Isn’t it endearing to see a little one grab a fistful of spaghetti and bring it to their wide, little mouth?
“For a growing baby, mealtime is more than a yummy experience. It’s a time when they grow oral muscles and coordination, which leads to speech development,” said Kendra Abts, CCC-SLP, speech therapist of Avera Therapy — Mitchell Grassland in Mitchell, SD.
How Finger Foods Help Babies Pull, Move, Chew, Swallow and Grasp
6 to 9 Months: Chewing and Swallowing Skills
Pureed foods, either homemade or store-bought in those little jars, are typically given at about 6 months of age. During this time, baby continues to practice pulling the food off a spoon and moving it to the back of their mouth to swallow.
Your child might start exploring very soft finger foods, such as:
- Snack fruit bars
- Yogurt bites
- Chicken fingers
- Cheese sticks
- Strawberries
- Avocados
Give cut-up finger food in moderation and under your supervision, said Abts. The advantages of finger foods include moving food to the molars, chewing thoroughly and swallowing.
As an added benefit, this stage teaches pincer grasp, a fine motor skill where baby uses the thumb and index finger to pick up objects. Developing pincer skills now can contribute to a more precise grasp later when using crayons, pencils and scissors. You can also introduce a soft plastic spoon during this stage for their curiosity and imitation.
12 Months: Oral Muscle Strength
By about 12 months, other foods are introduced with many textures and firmness. These foods are optimal for oral health, tongue and jaw strength, tongue coordination and jaw growth:
- Chicken breast/steak (not processed meat like hot dogs)
- Thicker fruits such as apples and pineapples
- Vegetables such as celery, green beans and peppers
Chewy foods strengthen the oral muscles and structures — widening the palate and improving tongue mobility and tip elevation. These developments contribute to better speech sounds and respiratory health as your child grows.
“Moving on to different foods is highly individualized,” said Abts. “It can depend on whether or not your baby’s teeth are coming in, if they can sit up by themselves as well as have good body control, if their oral and jaw muscles can chew food thoroughly, etc.”
“Their gums can handle harder foods as well, and this helps with jaw strength,” added Abts. “It’s good to move forward thoughtfully and cautiously and be present during mealtimes.”
Other Tips to Remember When Baby Eats
Of course, parents know foods should be cut before giving to your child. Did you know that the best way is cutting long-ways? That way, if the food is a little harder than a mushy banana, baby has a good “handle” to hold onto as they chew on the end. If a bigger piece goes to the back of the mouth, there’s a higher likelihood the piece will slip down the esophagus without a choking episode.
“Two foods often associated with choking, even when you cut them, are hot dogs and grapes,” said Abts. “It’s best to cut these foods horizontally to reduce choking; however, I highly recommend serving other foods for a while before offering these options.”
Why Developing Oral-Motor Skills Is Important
When the associated oral-motor skills aren’t well-developed, baby might have a weak tongue and jaw. This can lead to:
- Trouble moving food from the front to the middle and back of the mouth
- Difficulty moving food from the middle of the mouth to the molars or hard gums for chewing
- Weak chewing abilities, causing bigger pieces of food to go down the esophagus — increasing the risk of choking
- Refusing to eat
- Problems swallowing
- A variety of speech-related inhibitions, including mispronouncing letters
How Speech Therapy Helps Babies and Toddlers Eat
If your child is having trouble eating, speech therapy can help.
“Speech therapy can mean more than articulating R’s or S’s right or practicing verbal comprehension,” said Abts. “This health field can help a growing baby with chewing, moving food around the mouth and swallowing.”
When you put something in your mouth, your tongue automatically goes to it — locating it, feeling it, moving it. To strengthen a baby’s tongue, speech therapists use little plastic and silicone tools with textured ends that are placed in the baby’s mouth.
“The end is put on their cheek, tongue or tooth,” said Abts, “and their tongue finds it, follows it and moves it around.”
Another tool, called chewy tubes, are long, round silicone tubes that allow babies to practice the full motion of chewing to build strength in the jaw. Sometimes food is put on the end to associate chewing with taste.
Therapy can be just interacting and playing with food. Kiddos experiment with touching and smelling food, letting it touch their lips or dropping it in a bowl. They get introduced to characteristics such as wet peaches, crunchy bell pepper slices, bumpy chocolate chip cookies or slippery noodles.
Avera Therapy experts are available to help you make mealtime a happy part of the day for you and your child.
To learn more, reach out to a speech therapy location near you.
