Why does a small child have an open mouth? The child's mouth is constantly open. Why does the baby breathe through his mouth?

30-03-2008, 03:00

Neurologist, pediatrician, ophthalmologist...:112:
We were examined by an ENT specialist - everything is fine, the nasal passages are not narrowed, there are no adenoids,
the nose is clean, the mucous membrane is not swollen - everything is perfect...:005:
The dentist looked at us - the bite is normal, but when closing the mouth, closing the teeth,
lips don't close...:016:

What the problem is is not clear...:008:
This backfires on us - always on the street open mouth-frequent colds therefore,
while eating, it is inconvenient for the child to close his mouth, he chews like a hamster, and his lips are like a tube,
if he doesn’t close his lips, some of the food jumps back out... I used to think he was just eating so sloppily.
I recently started paying attention to this, before that my son had a lot of health problems, he didn’t have any lips...:))
When I remark to him 100 times (especially outside in the cold) “shut your mouth,” he closes his mouth, but it’s clear that he has this unnatural state, his facial expression is tense and stupid, and he can’t stand it for long.
He is already tired of my comments, he simply covers his mouth with a scarf or helmet from below.

Maybe see a speech therapist?:008:

Alena Zhukova

30-03-2008, 03:06

Go to the orthodontist, perhaps trimming the frenulum under the upper and lower lips will improve the situation. We go to Dentideal from MAPO, www.dentideal.ru

30-03-2008, 03:47

I had an incident on this topic - I was going out with my boys (they were about two years old at the time, it was a terribly cold winter). There are two neighbors standing at the entrance (one of them is an ENT doctor). And suddenly I hear behind me, “She has adenoid children, modern mothers don’t look after their children at all: wife:.”
I pretended that I didn’t hear anything. But the second person (the one who is not an ENT specialist) meets us a few days later and reports - an ENT doctor saw you on the street and said that you have terrible adenoids, and then like where is your mother looking, etc. This really hurt me, because my boys are seasoned, their noses are always clean. Well, I complained about open mouths to doctors. So, weakness of the facial muscle is very often observed in twins (a neurologist told me this, and a normal ENT specialist naturally confirmed this). And our mouth was open just like that. Now we are 3, in my opinion it has become better. We have now been assigned a light matrix on the face (this is for speech), with the help of which the muscles are either relaxed or toned. So my advice is to see a speech therapist and neurologist. And there’s nothing wrong with that, you can still do a facial massage.

30-03-2008, 10:59

The dentist looked at us - the bite is normal, but when closing the mouth, the teeth are closed, the lips do not close...:016:
Our lips are not thin, our mouth is not small.

In theory, the dentist should have seen if it was the frenulum.
But I would still start with an orthodontist.
In general, maybe this is the structure of the face? Did I understand correctly that the lips do not physically close when the teeth are closed without additional tension?
In any case, a competent orthodontist can recommend who to contact next.

30-03-2008, 11:28

The dentist examined us more than a year ago, then we were not worried about this problem (we did not notice it), they checked our teeth.
A neurologist saw us the other day, so she asked what was going on and advised us to visit an ENT specialist.
ENT did not find any problems.
Well, let's go to the orthodontist...:008:

30-03-2008, 11:53

I don’t understand, if a child wants, then he can consciously close his lips?
My son’s mouth is also open all the time - and this is precisely the weakness of the facial muscles. We do gymnastics, and I also found out by chance - my eldest and I went to the orthodontist, and the nurse there looked at us and said - her mouth is also open all the time (although with my daughter it’s not so pronounced), she told us to buy wooden spatulas or a ruler and train our lips . The teeth are closed, and with the lips (not the teeth) you need to hold the skewer first across, and then along (i.e., it’s full length forward - it’s harder that way). And she also said to periodically place glasses of water in front of the child - take water into the mouth and hold it for as long as possible, then spit it out.

31-03-2008, 16:35

My Plato always has his mouth open, this can be seen in all the photos. :)
Somehow I didn’t pay attention before, but Lately all doctors draw my attention to this...:ded:
In general, please advise who to go to with this problem?:091:
Maybe see a speech therapist?:008:

This is the problem we have...:(

How are you doing with your facial muscles and the tone of your facial muscles in general? If this is the problem, then craniosacral techniques and speech therapy massages could help.

31-03-2008, 23:03

How are you doing with your facial muscles and the tone of your facial muscles in general? If this is the problem, then craniosacral techniques and speech therapy massages could help.

I don’t even know how we are doing with this...:005: How to evaluate this?:016:
In the last couple of months, I began to notice that when my son is nervous, he does something strange.
lips - like he has some kind of spasm - the corners of his lips diverge and go down, his jaw tenses, and his face unnaturally warps...:((like the smiley, only with his mouth open...)
What could this be...
He does this when something makes him angry, surprises him, or if I reprimand him in a loud voice...:005: I'm already afraid to raise my voice...:001:

31-03-2008, 23:20

I don’t even know how we are doing with this...:005: How to evaluate this?
I told the neurologist about this, but she didn’t see any visible problems with us, she even found noticeable improvements; she prescribed me to take phenibut for 1.5 months.
In general, I understood one thing - we need to see an orthodontist first, apparently, and then a speech therapist... Right?:008:

I'm certainly not a doctor. But orthodontist is not exactly the right direction. You have obvious neurological problems. You don’t want to consult, perhaps for a fee, but with some good neurologist. You will find reviews about them on the forum. If you have hyperkinesis, that’s one thing; if you have other disorders, then the recommendations will be different. A speech therapist could help in case of spasms of facial muscles or myotonus. From my own experience, I can say that you cannot trust the opinion of just one doctor. If you have doubts, seek help.

01-04-2008, 12:34

It is very difficult to understand what your child looks like from the description. The fact that it should be looked at by a competent specialist is certain, but in what area? You, as a mother, see for yourself what prevents your lips from closing - facial structure, length of the upper lip, tension/spasm of the facial muscles? Is your child's mouth closed during sleep at night? In a dream, you can connect his lips - are they long enough to close freely? Neurotic grimaces are one thing, physically non-closed lips are another. You should probably start with a competent and attentive pediatrician. Are you not observed at IRAV? It would be possible to see Klochkova (she is a neurologist) and a speech therapist there.

If the baby's mouth is always open, this becomes a real problem that worries parents. In addition to the fact that it is not aesthetically pleasing, this manner is a source of complications in the future, including: abnormal development of the nasopharynx, facial disharmony, and malocclusion. You should not ignore the problem, hoping for it to disappear on its own, but immediately begin to determine its cause.

Reasons for a constantly open mouth

ENT diseases are the main culprits of a child’s constantly open mouth. Why is this habit formed? Adenoids, sinusitis, sinusitis, otitis make it difficult nasal breathing. This problem sometimes remains even after removal of the pathologically enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsil. In this case it is required additional diagnostics to prevent relapse.

Nasal polyps cause the child to open his mouth frequently (see also:). Mucosal proliferation is often associated with congenital anomaly nasal septum or allergies. The operation eliminates the formation, but not its cause. Needs timely treatment infectious diseases nasopharynx, preventing them from becoming chronic.

If your child's mouth is constantly open, it may be due to dental problems. Caries and deformation of tooth enamel contribute to malocclusion in a child, which leads to incorrect positioning of teeth and tongue. The baby's jaw shape changes, which leads to difficulties with nasal breathing.

The problem of a constantly open mouth is often associated with finger sucking and pacifier abuse. infancy. holding foreign objects disrupts the normal development of muscles, which is why they are formed in accordance with this habit. If this condition is ignored, the child cannot close his lips, and his tongue falls out during speech.

The habit of keeping your mouth open can develop from constant pacifier or finger sucking in infancy.

A child's constantly open mouth is sometimes a consequence of insufficient development of the circular muscles - dense fibers that frame the lips. Reduced tone of these tissues at a young age is the norm. This problem should not be a concern, as it disappears after some time without outside intervention.

The baby's mouth may be open due to short bridle language (we recommend reading: ). If the processes of breathing and speech are disrupted, the child gradually gets used to keeping his mouth open. The problem is easily fixed with surgery. It is necessary to carry out the surgical procedure as early as possible, before the baby develops a strong habit.

Pathological cases are when an open mouth is accompanied by strong salivation and a protruded tongue. These symptoms indicate neurological disorders: muscle hypertonicity or severe damage to the central nervous system. It is necessary to immediately contact a specialist for diagnosis and treatment.

Parents may have a question: why is the child’s mouth constantly open if no pathologies have been identified? Often this manner is a consequence of an adopted bad habit.

If, for example, before the age of 5, a child did not have a deviation in the form of a constantly open mouth, then this most often indicates that the child is copying someone else’s behavior. Perhaps he is watching a baby or imitating a dog panting.

In this case, you need to monitor the child, paying attention to the time of occurrence of the disorder: whether it lasts from the first months of life or appeared recently. Perhaps it occurs only in certain circumstances, with surprise or concentration. They also take into account how the child breathes - through the mouth or nose.

What is the danger of not breathing through your nose?

Mouth breathing disrupts the functioning of the entire body. A person should always inhale air through the nose, since this mechanism ensures the sanitation and warming of air masses entering the body. In this case, brain receptors are activated, triggering the processes of blood gas exchange and nutrition internal organs oxygen.

If a child's mouth is constantly open, he or she gets colds more often; the disease is more difficult to treat. Due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, the baby develops anxiety and restlessness. Such a patient has interrupted sleep, which makes him absent-minded and restless. Problems with posture and speech gradually develop, which makes it difficult to communicate with peers.

If the baby does not close his mouth, his bite is disturbed. Normally, the tongue rests on lower jaw, which ensures its normal development. When breathing through the mouth, it forms more slowly, which over time leads to disharmony of the oval of the face. Such patients are distinguished by a retracted chin and increased grinding upper teeth lower dentition.

Lack of nasal breathing leads to an incorrect open bite

Constant nasal breathing leads to deformation of the entire face, which is expressed in the following disorders:

drooping head and the appearance of a double chin;
narrowing of the nasal passages with simultaneous expansion of the bridge of the nose;
inability to close lips;
flat facial features.

What should parents do if their baby's mouth is always open?

Before you see a doctor, you need to check how your baby is breathing. Perhaps he only opens his mouth when interesting conversation or when watching cartoons. You should close each nostril in turn and ask him to breathe through his nose on the mirror. A large foggy spot indicates a deep inhalation of air, and the mouth opens only due to inattention.

If the cause of constant mouth breathing is bad habit, you need to talk to the child and convince him to control his facial expressions. At the same time, you should not scold the baby. It is important to clearly explain to him the incivility of this manner and the risk of developing serious disorders. To help him start breathing through his nose faster, they do a special exercise: alternately inhale air through each nostril and exhale through the mouth.

Many parents notice that their child's rum is constantly open. What is the cause of this problem and is it really a problem? A constantly open mouth is not only an aesthetic problem; such a phenomenon can pose a serious threat to the baby’s health.

Causes

What is the reason why a child's mouth is constantly open? This question cannot be answered immediately and unambiguously.

So let's break it down possible reasons this problem:

Habit. This point is not entirely the reason, however, it is worth noting that children are copies of us adults. Watch, perhaps someone close to you often walks in front of the baby with his mouth open?
Does your child often get colds? This factor may play a major role in exposing the cause of our problem.
If a child's mouth is constantly open, the cause may be a violation of the respiratory system.
Physiological characteristics of the body.
Availability psychological problems or development of a neurological disease:

- hypertonicity,

- ischemic damage to the central nervous system.

muscle failure.
ENT diseases:

- sinusitis,

Dental diseases:

- caries,

— tooth decay,

— tooth loss,

- finger sucking or excessive love for the pacifier (pacifier),

What to do if a child's mouth is constantly open?

We talked about what the reason may be, but it is impossible to accurately determine it on your own. Very, pass medical examination, which will help identify health reasons or refute their presence.

So, you noticed that the child’s mouth is constantly open, watch the baby - whether he breathes through his nose or whether he always uses only his mouth to breathe. Is open mouth accompanied profuse drooling? If yes, there is.

If a child develops such a habit as a constantly open mouth at the age of 6-7 years, most likely he is simply imitating one of the adults.

Pay attention to the condition of your child’s teeth; if you notice anything wrong, take your child to the dentist. Breathing problems require consultation with a doctor. A child’s constantly open mouth due to ENT diseases, of course, requires a visit to an ENT doctor. Adenoids are the most common cause of an open mouth in a child.

You should not scold your child if he constantly opens his mouth, because the problem may be much deeper than you think. An open mouth is a reason to think about the baby’s condition, because this phenomenon may cause the emergence of new diseases.

Nasal breathing plays important role in our life. First of all, nasal breathing provides humidification, purification and warming of the inhaled air. In addition, when breathing through the nose, brain receptors are activated, which is necessary for the normal course of gas exchange in the blood. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the child’s breathing, and if problems arise, take care of his health.

Hello, Oksana.

Of course, in some cases, situations like yours are not a cause for alarm. Some doctors say that an open mouth in children under four years of age is quite normal phenomenon, and not a cause for concern. In young children, an open mouth may be associated with pacifier abuse, when children, after the pacifier is removed, for a long time out of habit, they keep their mouth slightly open. However, I would not say that this is exactly the case for all children, since all cases must be approached purely individually, so if you notice that the child is with his mouth open for a long time during wakefulness, then this is a reason to visit a doctor . Unfortunately, it is very difficult to independently determine the cause of this phenomenon, since there can be several reasons for a child’s open mouth.

Firstly, the child may have his mouth open if he has difficulty breathing through his nose. This could be a stuffy nose, such as colds in the nasopharynx, or allergic reactions, but the most common cause of an open mouth in a child is adenoids, namely those cases when adenoid tissue grows, which partially blocks the nasopharynx, thereby making nasal breathing difficult. In addition to difficulties with nasal breathing, adenoids can cause a child to speak poorly, and in children with adenoids even the shape of the face changes; for example, there is such a thing as an adenoid face. For an accurate diagnosis, a visit to an otolaryngologist is necessary.

Another reason that a child's mouth is constantly open may be a malocclusion, which makes it very difficult for the child to keep his mouth closed for a long period of time. Also, one of the reasons that a child’s mouth is constantly open may be weakness of the orbicularis oris muscle. For treatment it is necessary to do with the child special exercises to strengthen facial muscles, for example, facial gymnastics. However, in some cases it may be necessary to massage the facial muscles

In rare cases, a child’s constantly open mouth indicates the presence of mental illness.

You can see for yourself that there are many reasons why a child is left with his mouth open for a long period of time. Of course, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with your child, but it is best to consult a doctor. Most often, in such cases, it helps to consult an otolaryngologist, if there are problems with nasal breathing, or to an orthodontist, if we are talking about a malocclusion.

Additionally

The question of why a child’s mouth is constantly open is quite relevant and worrying for many parents. This phenomenon often occurs in our lives and, indeed, is a serious problem, because an open mouth is not only ugly and indecent, but also dangerous. Is your child's mouth constantly open? Maybe it's just bad habit, adopted from someone close or a consequence of frequent colds. It is likely that this is the result of breathing problems or the consequences of physiological and psychological health problems. Perhaps this is muscle failure, or maybe even a symptom of a serious neurological disease. In any case, an open mouth is always a reason to think about the child’s health and an impetus for changing his behavior. Moreover, the constantly open mouth itself is also a gateway for new serious illnesses, as well as a source of new unpleasant consequences and problems in the life of a still little man. Therefore, today we, having studied many medical reference books and after analyzing similar real situations, we tried to find objective reasons why the child’s mouth is constantly open.

ENT diseases.

The most common reason why a child’s mouth is constantly open is the presence of any ENT diseases. The fact is that the adenoids, as well as chronic runny nose, otitis, rhinitis and sinusitis - all of this, together or separately, negatively affects the child’s breathing. A baby who breathes through his nose rather than his mouth sooner or later encounters a number of serious problems. The fact is that humans are naturally equipped with the function of breathing through the nose. It is justified by the fact that the inhaled air, passing through the nasal passages, is moistened, warmed and purified. At the same time, brain receptors are activated, which are directly involved in blood gas exchange, oxygen supply to the brain and in regulating the functioning of the entire body. It has been noticed that children who breathe through their mouths catch colds more often and get sick more often. They have problems with bite, posture, as well as with speech and, in general, with behavior and communication with other children. Due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, such children are often depressed and anxious state. They often have sleep disorders, they are more inattentive and quite restless.

Moreover, a baby who breathes through his mouth can be easily distinguished by his characteristic external signs. Such a child has a constantly open mouth, slightly upturned upper lip, the nostrils are narrower than usual, and the bridge of the nose is slightly wider. He has an elongated face shape, narrow shoulders and a sunken chest. To maintain balance, the posture of such a child also undergoes changes. It becomes characterized by a forward tilt of the head - and this is a serious load on the temporomandibular joint, which provokes headaches and facial muscle pain, as well as pain in the lumbar region and spine. This is exactly the portrait of a child who has problems with nasal breathing and whose body needs as soon as possible undergo examination and treatment. Because a constant runny nose and any other frequent ENT diseases easily turn into chronic forms, and breathing through the mouth becomes a habit, which sometimes cannot be gotten rid of even in adult life.

Dental diseases.

One more typical cause An open mouth may cause dental problems in a child. Early caries, destruction of the integrity of teeth and their complete loss along with adenoids, pacifier abuse, the habit of sucking fingers, rickets and neurological diseases negatively affects the formation of a child’s bite. Malocclusion affects how the tongue is positioned in the mouth, how its teeth and lips are closed. And the incorrect position of the tongue and the natural deformation of the jaws in this situation affect the processes of sucking, chewing, swallowing and, of course, breathing. Perhaps the child’s mouth is constantly open, because due to an incorrectly formed dental system, it is simply inconvenient for him to close it. Therefore, if your child has a constantly open mouth, visit the dentist and seek advice from an orthodontist in order to cure it faster. dental diseases and correct the bite.

Weakness of the orbicularis oris muscle.

The orbicularis oris muscle is a tightly fused bundle of muscles that are located around the lips. A decrease in the tone of this muscle is a fairly common phenomenon in newborns, as well as in preschool and even younger children. school age. It is believed that an open mouth in children under one year of age is a completely normal phenomenon, which is not worth worrying too much about, but should not be ignored. Although it may go away over time without any intervention from parents or doctors, open mouthing can still become a habit. And such a habit is dangerous for the development of mouth breathing in a child, the formation of adenoids, a crooked bite and the onset of other health problems. Therefore, if you infant His mouth is constantly open, but he breathes through his nose and has no neurological problems, That special attention they don't pay attention to this. But for older children orbicularis muscle the mouth is strengthened. This is done with the help of facial massage and special speech therapy exercises.

Neurological problems.

However, if, along with an open mouth, the child has profuse salivation or the tip of his tongue is constantly sticking out, he needs to urgently contact a neurologist. Such symptoms indicate that the child has neurological problems: from ordinary hypertension and ischemic lesion central nervous system to more serious illnesses.

An adopted bad habit.

Is your child's mouth constantly open? Could this be an acquired phenomenon? If you previously did not notice the baby’s habit of keeping his mouth open, but by the age of 6-7 he suddenly began to actively do this, think and take a closer look, perhaps he is copying his friend or one of the adults. As a rule, at this age children are characterized by imitation, which passes quickly and does not require any action. However, to prevent open mouth from becoming a permanent habit, you should talk to your child and try to teach him to control his actions. At the same time, do not scold or yell at your child under any circumstances. Explain that this is ugly, uncivilized and threatens the development of serious diseases.

If your child's mouth is constantly open, do not panic, remember when your baby began to open his mouth: from birth or this happened quite recently under the influence of someone around him. Pay attention to how your baby breathes: through the mouth or through the nose. Observe your child how often his mouth is open, when he opens it, and under what circumstances. Perhaps he just occasionally opens it slightly out of zeal, surprise or attention. Well, if this happens all the time and if you are seriously concerned that the child’s mouth is constantly open, contact an ENT specialist, dentist, orthodontist and neurologist. There is a huge variety medicines and medical devices in order to get rid of certain diseases that provoke the habit of keeping the mouth open. There is also a huge variety various techniques in order to get rid of this habit, starting from facial massage and ending with special devices. The main thing to remember is that an open mouth is the source of many problems and the cause for the development of a number of diseases, so be vigilant and attentive towards your child.