Eating and swallowing are complex skills that begin to develop from the 12th week in the womb.
These skills, which continue to develop from birth, progress with primitive reflexes and over time, these reflexes fade away on their own. Each reflex has different contributions to nutrition. Therefore, it is important for normal development that reflexes start and fade away at the expected time.
A normally developing baby;
> Starts to bring his hand to his mouth from the 2nd week.
> 2- A 4-month-old baby can reach and hold the bottle with one hand.
> A 4-month-old baby can be fed with a spoon.
> A 5-6-month-old baby can start to hold the bottle with both hands.
> 5-7-month-old baby can be fed with a spoon. A baby can eat the consistency of puree with a spoon.
> A 6-month-old baby can wrap the spoon with his/her lips.
> A 7-month-old baby starts to chew.
> A 6-8-month-old baby can drink liquids by sucking from a cup.
/> > An 8-9 month old baby begins to control himself more and helps his caregiver during feeding.
> A 9-10 month old baby can drink from a cup held by someone.
> A 10-11 month old baby can eat from a cup held by someone.
> A 12-month-old baby holds the spoon with his whole hand and can feed himself.
> A 12-month-old baby can hold the glass with both hands and drink 4-5 sips in a row.
> 13- Starting from 15 months, a baby can bite hard solid foods.
SUGGESTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CHILDREN'S EATING DEVELOPMENT
Babies need the help of a caregiver to eat until about 4 years old. For example, while a newborn baby is completely dependent on the mother for nutrition, a 3-year-old child becomes dependent on the mother only for the preparation and serving of food. This also shows how important the caregiver's attitude is in children's eating development. A few tips for your child's healthy nutrition/eating development;
>Make sure your child is hungry: sending food back into a stomach that is still full may cause digestive system problems. If your child eats reluctantly, it will also negatively affect the interaction between you. Instead, your child You can organize your snack times and follow the signs that you are hungry.
>Do not use distracting elements such as TV / Tablet: TV and tablet reduce your child's connection with the environment and prevent him from realizing what, how and how much he eats. . Instead of this behavior, which may lead to obesity and lack of individual eating skills in the future, determine your dining area. Arrange foods on plates in a way that attracts their attention. Talk about food before feeding it
>Feed at an angle of at least 45° (\_): the airways close at the time of swallowing and prevent food from going to the lungs, but feeding by positioning it straight from the waist without angling can cause food to accumulate in the pharynx. and during breathing, it can cause it to go to the trachea and even the lungs. If it goes to the lungs: it is possible for a lung infection or breathing to stop.
>Give food of a consistency suitable for its development with appropriate tools: eating development progresses in stages, feeding should be done at the normal time and using appropriate tools to ensure the transition to other stages (try). Otherwise, You may encounter problems such as rejecting the consistency and difficulty in tolerating it.
>Do not pressure him to eat, give him the opportunity to try: there may be children who are sensitive to foods, give them the chance to choose. Make food stand out
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