Causes of sialorrhea
Usually sialorrhea results from a decrease in normal control of oral (mouth and throat) sensation and motor function. This diminished oral control results in the inability to manage normal swallowing of saliva or inattention to the need to swallow saliva. There are a variety of causes for this condition but usually it results from brain abnormalities such as cerebral palsy, prior brain injury such as stroke, congenital abnormalities of brain development, or traumatic brain injury. Usually the sialorrhea does not worsen over time if the patient has a brain injury which does not progress with time (static brain injury). Sometimes, if the child’s underlying condition leads to a deterioration in function over time, the degree of sialorrhea will increase as the child ages.