Children grow in the first years of life very quickly and constantly change their habits, manners, behavior and gestures. There are many different things that are difficult to understand for adults, but for children they are quite normal. A very frequent and interesting habit is the situation when a newborn sticks out his tongue. What does it mean? A cheerful manner of behavior that has already become a habit, or a cause for concern? The article will provide information on why this can happen, what to look for in the behavior of the child, and what to do if protruding the tongue indicates the development of pathology.
Why do you need a language?
Surely it may seem that this is a completely stupid question, the answer to which is obvious. Of course, language is needed for communication. This is the most important organ through which the child shows his reaction to the outside world and everything that happens. In addition, the tongue is involved in eating. For a baby, his own tongue is a very interesting object for research, because he finds contact with mother's milk, helps to feel, speak. And yet, such a habit can indicate many hidden dangers that can threaten the baby.
What does it mean if a newborn sticks out his tongue? This may be an element of the game, and a reaction to some emotional event, and the moment of knowing your body. In addition, protruding the tongue may indicate the presence of a hidden danger that needs to be noticed and eliminated in time.
Highlights
An attentive mother always notices the unusual behavior of her baby. If you notice that the newborn sticks out his tongue, this is an occasion to begin to closely monitor him, namely, this habit. In some cases, this action is really a manifestation of a serious illness, but sometimes it is just a fun game for the baby.
It is necessary to pay attention to the dream, how calmly the child sleeps, whether he throws back his head in a dream, what is his expression on his face, whether there are grimaces.
You also need to understand the nature of this behavior: this is just a game, the child indulges, or to make such a movement involuntarily, quickly.
Pay attention to the child’s behavioral reaction, how he behaves, what emotions accompany him when his tongue sticks out?
Do not forget about the regularity of this habit. If it manifests itself very often and quickly, you need to think. If the newborn sticks out his tongue rarely and at the same time displays a spectrum of positive emotions, there is probably no reason for excitement. In any case, during a routine examination, it is advisable to tell the doctor about this.
Harmless game
Having examined some points that mom needs to pay attention to, we will look at the reasons. Why does a newborn stick out his tongue? There are a lot of reasons. Consider initially the reasons that are not dangerous. The game is one of the most common reasons for this behavior. Perhaps the child saw such a grimace both among family members, and on the street at someone else, in a hospital or other place. Thus, the baby broadcasts information and transfers it on its own, trying to parody another person. If the reason for the grimace is this, then there is absolutely no reason to worry, this is normal. You cannot blame a child for this, you just need to gently, gradually tell the baby that this is a bad habit. In this case, of course, pay attention to your behavior, do you yourself or your family members make such a grimace? This also includes situations where the child is trying to speak. Starting from two months, the baby masters communication. He can’t speak fully yet, but he already knows how to make sounds. Perhaps, with the help of his tongue hanging out, the child is simply trying to make sounds.
Teeth
Why does the newborn stick out his tongue except because of the game? From about two to six months, the baby's teeth begin to erupt. In this case, the situation with the language is relevant, it is quite normal, and you do not need to worry, worry and get nervous about this. First of all, the baby’s gums swell, the kids try to lick the most painful places so that the inflammation subsides and the unpleasant feeling disappears. The child is trying to scratch the gums, it does not work with his hands, but the tongue is very convenient. In appearance, it will look like a protruding tongue, then you can only rejoice, because the baby is growing up.
Muscle game
The child learns the world around him, including himself. It is very interesting to watch the kids who begin to consider themselves, trying to understand the functions and capabilities of their organs and the whole organism. From the outside, this may seem funny to us, but such a process is important for the baby himself. The fact of the movement of the tongue is a completely normal action. The child begins to move various muscles, including the tongue. Thus, the newborn does exercises, kneads limbs and muscles.
The need for tactile contact
Why does a newborn often stick out his tongue? Just imagine, for nine months the baby was formed and developed in utero, and then he gets into the outside world, so new, frightening and alien. How does this relate to his habit? Perhaps the baby simply shows in this way the need for tactile contact with her mother. In this case, it’s worth considering, and how much time do you devote to your child? Maybe he does not have enough touch, warmth, affection and care. It is very important for the child, especially at first, to feel the mother and maintain contact with her, which was formed 9 months before. If this is not the case, a person may develop neurosis, psychological problems, instability of the nervous system, emotional instability. You can not neglect the process of breastfeeding, which so brings the mother and the baby so much together. After waking up, you need to talk with the baby, hug him, sing, tell tales.
Uneven development of organs
The child’s body develops very rapidly, in some cases, the organs can develop not equally. Some can grow faster, some, on the contrary, slowly. This is normal, but within the established norm. To monitor this growth and you need to constantly go to receptions and consultations with a pediatrician. Perhaps a newborn baby sticks out his tongue because he is more than necessary. It simply does not physically fit in the mouth, and this may be an anatomical feature of the baby. With age, this situation may pass, you do not need to sound the alarm immediately. During the next scheduled examination, tell the doctor about it, he will look at the baby and help establish the cause of the phenomenon.
Thrush as a cause for concern
The most common cause of a situation when a newborn constantly sticks out his tongue is the appearance and development of thrush. This is a disease that is quite common in newborns. The cause of the disease is a fungus that spreads through the oral cavity, it affects the child’s tongue, which is covered with a white coating. The causes of the disease may be poor hygiene when breastfeeding (it must be washed at least twice a day), as well as if the child takes dirty objects into his mouth. In addition to white plaque on the tongue, inflammation of the cheeks and tongue appears, they can turn red. The child during this period is uncomfortable and can stick out his tongue because of this. Upon examination, the doctor will diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Stomatitis
The baby in the first months of life is very susceptible to various bacteria, fungi and toxins. Along with thrush, children often suffer from stomatitis, which also affects the oral cavity. The reasons for the development of this disease are dirt, toxins, the development of surrounding herpes, which infected the baby. During this period, the child has many sores on the oral mucosa, as well as a white coating on the tongue and cheeks from the inside. In addition, the body temperature rises, the gums swell and blush, a large amount of saliva is released. At night, the baby is naughty and anxious. Outwardly, it looks like a situation when teeth are cut out, but white plaque and sores allow stomatitis to be recognized. If in this case the newborn sticks out his tongue, what does this symptom mean? Thus, the child shows his discontent, attracts attention. The disease must be treated immediately, consult a doctor, he will prescribe therapy, means to strengthen the immune system, as well as a diet.
And what is ICP?
Why does a newborn baby stick out his tongue? There is one more reason. This intracranial pressure is a situation when pressure appears either inside the brain or in the spinal canal. It changes depending on the physical, emotional, psychological stress of the child. At the baby, the ICP can rise even with food, because for a small organism, any movement is already a strain. In this case, the newborn opens his mouth and protrudes his tongue, strabismus, trembling of the chin or hands may appear. In addition, the doctor measures the circumference of the head, it can grow too fast, because of which the pressure rises, the baby's sleep becomes anxious, the head is often thrown back, including during sleep. The doctor prescribes a series of studies and prescribes medications that improve blood movement and lower blood pressure.
Hypothyroidism
A baby's disease associated with a decrease in the work and functions of the thyroid gland. Such an ailment can be congenital, according to the symptoms, the disease manifests itself in the second month of life. You can detect the disease earlier, if you pass the tests. The danger of deviation is that subsequently it can lead to developmental delays and problems with the mental state. Increased dry skin, constipation, marbling, or, conversely, yellowness of the skin. Body weight does not meet the standards laid down in medicine. A newborn often sticks out his tongue simply because it begins to swell. For examination, you need to contact an endocrinologist who directs the child to ultrasound of the thyroid gland and checks blood tests for hormones. Hormones are prescribed that stabilize the baby's condition.
Low tone of the tongue or muscle atrophy
It is extremely rare, but there are cases when the baby’s tongue is simply poorly developed, it has a reduced tone, the muscle is very weak and does not move much. The causes of this phenomenon are prematurity, complications from the disease. Symptoms include lethargy, drowsiness, and also low weight gain; the sucking reflex is poorly developed. The child is unemotional, late begins to hold his head himself. The diagnosis can only be made by a neurologist. In this case, massage and physiotherapy are prescribed, which will help the child recover.
Muscle atrophy is a very striking deviation, which is visible without examination by a doctor. The newborn sticks out his tongue after feeding, the eyelids sink down, the face becomes asymmetric, the lips swell, the baby cannot smile. All these are symptoms of atrophy. The diagnosis can also be made only by a neurologist after an examination conducted by magnetic resonance therapy. For treatment, it is necessary to undergo a course of massage, special preparations, and vitamin. In practice, such a disease is very rare. All the necessary recommendations will be given by a neurologist or pediatrician during a routine examination.
Summarize
It would seem that this is if the child sticks out his tongue. In fact, this is not just a funny facial expression, a manifestation of emotions. This may be a symptom of a serious deviation. Normal situations were considered in which the child protrudes, and such a habit is not pathological, and therefore non-hazardous. However, the article indicated the moments when protruding the tongue is a symptom of serious diseases and abnormalities.
One important thing to remember is that protruding the tongue as a symptom does not occur independently, but in combination with other manifestations. In any case, if you have noticed such a symptom in your baby more than once or twice, you need to observe the frequency, nature of behavior, emotions, general condition. Do not self-medicate and make a diagnosis on your own, you need to pay the doctor’s attention to the child’s habit, and then undergo an examination and treatment.