Why does a newborn stick out his tongue?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Children grow very quickly in their first years of life and constantly change their habits, mannerisms, behavior and gestures. There are many different things that are difficult for adults to understand, but for kids they are quite normal. A very common and interesting habit is the situation when a newborn sticks out his tongue. What does it mean? A cheerful demeanor 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 tongue indicates the development of pathology.

What is language even for?

Surely it may seem that this is a completely stupid question, the answer to which is obvious. Of course, language is necessary for communication. This is the most important organ with 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,talk. And yet, such a habit can indicate many hidden dangers that may threaten the baby.

What can it mean if a newborn sticks out his tongue? It can be an element of the game, and a reaction to some emotional event, and the moment of knowing your body. In addition, sticking out 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 a newborn sticks out his tongue, this is an occasion to start closely monitoring him, namely, this habit. In some cases, such an action is indeed a manifestation of a serious illness, but sometimes it is just a fun game for a kid.

It is necessary to pay attention to sleep, how calmly the child sleeps, whether he throws his head back in a dream, what is his facial expression, is there a grimace.

You also need to understand the nature of this behavior: is it just a game, the child is playing around, or do such a movement involuntarily, quickly.

Pay attention to the behavioral reaction of the child, how he behaves, what emotions accompany him when protruding the tongue?

Do not forget about the regularity of this habit. If it manifests itself very often and quickly, you need to think about it. If a newborn rarely sticks out his tongue and at the same time shows a range of positive emotions, there is probably no reason to worry. In any case, during a routine examination, it is advisable to tell the doctor about it.

A harmless game

After looking at some of the things that mom needs to pay attention to, let's look at the reasons. Why does a newborn stick out his tongue? There are a lot of reasons. Consider initially the reasons that do not pose a danger. 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 with someone, in a hospital or other place. Thus, the baby transmits information and transfers it independently, trying to parody another person. If the reason for the grimace is this, then there is absolutely no reason for excitement, this is normal. You can’t scold the child for this, you just need to smoothly, gradually tell the baby that this is a bad habit. At the same time, of course, pay attention to your behavior, do you yourself or members of your family make such a grimace? This also includes situations when the child tries to speak. Starting from two months, the baby masters communication. He still cannot speak fully, but he already knows how to make sounds. Perhaps the child is simply trying to make sounds with the protruding tongue.

Teeth

Why does a newborn stick out his tongue other than to play? 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 there is no need to worry, worry and be nervous about this. First of all, the baby's gums swell, the kids try to lick the most painful places in order to subside the inflammation and remove the unpleasant feeling. baby trying to scratchgum, it’s impossible to do it with your hands, but with the tongue it’s very convenient. Outwardly, it will look like a protruding tongue, then you can only be glad, because the baby is growing up.

Muscle play

Child learns the world around him, including himself. It is very interesting to watch the kids who are beginning to consider themselves, trying to understand the functions and capabilities of their organs and the whole organism. From the outside it may seem funny to us, but such a process is important for the baby himself. The fact of tongue movement is a completely normal action. The child begins to move various muscles, including the tongue. Thus, the newborn does exercises, kneads the 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 finds himself in the world around him, 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 the mother. In this case, it is worth considering whether you devote enough time to your child? Maybe he does not have enough touches, warmth, affection and care. It is very important for a child, especially at first, to feel his mother and maintain contact with her, which was formed 9 months before. If this is not the case, in the future a person may develop neurosis, psychological problems, instability of the nervous system, emotionalinstability. The process of breastfeeding, which brings mother and child so close together, cannot be neglected. After waking up, you need to talk to the baby, hug him, sing, tell stories.

Uneven development of organs

Children's body develops very rapidly, in some cases the organs may not develop in the same way. Some can grow faster, some, on the contrary, slowly. This is normal, but within the established norm. To track this growth, you need to constantly go to appointments and consultations with a pediatrician. Perhaps a newborn baby sticks out its tongue because it is bigger than it needs to be. 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, no need to sound the alarm right away. During the next scheduled examination, tell the doctor about it, he will look at the baby and help determine the cause of the phenomenon.

Thrush as a cause for concern

The most common reason for a situation where 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 during 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 coating on the tongue,there is also inflammation of the cheeks, tongue, they can turn red. The child during this period experiences discomfort and because of this, may stick out his tongue. Upon examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Stomatitis

Baby in the first months of life is very exposed 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 herpes in others, which the baby has contracted. During this period, the child has a lot of sores on the oral mucosa, as well as a white coating on the tongue and cheeks on the inside. In addition, the body temperature rises, the gums swell and redden, a large amount of saliva is released. At night, the baby is naughty and shows anxiety. Outwardly, this looks like a situation when teeth are cut through, but white plaque and sores make it possible to recognize stomatitis. 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.

What is ICP?

Why does a newborn baby stick out his tongue? There is another reason. This is intracranial pressure - a situation where there is pressure either inside the brain or in the spinal canal. It varies depending on the physical, emotional, psychological stress of the baby. Atthe baby can rise in ICP even while eating, because for a small organism, any movement is already stress. In this case, the newborn opens his mouth and sticks out 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 quickly, which increases the pressure, the child's sleep becomes disturbing, the head is often thrown back, including during sleep. The doctor prescribes a series of tests and prescribes drugs that improve blood flow and reduce pressure.

Hypothyroidism

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. It is possible to detect the disease earlier if you pass tests. The danger of deviation is that later it can lead to developmental delays and problems with the mental state. Increased dryness of the 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 for an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and checks blood tests for hormones. Hormonal hormones are prescribed, which stabilize the baby's condition.

Low tongue tone or muscle atrophy

Extremely rare, but there are times when the baby's tongue is simply poorly developed, he has a reducedtone, the muscle is very weak and moves little. The reasons for this phenomenon are prematurity, complications from the disease. As symptoms are lethargy, drowsiness, as well as low weight gain, the sucking reflex is poorly developed. The child is not emotional, he begins to hold his head late. Diagnosis can only be made by a neurologist. In this case, massage and physiotherapy are prescribed to help the child recover.

Muscle atrophy is a very striking deviation, which is visible even without examination by a doctor. The newborn sticks out his tongue after feeding, the eyelids sink, the face becomes asymmetrical, 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 and magnetic resonance therapy. For treatment, it is necessary to undergo a course of massage, special preparations, vitamin. In practice, this disease is very rare. All necessary recommendations will be given by a neurologist or pediatrician during a routine examination.

Summarize

It would seem that such a thing if a child sticks out his tongue. In fact, this is not just a funny facial expression, a manifestation of emotions. This phenomenon may be a symptom of a serious deviation. The usual situations in which the child sticks out were considered, and such a habit is not pathological, and therefore not dangerous. However, the article pointed out the times when sticking out the tongue is a symptom of serious diseases and abnormalities.

One important thing to remember is that sticking out the tongue as a symptom does not occur on its own, but in a complexwith other manifestations. In any case, if you have noticed such a symptom in a baby more than once or twice, you need to observe the frequency, nature of behavior, emotions, and general condition. You should not self-medicate and make a diagnosis yourself, you need to draw the doctor's attention to the child's habit, and then undergo an examination and carry out treatment.