Drooling can be a sign of teething, but some babies like George drool more than others. The presence of saliva frequently on on a baby’s chin, neck and chest can cause red irritation of the skin and is often called a “drool rash.” George had a drool rash on his chin when he was 2-3 months old. Fortunately it resolved within a few days once we were able to keep his chin dry from drool. 

Here are the steps we followed:

• Have a soft burp cloth on hand at all times in addition to your baby wearing a bib so you can dab away the saliva right away. Make sure to pat off the drool instead of rubbing it off as that can cause skin irritation. 
• Have many bibs available as once the bib got wet we switched it out for a dry bib. 
• Apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) which acts as a barrier between your baby’s skin and the drool. The petroleum jelly can also be soothing for your baby’s irritated skin. 

If your baby’s rash does not improve with these steps, the rash appears cracked or weepy, or your babe appears in any discomfort, please follow-up with your doctor.

This post was co-authored by Stephanie Liu, MD, MSc, CCFP, BHSc and Erin Manchuk, BScPharm, BCGP.