10 month old baby refusing solid food
Solids Frustrations - Why Your Baby Is Refusing Solids – Baby Care Advice
Meal times should be enjoyable for baby and parents, but sadly this is not always the case. It can be a frustrating or stressful time for all involved. This article describes reasons for common feeding problems such as food refusal, picky eating, gagging and vomiting at meal times.
Reasons babies refuse solids1. IllnessA sudden change in appetite is a common sign of illness.
What to do- See your doctor, if your child develops any unusual symptoms or if she refuses to drink.
- Offer plenty of fluids.
- Offer meals but expect that she may reject them while she's unwell.
The most common reasons for a healthy thriving child to refuse solid foods is because she fills up on milk (breast, formula or other) and is not hungry for other food, or because she prefers to drink milk rather than eat solids. A child only needs a certain amount of calories in her day to provide for her growth and energy needs, if these calories are provided by milk there's little appetite left for solid foods.
What to do- If necessary reduce the amount of formula your child is offered to the recommended daily intake for her age. (Take a look at our article Estimate how much milk your baby needs for a guide).
- If your breast fed baby is healthy and thriving, reducing the number of breast feeds may encourage a greater appetite for solid foods.
- For children over 9 months or age, offer solids before milk.
Fruit juice is high in energy (calories) and can reduce a child's appetite for solids. Although fruit is important to a balanced diet, it's not necessary for your child to drink fruit juice. In fact, eating fruit is better for your child because it provides additional fiber which is not available in juices.
What to do- Reduce the amount of juice your child drinks or offer water instead of juice.
- Offer a variety of fruits.
Some foods may look small but provide lots of energy (calories). For examples chocolate, sweets, crisps, cookies, even bananas (although nutritious, are high in calories compared to other fruits).
What to do- Offer your child food based on the knowledge that everything she eats should count towards her daily nutritional requirements.
- Offer treats sparingly and only after nutritious food has been eaten.
- Offer only 1/2 a banana.
If your child is snacking (or drinking milk or juice) shortly before a meal, this may affect her appetite and she may not eat as well when a meal is offered.
What to do- Offer small nutritious snacks mid way between main meals.
- Discourage her from "grazing" throughout the day.
- Avoid offering snacks and drinks (other than water) less than 2 hours before a main meal.
Don't expect the first time a food is offered that it will be an instant hit. It can take as many as 8-10 times before a new food is accepted.
What to do- Don't accept the first rejection as a permanent dislike.
- Don't force her to eat it but continue to offer the rejected food at other times.
Understandably, there will be times when your child is too tired to eat. (See signs of Over-tiredness). Young children need to eat much earlier than adults.
What to do- Offer meals and snack at regular times during the day.
- Offer food before your child becomes too tired.
- Offer the evening meal at least 2 hours before her bedtime.
- If she's is too tired to eat in the evenings, offer her main meal at lunch time.
If there are too many distractions, your child may not be interested in eating.
What to do- Provide some 'wind down' time before meals with quiet play.
- Switch off the television at meal times.
- Encourage your child to sit at the table for meals.
- Eat with your child - make eating an enjoyable social experience.
As a child starts to assert her independence she will want to explore her food and begin to feed herself. If she's stopped because of the "mess" this can be very frustrating for her. It would be unrealistic to expect your child to learn table manners before she has learned to feed herself. Some mess is unavoidable while a child is learning.
A child can also feel overwhelmed by the size of the meal or from being offered too many choices.
What to do- As soon as your child is old enough to hold a spoon, provide her with her own spoon at meal times. Occasionally (not constantly) assist her by guiding her hand. If necessary continue to offer her food from an additional spoon.
- Allow her to feed herself with her hands if she wants to. (Put newspaper under her high chair to collect anything that falls).
- If your child doesn't want your help with feeding then allow her to eat independently. Provide foods that she can pick up with her fingers.
- Keep meal sizes realistic. Remember a meal size for a toddler is about ? to 1/3 the size of an adult's.
A child can lose her appetite due to teething discomfort. This will generally only last a couple of days.
What to do- Offer regular meals and snacks but accept her rejection of them.
- Offer soft foods at these times.
- Offer plenty of fluids.
Babies under the age of 4 months are not developmentally ready to eat solid foods. Babies are born with an extrusion reflex (sometimes referred to as a tongue-thrust reflex) which helps them to feed from the breast or bottle. For most children this reflex disappears by around the age of 3 - 4 months, but for some it can take longer.
While this reflex is still present, semi solid food tend to be pushed out of the mouth. This is not a sign of rejection of the food but an indication that a child is not ready for solids. Children will have difficulty coordinating the necessary tongue movements to get the food to the back of the throat to be swallowed, until this reflex has disappeared. (See our article on Starting Solids for more information.)
What to doIf your baby's extrusion reflex is still present, wait another 2 weeks and try again.
12. Feeding aversionBabies and young children can develop an aversion to feeding if they feel pressured to eat. Pressure make the feeding experience either unpleasant or stressful. When repeated baby no longer wants to eat.
What to do- Remove all pressure.
- See Feeding Aversion article.
Even from a very young age children learn what they like and what they don't. If given the choice they will eat foods they prefer (usually something sweet). However, children don't know what's good for them and have no idea about a balanced nutritious diet. It's possible to give too much of one food, even when it is nutritious. A variety of nutritious food provides for a more balanced diet.
What to do- Because babies and toddlers eat so little, make sure everything your child is offered is nutritious.
- Try to maintain a balance to your child's diet by limiting excesses of one particular food.
- Offer treats sparingly.
It's possible for a child to develop an aversion to a food if she's allergic to. However, she's unlikely to develop an aversion unless she has experienced unpleasant reactions from eating the food in the past. If a child has a food allergy, she will generally display symptoms such as diarrhea, rashes, asthma or hay fever like symptoms soon after the offending food is eaten.
What to do- Only introduce one new food at a time, so you will be able to identify exactly which food she reacts to.
- When a new food is introduced allow a period of 3 days before introducing another new food (some symptoms may not develop for days).
Children can often feel overwhelmed by too many food choices.
What to do- Avoid making meal times a buffet where your child is presented with numerous options.
- Allow her to decide between 2 nutritious alternatives (an occasional treat is fine but after nutritious foods). If she doesn't decide, then decide for her.
Put yourself into your child's shoes. How much attention would you be getting when it comes to food?
Do you provide a 'floor show' as you try to coax her to eat or do you follow her around, frequently offering her food or placing food in her mouth? Do you offer her rewards if she eats? Unfortunately, with the very best intentions parents can unknowingly reinforce a behavioral eating problem in their child.
What to do- If your child doesn't want to eat, don't pressure her.
- Wait until the next meal or snack to offer food again.
- Don't offer rewards for eating.
REMEMBER a healthy child will not starve, so long as food is offered on a regular basis. Initially, she may refuse to eat food presented to her, either because she's not hungry or because she's waiting to see if her "favourites" arrive.
Why babies gagHealthy thriving children gag (and occasionally vomit) on food while they're learning to eat. This is normal! Gagging is a reflex that babies are born with to prevent from choking as they learn to chew and cope with lumpy foods.
When introducing lumpier textured food your baby may spit it out or gag. This does not mean she's not ready, it simply means she needs more practice. It's important to keep offering lumpy textured foods. Gagging is more frightening to you than it is for your baby.
What to do- Try not to react too much (your baby can become frightened by your reaction.)
- Wait until your baby has recovered and try again.
- Always supervise your child while she's eating.
Where a child is healthy and thriving, vomiting or spitting up during eating is rarely due to a physical problem.
1. DevelopmentalOccasionally, gagging will result in vomiting. This is all part of the learning experience.
2. BehavioralWhen a parent worries about what a child eats, it's not uncommon to start pressuring the child to eat. Sometimes meals times can continue over an hour or more with the child being coaxed, bribed, or even threatened to eat. When a child is pressured to eat she may vomit, because she's had enough. After a while she can learn to vomit deliberately when parents fail to take notice of other cues that she's had enough.
3. Food allergy or intoleranceVomiting can be a sign of a food allergy or intolerance. However, if she is sensitive enough to vomit up because of food allergy or intolerance she will normally have other symptoms as well, which can involve rashes, asthma or hay fever like symptoms and diarrhea.
4. Physical problem/IllnessSee your doctor if your child is ill, not drinking or not gaining enough weight.
Written by Rowena Bennett.
© Copyright www.babycareadvice.com 2020. All rights reserved. Permission from author must be obtained to reproduce all or any part of this article.
What to Do When Baby Won't Eat Solids: 7 Simple Steps
When your baby won’t eat solids, it can be stressful. Learn why your baby is refusing food and how to get them to eat solid foods with 7 simple steps!
The spoon hits the floor.
Your baby makes a nasty face.
They might even shudder or gag.
All from a bite, or an attempt to feed your baby solid foods. It’s totally unexpected when babies respond with such disdain for baby food or table food. As parents, we’re often excited about this new milestone and it’s shocking when your baby won’t eat solids.
In real life though, it’s quite common for babies to gag on solids, seem uninterested, and outright refuse food.
While knowing it’s “normal” for babies to not seem interested in solid foods, even though everyone else’s baby seems to be gulping it down by the jar full, it still leaves the question, “How do you get a baby to eat solids?”
Well, I happen to know a thing or two about that. First, because I’ve personally helped a lot of families get their babies eating solids as a pediatric occupational therapist with over a decade of experience, but also because I’ve been there with my own son…
Going through it as a mom was a whole different ball game.
Of course, I knew that it was normal for babies to refuse baby food when it was first introduced, and I also knew that some babies didn’t much prefer baby food, but my Momma heart was worried. The worrying got worse when I watched my son act like he could’ve cared less about the delicious homemade sweet potatoes that I whipped up, as he turned his face away and threw the spoon across the room.
Meal after meal.
Day after day.
And, week after week.
With each passing day that he refused to eat solids, I got more worried, and more frustrated as I’d watch the food I’d prepared literally go down the drain. There came a point when I knew I needed to do more, to put some of my OT skills to use in my home, and that’s what I’m going to share with you here, because I know how stressful it is when your sweet adorable little baby won’t eat solids.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know :
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- Why your baby is refusing solids
- Why they used to eat solids, but don’t anymore
- How to get them to eat solids and table foods
- Ways to get them more help (if you need it)
*Keep a look out for the free printable at the end too, if your baby is struggling with table foods!
Affiliate links used below. See our full disclosure.
Why Your Baby Won’t Eat Solids
There are a lot of factors that can actually play a role in any baby’s refusal to eat solid food. We’re going to walk through each of them below, but know that the reason your baby isn’t eating solids could be any one or combination of them. With a little detective work, you’ll figure it out!
Also, age has a little do with it, and will help you hone in on what’s going on.
6 or 7 Month Olds That Refuse Solids:
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- Baby isn’t ready yet – 6 months of age is the perfect time to introduce baby to solid foods, but sometimes the baby isn’t ready. Actually, this is really common when the baby is closer to 4 and 5 months old if you’re starting a little earlier, but is still totally normal at 6 months of age.
Babies are still learning how to move their tongue and bring toys to their mouth, which helps them get used to having foreign objects in there. Each baby is unique and yours may just need some practice if they are in this age range.
They also may still be developing good trunk and head control, without it, eating is difficult!
Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for introducing food and make sure your baby is ready for solids. You can also find my guide to Introducing Solids with more details on milestones to look for when 6 months old.
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- A strong tongue thrust reflex – Most babies usually lose this reflex that helps them not choke if something accidentally gets into their mouth around 4-6 months, but it may linger for some.
If you notice that your baby still thrusts their tongue out every time you touch the spoon to their lips, they may need a little more time. It’s really hard for them to eat when they keep shoving their tongue out of their mouth!
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- Doesn’t like the way food feels – Solid food is something so new and unfamiliar to babies, it can take a while for them to get used to the new texture in their mouth. Many babies do in fact get used to the feeling of solids, but some don’t.
Read more about that below under sensory.
8, 9, or 10 Month Olds That Refuse Solids:
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- Sensory – By 8 months of age, most babies are ready from a developmental standpoint, and at this age, it’s definitely time to get the ball rolling, but some babies (like my son) still refuse. One of the most common reasons why older babies still won’t eat solids is because they don’t like the texture.
This boils down to the way their brains are thinking about (or processing) the sensory input they feel (aka the food in their mouth).
This isn’t a bad thing and doesn’t necessarily mean they have any kind of diagnosis, but it does mean we need to take some extra steps to help them tolerate the texture of food better. You can head to sensory issues with food to learn more.
Babies that are sensitive to different textures usually gag immediately at the sight, touch, or taste of food.
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- Coordination – Eating actually requires a lot of muscle coordination from opening the mouth, pulling food off of a spoon, closing the mouth, and effectively swallowing.
We take this for granted and don’t even think about it, but for some babies, it just isn’t coming natural.
Babies that are having difficulty with coordination, or oral motor skills (find exercises with that link,) usually gag when trying to swallow or after getting the food into their mouth.
Or, the food may fall out frequently, and babies won’t eat solids because they just don’t know how. When they don’t know how to eat, it isn’t that fun, and there isn’t a lot of interest.
If gagging is something you’re concerned about or is happening often, read more in guide on baby gagging.
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- Food allergies – Believe it or not, sometimes babies will avoid certain types of foods because they’ve associated an upset tummy with the yogurt or cheese for example. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s something to consider, especially when it’s very specific allergenic food.
The most common types of food allergens are dairy, egg, soy, wheat, tree nut, peanut, fish, and shellfish. Severe eczema is another indicator that food allergies might be present.
Sometimes, signs become more obvious when cow’s milk is introduced.
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- Not into baby food – While this is probably the least likely reason your baby is refusing solids, it is possible.
If you’ve consistently offered baby food or infant cereal with no interest from your baby and you don’t see any of the sensory or coordination signs we talked about above, then you might just might want to move on to table and finger foods.
One way to do that is using a Baby Led Weaning approach, before you do that though read my BLW pros and cons.
*Get a seat in my free workshop and learn 5 big feeding mistakes that might be stopping your child from learning to eat. We’ll send you a free workbook too!
Why Baby Won’t Eat Solids Anymore (They Used to?)
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- Some teething babies won’t eat – While it’s not as common, some babies start off eating baby food and then suddenly stop. A frequent cause of this is teething, and some babies teethe for a very. long. time. If your baby’s teeth are swollen, red, and seem to hurt, then this is likely the cause.
Try putting some teething gel on their gums 15-20 minutes before a meal. If you see an improvement, this is likely the culprit. Here’s a natural teething gel I like, but check with your doctor first.
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- Going through a phase – Babies may get a little bug or slight cold that we aren’t even aware of or have some negative experience with food that seemed too minor to us as the parent, but makes them leery of eating.
If it’s the latter, some sensory sensitivities can develop if a baby goes for a while without eating any food. If this is the case for your baby, you’ll want to follow the steps below and focus on not pressuring your baby to eat. It’s really important that mealtimes are a positive experience.
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- They’ve outgrown baby food – If your baby is later in their 7th month or older, they may just be sick of solid baby food and ready for the real deal table and finger foods. That may mean it’s time to change up baby’s diet!
I know that seems scary and makes some parents nervous. Don’t worry though, if you think this is why your baby suddenly won’t eat solids anymore, then head to how to transition to table foods.
How to Get Your Baby to Eat Solids
1. The absolute first thing I do with a baby not eating solids is to put a scoop of baby food or some other pureed food like yogurt onto the tray of their high chair.
I know, the mess. It’s soooo important for babies to get messy though! If you’re skeptical, you’ve got to read: Why Babies Should Get Messy Eating. It will totally change your perspective and give you the inspiration to embrace the mess.
2. Encourage your baby to touch the food, but don’t force. Be silly and keep it light. Demonstrate.
If they refuse, try and try again. In fact, at every single meal, put a dollop of that food on their tray or even in a bowl that they can play with and touch. If they won’t touch after a few attempts, offer a spoon for them to stick into the food too.
This is one of my favorite beginner spoons that makes it really easy for baby to get some food onto it.
3. Once your child touches the solid food, you’re on your way! Allow them to touch, spread, and put it all over the tray and themselves. This is wonderful for their sensory processing and will make a huge difference in helping them get used to the texture of solids.
If they get upset once they’ve touched the food, or that they are now all messy, be very calm and reassuring.
Have a wet washcloth ready and quickly wipe them down. And, if this is how they respond, it’s a sign that you need to practice playing with these foods a lot! The more they touch and interact with the food, the closer they’ll be to eating it.
4. When baby has the food on their hand and they’re at least tolerating it, show them how to take their hand to their mouth, so they can taste it. You may need to demonstrate if baby won’t let you guide their hand.
Repeat this several times. After they eat from their hands several times, offer them some solid foods from a spoon.
5. You can also give them a large whole raw carrot or celery stalk at meals. I mean the whole darn thing. The point isn’t for them eat it (and if they can get pieces of it off, take it away), but for them to put it into their mouth.
When they do this, it helps desensitize their gag reflex and they get to practice biting, chewing, and moving their tongue around. It’s amazingly powerful and can make a big impact in a baby accepting solid foods. Make sure you demonstrate and keep offering at every meal.
6. Be consistent and patient. I can’t stress this enough, even though it’s often easier said than done! Have regular meals and follow the above steps 1-3 times a day for every meal. You can find sample schedules for babies ages 6 – 7 months, 8 – 10 months, and 11 -14 months if you’d like a guideline to follow.
7. Focus on meals being positive experiences for the baby, even if they aren’t eating anything. As parents, we can bring a lot of stress with us to meals, which can be hard to hide. But, this is definitely a “fake it til you make it” kind of situation.
Take a deep breath, put on a happy face, and work on the above steps. Going into the meal with no expectations of them eating anything will also help keep your frustration level down.
To learn MORE, grab a seat in my free online workshop.
In it, you’ll learn 5 big feeding mistakes that are stopping your baby or toddler from learning to eat table foods! It’s an eye opener and will help you take steps to give them the best start with eating table foods well (even if it already isn’t going well):
Strategies to Use Outside of Meals for Baby’s Refusing Solids
There are a few really powerful strategies you can use away from the highchair that will directly impact your baby eating solids during meals. Might seem strange, but if you suspect your baby is refusing because of sensory or coordination difficulties, doing these activities can be total game changers:
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- Brush their teeth – If you haven’t started yet, brush their teeth, and when you do, make sure you’re getting all over their gums and the sides, as well as the top of their tongue.
It only takes a few seconds, but it helps to both desensitize their mouth and improve coordination because the tongue gets practice moving in different directions. If your baby doesn’t like it, take it slow, and try often.
The more often you brush, the bigger the effect. Try for one to three times a day, and consider a vibrating toothbrush (yes, even for babies) for more powerful input in their mouth.
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- Play in sensory bins – That may be a new term to you or you might be wondering what the heck that has to do with eating, but playing in different textures is super powerful and helps the sensory system understand different textures better.
This correlates directly to eating. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a kiddo that plays in sensory bins frequently, suddenly start eating more foods (my son included). Head to Sensory Bin Ideas to learn how to set one up.
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- Chew on toys – So many babies that won’t eat solids never put toys or teethers in their mouth, which is really easy to overlook. If this is your baby, pull out a bunch of different teethers and have them around the house.
Demonstrate. Dip them in food or juice. Play with them in the bath. The more often they get teethers and toys into their mouths, the more it will help improve the coordination their mouth muscles need to eat and desensitize their gag reflex and sensory system.
I really love this teether because it gets in the back of the mouth and this one vibrates (all my friends get it from me at their baby shower).
Help for the Baby Not Eating Food
I’m not just talking about solid baby food or purees. You may have a baby that won’t eat any type of food, like puffs, cut up fruit, or toast. They’re getting older and older. You’re getting worried.
Following the above steps will be incredibly important for your babies too, especially the strategies for outside of a meal. But, you’ll also want to use the steps I outline in getting your baby to eat table foods.
That’s a whole different animal all within itself, and there are some targeting tips that can make all the difference in your baby eating food.
You’ll want to focus on small pieces, and by 9 months of life be attempting table or finger foods.
While I don’t want you to worry, I know it’s tempting to keep waiting it out, and unfortunately, some doctors advise this quite often. This often does not help your baby to learn to eat wide variety of foods.
Babies instinctively learn to chew between roughly 8 and 11 months of age, when they move past that, it can be much harder for them to accept foods. It’s not impossible, and the same steps apply for older children, but it’s much better to be proactive then taking a “wait and see” approach.
Puffs, lil cheese curls, and baby mum mum’s are all great for baby’s first foods.
When to Get More Help for a Baby Not Eating Solids
If your baby doesn’t like solid baby food and won’t accept any table foods of finger foods by 9 months old, it’s a good idea to get an evaluation either from the free early intervention program in your state or from a feeding therapist.
You can also read more about typical feeding milestones for babies just to have a reference point. As I said earlier, all babies develop at a different pace and needing a little more help is very common.
Get My Free Printable: Learn to Eat Table Foods Cheat Sheet
There seem to be more questions than answers when you’re under the daily stress of your baby or toddler not eating table foods. Not to mention all of the well-intentioned bad advice that’s often given. Let’s clear that up.
I’ve created a free 5 page guide that clearly lists the steps to teach your baby or toddler to eat table or finger foods, plus a FAQ guide for parents to ease their worries when their babies won’t eat!
Get your free Learn to Eat Table Food Cheat Sheet printable here!
More on My Baby Won’t Eat Solids
How to Teach Your Baby to Self-Feed
Mega List of Table Food Ideas
How to Teach Your Baby to Drink from a Straw
The Best Mealtime Utensils and Tools for Babies
Click here to Pin This! (You’ll have as a quick reference)
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 17 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Puree again? What to do if the child eats only crushed food
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Ekaterina Maslova
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Puree again? What to do if the child eats only crushed food
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Ekaterina Maslova
Nutritionist
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Puree again? What to do if the child eats only crushed food
A variety of mashed potatoes and pureed mother's soups are adored even by grown-up kids: the usual taste, a long-familiar texture that is so easy to swallow. Why waste time chewing when food can be so convenient? But mom likes it less and less: she’s fed up with grinding each serving with a blender, the pediatrician insists that it’s time to switch to solid food, and in general it’s not clear why the child refuses to eat in pieces? How to overcome the baby's fear of "adult" dishes and teach him to chew - in our article. nine0003
Are you in a hurry?
Experts from the UNICEF European Bureau say that by the age of two, a child can already chew the same food as adult family members. But the terms are rather arbitrary: someone can quite cope with the pieces by the age of one, while for other kids the development of the skill is delayed. Everything is very individual, so take a closer look at your baby, his skills and habits. Try to understand if he is ready for solid food, and if so, what prevents him from starting to chew? If you can't figure it out, seek help from a pediatrician, nutritionist, or pediatric nutritionist. nine0003
Sometimes it can be painful for a baby to chew or swallow. Discomfort and pain cause wounds from stomatitis, swollen gums during teething, early caries. Monitor the condition of the oral cavity and teeth, and if you notice a problem, make an appointment with the dentist.
And it's hard for mom
Perhaps the mother does not know when the baby can start eating from the common table. Or she is just comfortable feeding him mashed potatoes from jars, because cooking takes a lot of time. It happens that switching to solid food is simply scary: friends had a negative experience or someone shared their failures on social networks. Sometimes, in order for a mother to decide to give food in pieces, a simple support from relatives, help during cooking and feeding is enough. You may need to consult a pediatrician or psychologist - they can help mom overcome doubts. nine0003
Not a race, but a marathon
Quickly accustom the child to the pieces will not work. He must mature for this, get used to new sensations. Equally important is the readiness of the body to chew solid food: the number of teeth, the development of chewing skills. Sometimes time is all a little foodie needs. Don't rush it!
You need to move smoothly to eating in pieces. To begin with, every few days, instead of mashed potatoes, offer your baby a finely chopped dish, crushed to grains. When the child gets used to it, leave a few small pieces in the serving, and then gradually increase their size and quantity. nine0003
Food not fun
Under TV or a fairy tale, a baby can even eat unloved food. But there is little benefit from it, and the skill of chewing solid food does not develop: the child mechanically swallows food. Do not distract him with video and audio while eating, do not form unhealthy habits.
Many children are not ready for the simultaneous change in both the taste and the consistency of the product. To reduce the likelihood of another “I won’t!”, You can (still calmly and regularly) offer the child to replace the familiar cottage cheese, for example Rastishka with strawberries for Rastishka with strawberries, banana and cookies. nine0003
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What to do if the child does not want to chew - "Healthy Child's Internet Cabinet"
Home - Healthy Child Cabinet - Related Articles - Nutrition - What to do if the child does not want to chew
Ufimtseva Olesya Borisovna
Social teacher of the consultative and health-improving department of the City Center for Medical Prevention
Transferring a child from ready-made formulas and breast milk to adult food is a problem for many parents, since the baby cannot learn to chew food, is naughty, refuses new foods, and spits out what he cannot swallow without chewing. The transition to more solid foods that must be chewed in order to be eaten is a natural physiological process associated with the development of various body systems. The digestive system gradually gets used to the digestion of solid food. The demand for nutrients is growing. A variety of "adult" foods can satisfy her. If a child does not learn to eat normally, then the nutrition of all tissues of his body will be disrupted. This affects his physical and intellectual development. If there is still a problem with chewing, then do not panic. Some special tips will help teach your baby to chew pieces of food. nine0003
Dr. E.O. Komarovsky gives the following simple advice to parents who are faced with the unwillingness of the baby to chew food:
- To teach your child to chew both soft foods and hard pieces, you need to gradually add dishes with larger food particles to the meal. For example, soft bread can be gradually added to the soup so that the child can feel the pieces of food on the tongue. You can give the baby a boiled carrot: it is convenient to hold it and it is interesting to pull it into the mouth. In order for the baby to learn to chew food, you need to give him a tasty and beautiful cookie or a piece of sweet fruit that he likes. A bagel will do. Some parents give children as early as the age of 5-6 months drying or baby biscuits. At this age, as a rule, there are no teeth yet, but the child works on drying, because he feels a pleasant taste. He soaks it in his mouth, bites off small pieces with his gums, learns to chew and swallow them. Drying should be given not so much for saturation, but for the development of the chewing reflex. Then, when the first teeth appear, it will be more difficult for the baby to get used to such a useful and tasty toy. It is uncomfortable for him to bite with his gums, and there are still few teeth. Of course, you need to carefully monitor so that the baby does not choke. nine0085
- Mom and dad do not have to immediately agree with the stubborn demand of the crumbs to give him the usual pureed food. Parents should show artistry, portray regret that, for example, the blender is broken. In extreme cases, you can give the baby a fork so that he mashes the pieces of potatoes. He will surely like it, although the lack of skill may lead to the fact that half of the puree will be on the floor, but the next time the child will demand just such “interesting” food, stuffing it into his mouth (the fork must be special - plastic, with blunt teeth) . nine0085
- If a child does not chew, but tries to lick and suck an apple or a biscuit, he does not need to rush to rub this very apple on a grater or soak the biscuits in milk. Give him solid food more often, if the number of teeth allows, let him train.
- If a child refuses to chew, swallow, or pick up a spoon, E.O. Komarovsky advises to reconsider the diet. It is likely that the baby simply does not have time to get really hungry. This happens in families where the crumbs are given to eat “when the time has come”, and not when he himself asks for food.