The development of nutrition and swallowing begins during the embryological and fetal stages and continues throughout infancy and early childhood.
Adequate respiration and nutrition are essential for all living things. Safe oral feeding in neonates and young infants requires a coordinated sequence of sucking, swallowing and breathing. Respiration generally does not require active effort for infants, except for those with unusually complicating factors. A baby should consume enough volume to gain weight appropriately and feed efficiently for about 20 to 30 minutes without stress to the baby or the feeder. Feeding babies at intervals of at least 2-3 hours from the start of one feeding to the start of the next feeding, this time interval is an important factor in facilitating hunger, saturation at the end of the feeding period, digestion and promoting the next cycle.
Newborns One of the most difficult tasks for an infant is oral feeding, which includes the complex combination of anatomical structures such as lips, chin, cheeks, tongue, palate, pharynx and larynx. Coordinated rhythmic sequences of sucking, swallowing and breathing are essential for infants in both breastfeeding and bottle feeding. One of the most common ongoing questions today is when and how to initiate and advance oral feeding. Oral feeding in the first few months of life; Healthy premature infants born at the expected due date are likely to experience intermittent decreased respiratory rate and tidal volume during oral feeding and a reduction in the amount of new air entering the airways per minute. Over the next few months, babies develop skills and increase productivity while consuming a larger volume, sufficient for weight gain and growth. Efficiently fed infants and children spend 30 minutes or less at mealtimes.
When setting expectations for oral feeding recommendations, attention is paid to gross and fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and language and speech skills. All levels must be taken into account. If general developmental skill levels (cognitive and speech/language skills as well as gross and fine motor skills) are below the chronological age (or adjusted age for preterm infants), nutrition and swallowing specialists and other professionals should assist and guide parents.
< br /> Feeding in infancy is a reciprocal process that depends on the skills and limitations of caregivers and infants. The relationship between healthy and safe nutrition is very important for a successful diet. Caregivers should immediately recognize and respond to hunger cues. they show. The enlargement of the oral cavity and the lowering of the laryngeal structures provide more space in the oral cavity and anatomical changes occur. The pharynx is elongated and the larynx is lowered. The fat pads are absorbed and there is separation in the soft palate and epiglottis. The increased movement of the oral structures aids the transition from breastfeeding to sucking and spoon feeding. With the change in the direction of tongue movement during sucking, the child becomes ready for the transition to foods other than liquid.
Critical and sensitive periods that affect the expansion of dietary tissues; Critical periods for chewing have been defined. The critical period for chewing is the time following the disappearance of the tongue sticking reflex at about 6 months of age. Tongue sticking reflex is the pushing of food out of the mouth when placed on the front tongue. If these new tissues are introduced after the critical period has passed, most children have difficulty learning and performing certain oral movements. Studies have shown that when babies are given textured foods after 10 months of age, they are more likely to reject solids, consume insufficient amounts of nutrients, and become selective about the foods they accept at 15 months of age. However, exposure to a variety of foods has increased their overall acceptance and intake. Breastfed children, if their mothers consume these foods frequently, It has been reported that they choose less food than those fed with formula because of their exposure to a variety of flavors.
Introduction to spoon feeding; Spoon feeding of fine, smooth mashed food occurs when a child reaches about 6 months of age developmentally. Up to 12 months, children usually get fluids in a bottle, valve or straw cup. Children are expected to drink independently, without assistance from a glass or straw, when they turn one year old. Independent drinking from an open glass usually occurs in later periods.
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