Every day a newborn baby does something he hasn't done before. Every day he masters new emotions, movements, sounds. If some action of the baby is repeated, this causes close attention from the mother. After all, she has a question: Why does my baby do this?
In this article we will talk about a situation where the baby began to stick out his tongue frequently. What is this - a game, mastering a new movement or an alarming symptom? Let's figure it out.
Each change in the baby's behavior has its own reason. Many children demonstrate their tongue during play, getting carried away by the process or having fun, but sometimes this indicates a significant disruption in the functioning of the nervous or endocrine systems.
There are a number of innocuous factors that can influence why an infant sticks out their tongue. Let's look into them:
- The baby studies himself, gets acquainted with his capabilities. Having done an action once, he finds it funny and repeats it again and again.
- The child is playing. Perhaps one of the adults stuck out his tongue and the baby remembered it. Now he will simply repeat, grimace, including sounds, lip movements, and actively use facial expressions.
- The baby is trying to make sounds. The baby does not yet know how exactly to do this, so he tries different movements with his mouth, which do not always work out, which is why the tongue is demonstrated automatically.
- Teeth are being cut. Very often, children's first teeth bother them greatly, and they can use their tongue to massage their swollen gums, relieving the discomfort.
- The baby is growing quickly. A high growth rate may be accompanied by active movements of the child's tongue, but in this case it is seen quite rarely.
- The child is hungry. During breastfeeding, the tongue folds in a special way. If you see that the baby is curling up, sucking and sticking it out, perhaps he just wants to eat.
Sticking out tongue is the cause of the disease
Why should you worry? It happens that the reason that a newborn cannot keep his tongue in his mouth for a long time is a disease. Parents may notice their baby sticking out his tongue regularly throughout the day, and even at night while sleeping. In this case, if all non-medical reasons are rejected, you should immediately consult a doctor. After all, if the cause of such behavior in the baby is a disease, diagnosing it at an early stage will significantly facilitate treatment and avoid complications.
Unusual behavior may be a symptom of the following diseases:
- Increased ICP – intracranial pressure can cause tongue sticking out. At the same time, the child tilts his head back. This disease can lead to a number of complications and delays in the development of the baby, both physical and mental. In this case, treatment is prescribed by a neurologist.
- Oral disease, most often thrush. The mother needs to carefully examine the child’s throat and mouth. Thrush will be indicated by a light-colored coating on the mucous membranes. It causes pain and discomfort, and the baby will constantly move his tongue in and out. For treatment, you should contact your pediatrician.
Tongue prolapse
This is the most serious problem of all the above. Why?
- This is often due to the specific structure of the skull, but such a structure does not arise just like that. This may be a consequence of a woman's illness during pregnancy. The cause may be intrauterine infection, trauma and much more. In this case, the tongue is enlarged or the lower jaw is too small and the tongue does not fit there. In this situation, some pathologies in the baby’s physical development are possible and he needs to be examined by specialists.
- Problems in the functioning of the endocrine system, including the functioning of the thyroid gland, can also cause tongue prolapse.
- Amyotrophy.
If you suspect that your child has tongue prolapse, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only a specialist can accurately diagnose this disease, as well as establish its causes and prescribe treatment.
The importance of monitoring your child
Why is it so important to observe any manifestations of your baby? A baby cannot tell you that something hurts or bothers him. We can understand this only by indirect signs: changes in the baby’s behavior, mood or movements. Parents are the first who can recognize the onset of the disease. Therefore, watch the baby, note everything that happens to him.
However, remember that any unusual manifestations of a child are most often explained very simply. Try to find a safe explanation for your baby's behavior first. And only if nothing works and the symptoms continue, consult a doctor.
In any case, keep a clear head and calm, this way you will protect yourself and your baby from unnecessary worries and worries.
Why does a baby stick out his tongue?
Each newborn grows and develops differently. On our planet we will not be able to find two completely identical babies, although all newborns, one way or another, are similar to each other. Also, all babies begin to jerk their legs, cry, wave their little hands, laugh, eat, learn to talk, etc. in approximately the same way. And all babies also have multiple diseases in common, as well as various bad habits, such as thumb sucking or tongue sticking out.
The child needs to be monitored
If you notice that your child has begun to stick out his tongue, you should monitor him and find out what circumstances prompt him to do this. If this happens while playing with parents, then there is no need to worry, because sticking out the tongue in this case is common. In a playful way, try to find out what actions the baby performs before sticking out his tongue.
You should consult a doctor if the size of the child’s tongue is quite large in accordance with the size of the oral cavity, and also if the baby shows it during sleep.
Causes of tongue protrusion
Most babies can use their tongues to indicate the presence of some discomfort or simply try to communicate with their interlocutor in this way. Typically, a protruding tongue in a newborn may indicate the following:
- Teeth are being cut. When the baby's first teeth appear, the gums begin to swell greatly, which is accompanied by pain. To dull the pain, the child reflexively begins to move his tongue;
- Want to eat. If the newborn is hungry, he can stick out his tongue and suck on it, which will be a signal to the mother to feed him;
- The tongue is tight. Some babies have a tongue that is slightly larger than the standard size and does not fit well in the mouth. That's why he often ends up sticking out. In this case, there is no need to sound the alarm, because... over time (when the child grows up a little) everything will return to normal;
- The kid is exercising. For some reason, when a newborn waves his little legs or arms, this is considered normal, but when a child begins to stick out his tongue, his parents immediately become wary. The tongue is a muscle that performs important functions in the human body, therefore, like any other organ, it needs development and training;
- Pampering. An infant's tongue sticking out may be a copy of a similar movement by its parents. The child may also stick out his tongue when trying to produce a new sound. These actions occur quite rarely, so there is no reason to worry;
- The baby is hot. If a child becomes hot, then by sticking out his tongue he increases the surface on which moisture evaporates, which leads to cooling of the body. It may also indicate that the newborn is thirsty;
- Stomatitis. This disease affects the oral mucosa. As stomatitis develops, very painful ulcers begin to form in the baby’s mouth. Sometimes such ulcers appear under the tongue, which the baby sticks out to reduce pain;
- Hypothyroidism. This disease is characterized by decreased thyroid function. Hypothyroidism is a very dangerous disease that can lead a child to serious developmental delays. You should know that early diagnosis of this disease contributes to the development of fewer consequences for the baby. With hypothyroidism, the baby's tongue falls out of the mouth, simply not fitting into it. Also, this disease may be accompanied by jaundice or severe weight gain in the child, therefore, at the first suspicion of hypothyroidism, you must immediately contact an endocrinologist, after which you must pass all the necessary tests;
- Thrush. This is a fungal disease that affects the baby's mouth. The development of thrush in a child can be indicated by the formation of a white coating on the baby’s tongue, his cheeks and palate, which causes serious discomfort to the baby, forcing him to stick out his tongue;
- . In addition to frequent tongue protruding, a symptom of this phenomenon may be the child throwing his head back during sleep. To confirm (or refute) the diagnosis, it will be necessary to undergo an ultrasound examination, as well as an examination by a neurologist. Treatment, as a rule, includes the use of medications, physical exercise, and various massages;
In addition to innocent signals, a baby's tongue sticking out can be a symptom of a serious and dangerous illness. Therefore, if you are concerned that your child often sticks out his tongue or that he does not just stick out, but falls out, then try to seek help from your pediatrician without unnecessary delay.
Children grow quickly, and mom and dad try to catch every movement of their baby and have time to notice all the subtleties of his development. One day, parents may see their child sticking out his tongue every now and then. And this can become a habit repeated daily.
What does it mean? Should you rejoice at such an event as a new achievement or worry? Let's look at what could be the reasons why a newborn sticks out his tongue.
Why is language needed?
For communication, of course! And also to participate in meals. As the baby grows up, he learns to control his body, trying to understand why this or that part of it is needed. And language is a very interesting object for research. Judge for yourself: he moves, helps “speak”, feels how delicious his mother’s milk is, etc.
Isn't it time to refresh yourself?
Watch your child. Maybe he was just hungry. Then, with the help of the tongue, the usual sucking reflex appears, signaling to the mother that it is time to refresh herself. This is especially true for breastfed children.
I can do the same
A 2-month-old baby is already able to master communication skills, as he has learned to coo. Perhaps, with the help of the tongue, he is trying to make a new sound. Or maybe he is simply repeating the actions that he observed in adults. And if an older brother can stick his tongue out at a baby, then why not do the same?
Often the baby copies the facial expressions of adults
First teeth
The baby can feel new reliefs in his mouth when teeth begin to emerge. Often, the gums swell, itch a little, and hurt, causing discomfort to the baby.
Elements of gymnastics
You can see how a one-month-old baby moves everything that moves: waves its arms and legs. Older children try to roll over and crawl. And the tongue is the same muscle that needs training. So the baby is training.
Big tongue for a small mouth
There are cases when a child's tongue is slightly larger than the standard size. It does not fit in the mouth, which may be an anatomical feature. As a rule, this problem goes away on its own with age. But it’s still worth going to the pediatrician, since tongue prolapse may indicate serious genetic diseases.
If the child is gaining weight normally, his sucking reflex is well developed, and his tongue does not stick out all the time, but occasionally, there is no reason for concern.
When to worry
If an infant sticks out his tongue constantly or regularly after feedings, the baby is capricious and nervous, this may indicate the pathological development of one of the diseases.
Thrush
A disease in which the oral mucosa is damaged by fungi of the genus Candida. Every fifth baby under one year of age experiences symptoms of candidiasis. Thrush is identified by a white coating on the tongue, cheeks and palate. By sticking out his tongue, the baby tries to relieve the discomfort.
Hypothyroidism
It occurs due to a lack of thyroid hormones and has serious consequences in the form of mental and physical retardation. Often the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made in the maternity hospital. However, it can manifest itself at a later date, in the first year of life.
In breastfed babies, signs of hypothyroidism appear later, since the baby receives hormones in small doses through mother's milk for some time.
A protruding tongue may indicate a serious illness
A large, swollen tongue that does not fit in the mouth is one of the signs that requires immediate contact with an endocrinologist.
Intracranial pressure
Along with a prolapsed tongue, a characteristic sign of the disease is a head thrown back. This condition requires close monitoring of the baby by the parents, as well as treatment by a neurologist.
After a thorough examination, drug therapy and therapeutic massages are prescribed. Treatment should begin as early as possible, since pathological processes lead to mental retardation and vision problems.
Be discerning when caring for your child. Don’t invent something that doesn’t actually exist, but don’t ignore the situation if there are warning signs.
After the birth of the baby, it is interesting for the mother to observe his development and behavior. However, being mindful also helps you notice strange symptoms in time. These include a protruding tongue that regularly appears from the mouth. In most cases, the child turns out to be healthy, and the reason for the protruding tongue is familiarity with his own body and its capabilities. There are also exceptions when a symptom indicates problems with the endocrine or nervous system. It is important to look closely at your baby to see how often he sticks out his tongue.
A tongue sticking out of a baby's mouth is not a reason to panic. Before making a diagnosis, it is necessary to examine the child to understand the reason for the baby’s behavior
Reasons for strange behavior
A mother who is not too experienced will worry about why her baby is sticking out his tongue. There is no reason to worry, since this is often explained quite simply:
- Games and pampering. If a baby sees someone in the family sticking out his tongue, he will copy the grimace. Don’t forget that the baby learns about this world and repeats after everyone else. It also happens that an infant tries to reproduce a sound, but only succeeds in demonstrating his tongue sticking out. There is no need to worry if your baby grimaces during activity or if it seems like he is chewing.
- First teeth (we recommend reading:). An infant sticks out his tongue when he is teething (see also:). The gums swell, and the changes provoke the baby to explore the oral cavity. If the child is from 4 to 6 months old, this is the most common reason for “demonstrations”. Discomfortable sensations lead to the fact that the baby scratches his gums, and his tongue constantly appears outside.
- Development. None of the parents are alarmed that the child waves his arms and legs while awake. The baby also has a muscle in his mouth, which he successfully trains. If the little one once again sticks out his tongue, this is a normal exercise.
- Attention deficit. Pediatricians believe that the cause of a protruding tongue is the lack of sufficient contact with the mother. With this signal, the baby makes it clear that he wants to eat, for which he needs to be picked up.
- Short bridle (we recommend reading:). The connective tissue between the mandible and the uvula causes discomfort when the length is short. Pathology can be detected even in a newborn, since problems with feeding may arise.
- Increased size. In medical practice, there are many cases where a baby sticks out its tongue simply because it is large, or the lower jaw is too small. The problem goes away with age after a change in the proportions of body parts at about 5-7 months.
- High temperature in the room. The child may stick out his tongue to cool the body and increase evaporation of moisture if he is hot.
The baby is growing and developing. All muscles begin to work actively, including the tongue Probable diseases
The cause of a protruding tongue may be a pathology affecting the endocrine or nervous system. Only a doctor can rule out or confirm the disease. Studying information on your own from the Internet will not yield any results. If your baby regularly pulls out his tongue, you may suspect one of the diseases listed below.
Hypothyroidism
The disease appears due to problems with the thyroid gland. The congenital form is noticeable at 2-3 months of the baby’s life. Newborns whose mothers suffered from iodine deficiency during pregnancy are at risk. If hypothyroidism is suspected, blood is taken from the baby's heel in the maternity hospital (we recommend reading:). If, after receiving the results, the mother and child were not sent to a medical genetic center, the cause of the protruding tongue should be sought elsewhere. The main signs of hypothyroidism include:
- marbled or yellowish skin tone (we recommend reading:);
- developmental delay;
- changes in facial features that appear denser;
- dry skin;
- swelling of the tongue, which does not fit in the mouth due to its increased size;
- blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle;
- underweight;
- constipation
You need to visit a pediatrician or endocrinologist who will prescribe the necessary examination. It usually consists of an ultrasound diagnosis of the thyroid gland and determination of the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood. The course of treatment includes medications containing thyroid hormones. The duration of treatment is determined by the doctor.
Hypothyroidism or other diagnoses can only be made by a doctor. You should not self-medicate, even if it seems to you that all the symptoms are the same
Tongue hypotonia
Among the features of the disease there is a “loose”, sluggish and sedentary tongue. At risk are premature babies, babies who have had an endocrine disease or infection. Hypotonia is caused by a head hematoma or injury received during labor. Signs of the disease are:
- decreased activity of the child;
- long sleep;
- lack of expression of emotions (crying, whims);
- weak sucking reflex;
- underweight;
- inability to sit and hold up one's head at an appropriate age.
Increased intracranial pressure (ICP)
The disease occurs as a result of birth trauma or a previous disease affecting the central nervous system, for example, meningitis. Characteristic signs of a neurological problem:
- head circumference is larger than normal;
- the fontanel protrudes above the surface of the head or does not close well;
- rolling out of the eyeballs or squinting;
- the head is often thrown back;
- the child does not sleep well;
- tremor of the hands and chin;
- muscle hypertonicity;
- Graefe's syndrome, in which a light stripe appears above the iris when the baby lowers its eyes.
If you have alarming symptoms, you should visit a pediatrician, ophthalmologist or neurologist, depending on the affected area. The following examinations are prescribed:
- tomography;
- neurosonography (ultrasound of the brain, if the fontanel has not healed);
- head circumference measurement;
- fundus examination.
The course of treatment includes drugs to improve blood circulation, herbal decoctions, diuretics and vitamin complexes. Additionally, exercise therapy and massage are recommended. Popular doctor Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky believes that modern doctors have too often resorted to this diagnosis, giving it to every third child. If this happens, he recommends seeking advice from several specialists, since the disease is very serious, and practically healthy children are treated for it.
Facial muscle atrophy occurs mainly in girls and requires drug treatment
The disease most often affects girls and occurs due to problems with the ternary nerve. Atrophy is also caused by disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system or endocrine glands. The first step towards illness may be a complication after an injury, an acute respiratory viral infection or simple hypothermia. You should look out for these symptoms:
- “stoniness” of the facial muscles, increasing every day;
- inability to portray a smile;
- lack of rich facial expressions;
- swelling of the lips;
- absence of folds on the forehead when grimacing;
- asymmetry of the face and chin;
- drooping eyelids.
With stomatitis, the child may have pain in the mouth, which prevents him from sucking the breast. The baby shows mommy that he has a sore At the age of 8 months, the baby is actively exploring the world and chewing everything he can discover. This leads to small sores in the mouth called stomatitis. The disease occurs under the influence of the following pathogens:
- toxins;
- fungus of the Candida family;
- herpes virus;
- bacteria.
In one-month-old children, candidal stomatitis is more common. It manifests itself with symptoms that are difficult to miss:
- redness of the oral mucosa;
- the appearance of ulcers of varying sizes on the inside of the cheeks, palate and tongue;
- increased body temperature;
- poor appetite;
- disturbing dream.
Due to discomfort, the baby becomes capricious and cries. The advice of a pediatrician, pediatric dentist, immunologist and infectious disease specialist will help you cope with the disease. To establish a diagnosis, PCR testing and bacterial culture are performed. If stomatitis is confirmed, the doctor will prescribe ointments and solutions for treating the oral cavity, as well as antipyretics. In parallel with treatment, you must follow a diet and take a course of vitamins.
Thrush (candidiasis)
Thrush in a child's mouth requires drug treatment The oral mucosa suffers from a fungal disease, which is why the newborn may stick out his tongue. The fungus is transmitted during childbirth or breastfeeding from the mother, and can occur due to frequent regurgitation (we recommend reading:). Infants with weakened immune systems are more likely to get candidiasis. Thrush manifests itself with pronounced symptoms:
- similar to cottage cheese;
- the oral mucosa turns red;
- At the initial stage, the “curd” is white, then it becomes yellow or gray.
It is necessary to make an appointment with a pediatrician, dermatologist and infectious disease specialist. For prevention, you should practice good personal hygiene and follow a low-carbohydrate diet. PCR diagnostics will allow identifying the causative agent of candidiasis, after which treatment is carried out with ointments and solutions for treating the oral cavity.
There is no point in running to the doctor as soon as the baby sticks out his tongue. Statistics show that in half of cases such behavior is caused by physiological factors and does not require intervention. You need to take a signal to attention if the reflex is repeated several times a day and is accompanied by characteristic symptoms. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the baby’s skin and mucous membranes, and if any abnormalities are detected, contact a specialist. Only a doctor, and not a grandmother, friend or neighbor, can prescribe effective treatment. You should not listen to unprofessional advice, even if outwardly the signs of the disease are very similar.
If a baby constantly sticks out his tongue, this may indicate that the baby has a thyroid disease called hypothyroidism. The cause of this disease is a lack of iodine in the mother during pregnancy.
Additional signs of hypothyroidism include: slow development of the child, late onset of teeth sprouting, appearance of coarseness in facial features (such as: wide nose, short neck, thick lips), large and swollen tongue, dry skin, pale yellow complexion in the unfortunate baby . All this begins to actively manifest itself from the age of three months, when the baby not only sticks out his tongue, but the tongue is too large and does not fit entirely in the mouth.
As you can see, yes, sticking out a baby’s tongue can also indicate hypothyroidism, but it is accompanied by many additional symptoms, and if you don’t have them, don’t be scared and run to the doctor if the child sticks out his tongue just a few times. In addition, in almost all good maternity hospitals, tests are taken from the baby at birth, and the test includes the disease “hypothyroidism,” which would allow it to be identified much earlier if it is present.
Another reason for a little one’s tongue protruding is often increased intracranial pressure (abbreviated as ICP). For some reason, in the post-Soviet space, it is very fashionable among both doctors and parents to make this diagnosis first of all. No, abroad, of course, everyone also knows about ICP and is actively treating it and studying new treatment methods. But still, the list of conditions that are accompanied by ICP is small, and we like to attribute it to it in many situations. Let me clarify: “for them” ICP is something rare, but very dangerous, requiring emergency care and immediate hospitalization. “With us” is something that happens very often, is easily identified and is almost always successfully treated without the need for hospitalization. That is, before you agree with such a diagnosis just because the baby sticks out his tongue, and run to take the appropriate medications, I still advise you to study the topic yourself.
On the Internet, the following version of the reason for a child’s tongue protruding is very popular - atrophy of the facial muscles. No comment here, if this really happened, it would be observed all over the face - the baby would not be able to smile, grimace, or generally control the facial muscles normally, or even lose control over them altogether. Here, of course, you need to immediately run to the doctor, but this is a rare and immediately recognizable disease among young children.
As you can see, most of the terrible reasons for tongue protruding are most often far-fetched; let’s consider the more probable and harmless ones.
Cutting teeth - using a tongue, the child scratches itchy gums and relieves pain. In principle, he usually won’t harm himself with this.
Pampering - the child simply explores his capabilities and abilities while having fun. There's nothing wrong with that.
The tongue is just a little big. Usually the “proportions” become normal by six months and the help of a doctor is not needed here. If not, then you can apply, but this is a rare case.
The baby misses his mother’s boob and the milk from it. This is a sweet and common reason that usually occurs in infants when breastfeeding; they just want to be with their loving mother more often and with tasty milk, because the substances from it calm the baby, not to mention the fact that this is the mother’s breast - the dearest and dearest person on Earth. This is not a problem, but a sweet joy.
As you can see, sticking out your tongue is not a reason to be scared and suspect that your baby has terrible illnesses. If the child is generally developing well, is cheerful, active and does not experience the listed terrible symptoms of those diseases in which the tongue actually sticks out; If there are no signs of teeth on the protruding tongue and the tongue does not hang out of the mouth, then everything is fine with the child! So, calmly play with him and devote your time to development rather than pointlessly running around to doctors because of the slightest fear.
Author of the publication: Valeria Samoilova