Oral glycopyrrolate for the treatment of chronic severe drooling caused by neurological disorders in children

Abstract

Excessive drooling may complicate the care of children with chronic neurological conditions by socially isolating both patients and families and by causing secondary dermatitis and infection. Normal control of saliva requires normal integrity of oral structures, normal oropharyngeal sensation, and motor functioning, as well as normal cognitive awareness and rate of salivary production. Glycopyrrolate is an anticholinergic medication with a quaternary structure that recently received Food and Drug Administration approval to treat sialorrhea due to neurological problems in children ages 3–16 years. This review summarizes the few published studies of safety and efficacy of glycopyrrolate for drooling in children with chronic neurological conditions.