.
Take a close look at your child's gums. If they are swollen or red, then for sure, the way it is, soon your baby will have the first teeth.
Also, at 2 months, the child is already a little more active in playing with his parents and, in the process, may begin to stick out his tongue. This phenomenon may begin to occur a little more often, because the baby is already more interested in something than in the first month.
Baby sticks out tongue at 4, 5, 6 months
At this age, sticking out the tongue plus everything else and spitting in different directions becomes a habit for the child. He finds it very funny. If he likes it, he will constantly stick out his tongue until he gets tired of this idea and finds himself other adventures. If you start playing with him at this time and squirm with him or with him, then consider that sticking out your tongue will become your baby's favorite pastime and can drag on for a year and a half. Therefore, you do not need to repeat all the actions after the child in response or pretend that you really like everything that he does.
In addition, a child at this age is already beginning to try to crawl. In this case, the tongue will protrude if the baby is having difficulty, tenses up, tries to crawl to the target, etc.
If a child sticks out his tongue at 1 year or 2 years or older, then this may be due to the fact that he is playing. If at this age the tongue protrudes often and you cannot find out the reason, then it is best to consult a doctor with this question.
Reasons why a child sticks out his tongue, which is worth worrying about
It is clear that the tongue protruding by a child may be the result of not a harmless cause, but a serious or not very illness. In this regard, I decided to list the diseases that are somehow associated with protruding tongue.
- Thrush. This is a fungal disease that forms a white coating on the tongue and cheeks. Naturally, in connection with this, the child begins to feel discomfort and is nervous. Sticks out tongue to scratch it.
- Stomatitis. It's a little more serious than thrush. Small ulcers form in the mouth, as well as well-defined white spots that hurt, sting and itch. By sticking out his tongue in this case, the baby is trying to get rid of the obsessive disease, but nothing works out for him.
- High blood pressure. Yes, it also worries people at this age. What high blood pressure can lead to, I think, it’s not worth telling. Therefore, if a child not only sticks out his tongue, but also throws his head back, then this is a clear sign of this disease. The child urgently needs to be shown to the doctor so that he can prescribe the necessary medications or procedures.
- The facial muscles are atrophied. This is a more serious disease, which can be accompanied not only by the child's protruding tongue, but also by other strange manifestations on his face. The kid does not smile at all and does not make faces at you, as children of his age usually do.
- Hypothyroidism. A serious disease of the thyroid gland, which may appear in a child not from birth, but after only a few months. Symptoms of this disease are not only a protruding tongue, but also its swelling. Also dry skin and pale complexion. The child begins to form coarse facial features, such as a wide nose or thick lips. Naturally, in this case, the child should immediately take the child to a pediatrician, who will then write you a referral to an endocrinologist.
Well, that's all, dear friends, we seem to have sorted out the main possible reasons why a child sticks his tongue out of his mouth. As you can see, in most cases you should not worry, because this is the natural behavior of the baby.
Many children have the habit of sticking their tongue out, and adults, to be honest, it also occurs. Most people involuntarily stick out the tip of their tongue when they are diligently doing something. But here's how to determine if it's a habit, if we are talking about young children? Is it normal that a child often sticks out his tongue, or can this be indirect evidence of a disease? Let's try to figure it out.
Baby sticks out tongue: harmless reasons
The simplest reason may be that the baby is just hungry and wants to eat. During breastfeeding or bottle feeding, he uses not only the lips, but, of course, the tongue. Therefore, if a newborn sticks out his tongue, he often just signals to his mother that it is time to attach it to the breast. It is worth remembering that the baby can also ask for breasts in cases where something bothers him, or he cries and cannot calm down. Sucking calms him down.
The child can stick out the tongue also because he knows his body and learns to control it. Therefore, he bends his legs and arms, tries to move his fingers. And the tongue can also be shown during the cooing period. The kid masters his speech apparatus, but so far not all sounds are successful for him. Nevertheless, he spends a lot of effort, although from the outside it looks like grimaces and antics. Be calm when you were little, you did it the same way.
Why does a child stick out his tongue when he is teething? It has been noticed that in modern children, teeth erupt quite early, and sometimes they begin to disturb babies literally from 3 months. This test is not easy for both the child and his parents. After all, the gums swell in the crumbs, they itch and itch, giving him great inconvenience. The only thing he can do is touch them with his tongue or pens, instinctively trying to scratch the disturbing areas of the gums and relieve itching. You can also notice that a baby is teething by other signs - he becomes irritable, restless, sleeps badly, bites rattles, he drools. If a baby sticks out his tongue, examine his mouth, it is quite possible that the reason is in the first teeth.
And older babies, who are already able to repeat simple gestures for adults, can simply copy their behavior. In the same way that they clap their hands or show the location of the eyes, mouth, ears, imitating adults, they show their tongue. It’s ugly to tease, but the baby doesn’t know this yet, for him it’s just a gesture that he saw in one of his close people. In addition, if adults laugh, watching the grimaces of the baby, he will repeat this even more often, seeking the location of his parents.
The child often sticks out his tongue if he is active and mobile: this is a kind of gymnastics, the same as flipping from back to stomach, crawling, trying to get up and sit down. The kid uses his muscles, because the tongue is also a muscular organ.
When to take your baby to the doctor
In all the above cases, the child sticks out his tongue from time to time, not constantly. However, sometimes such a habit can actually be a symptom of the disease:
- Thrush;
- Increased intracranial pressure;
- Hypothyroidism;
Thrush in infants is manifested by a white curdled coating on the inner surface of the cheeks, palate, and tongue. If a newborn sticks out his tongue, and you notice that the color of the tongue has changed, carefully examine the oral cavity and consult a doctor. Thrush is not dangerous, but it causes discomfort, and the baby can be naughty and refuse to eat.
With increased intracranial pressure, the baby is also usually naughty. He often cries, eats poorly and sleeps little. If, in addition, he often throws his head back and sticks out his tongue at the same time, this is a reason to visit a neurologist.
Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid gland and is usually caused by a lack of iodine in the mother during gestation. If a child sticks out his tongue, which can be characterized as thick and swollen, he has rough facial features - a thick nose, lips, short neck, dry skin, complexion closer to a yellowish tint, a visit to the pediatrician is necessary.
As we can see, there are quite a few reasons why a child sticks out his tongue. Most of them are harmless and do not require any treatment. However, if this feature of the baby worries parents, you can visit specialists - a neuropathologist and an endocrinologist, to know for sure if there are reasons for concern.
Text: Olga Pankratieva
4.67 4.7 out of 5 (3 votes)