Expert: John Date: 11/21/2006 Subject: drooling illusions in child
Question My 7 year old son constantly rubs the corners of his mouth trying to wipe off the "drool". But as I've tried to watch him as he does this, I have yet to see any drool. I've tried telling him to use a tissue and show me, but he ignores that, of course. He has probably been doing this for a year or longer, and I don't know what may be causing this or what to do about it. Would this be a type of mild OCD? He doesn't seem to have any other problems. And what can I do to help him?
Answer It does not sound like OCD. If he has no saliva present then I suggest you ask him if he has any irritation in his mouth. Or give him some frozen yogurt or popsiscles and see if he stops eating it to wipe the corners of his mouth. If he does then perhaps he is repeating a behavior that may have caused him some embarassment earlier in his life. If he is doing this all day long and if he is also doing any other repetitive type behavior or spends an inordinate amount of time washing or checking himself then I suggest you take him to a pediatrician and ask him or her about this behavior. The chances are good the pediatrician has seen this before in a child this age or younger.
