If you have concerns about your child’s feeding, talk to their healthcare provider. There are different types of specialists who can help children with feeding issues including:

• Lactation Consultants

• Speech-Language Pathologists

• Occupational Therapists

A specialist may recommend specific feeding techniques, exercises, and foods to help with feeding. Each child will have their own unique goals and spending time working with them each day can help improve their ability to suck, chew, and swallow for a better feeding experience.

An Introduction to

Feeding Development

Some Possible Signs of Feeding Issues

Cannot latch on to breast or bottle

Sucks in light, quick, fluttery motions rather than taking deep, regular sucks

Frequent spitting up and/or vomiting after feeding

Appears hungry shortly after a feeding

Has diarrhea or rash after feeding

Stiff body or arching of back during a feeding

Not following baby’s own growth curve

Unusually short or long feedings

Consistently rejects solid foods

Is unable to keep food or liquid in mouth

Difficulty chewing age appropriate food

Does not enjoy eating a variety of foods or refuses certain food textures

Gagging

Coughing and/or choking while eating and/or drinking

Frequent respiratory illnessesFREE tools to maximize child development

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Lat

ches

ont

o ni

pple

or b

ottle

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gue

mov

es fo

rwar

d an

d ba

ck to

suck

Drin

ks 2

to 6

oz.

of l

iqui

d pe

r fee

ding

, 6x

per d

ay S

ucks

and

swal

low

s w

ell d

urin

g fe

edin

g

B

reas

t milk

and

/or f

orm

ula

A n

ewbo

rn’s

dige

stiv

e tr

act

and

cont

rol o

f mus

cles

of t

he

mou

th a

re st

ill d

evel

opin

g,

so th

ey sh

ould

not

be

eatin

g an

y so

lid fo

ods

Bab

ies o

ften

expl

ore

item

s by

putt

ing

them

in th

eir m

outh

. Be

aw

are

of c

hoki

ng h

azar

ds.

Sho

ws i

nter

est i

n fo

od O

pens

mou

th a

s spo

on

appr

oach

es M

oves

pur

eed

food

from

fro

nt o

f mou

th to

bac

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egin

s to

eat i

nfan

t cer

eals

an

d pu

reed

food

s

Bre

ast m

ilk a

nd/o

r for

mul

a In

fant

cere

al

Sm

ooth

, pur

eed

food

(sin

gle

ingr

edie

nt o

nly)

, lik

e ca

rrot

s, sw

eet

pota

to, s

quas

h, a

pple

s, p

ears

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emad

e pu

rees

shou

ld h

ave

a th

ick

liqui

d co

nsis

tenc

y

Mak

e ba

tche

s of h

omem

ade

pure

es a

nd fr

eeze

in ic

e cu

be

tray

s. T

haw

pur

ees b

efor

e fe

edin

g to

you

r bab

y.

Intr

oduc

e ba

by to

one

new

fo

od a

t a ti

me

(eve

ry 3

day

s)

Whe

n tr

ansi

tioni

ng to

solid

s,

try

star

ting

and

endi

ng th

e m

eal w

ith m

ilk/fo

rmul

a

Hav

ing

a st

rong

er co

re a

nd m

ore

cont

rol o

ver t

heir

neck

and

he

ad m

ovem

ent i

s im

port

ant

for i

ntro

duci

ng so

lids

In a

hig

hcha

ir, h

olds

and

dr

inks

from

bot

tle B

egin

s to

eat t

hick

er p

uree

d an

d m

ashe

d ta

ble

food

s E

njoy

s che

w to

ys th

at c

an

mas

sage

sore

and

swol

len

gum

s dur

ing

teet

hing

Sta

ys fu

ll lo

nger

afte

r eat

ing

Sta

rts t

o lo

ok a

nd re

ach

for o

bjec

ts, s

uch

as

food

that

is n

earb

y S

how

s str

ong

reac

tion

to

new

smel

ls a

nd ta

stes

Bre

ast m

ilk a

nd/o

r for

mul

a P

uree

d fo

ods

Yog

urt

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, mas

hed

food

s lik

e ba

ked

pota

toes

or s

wee

t pot

atoe

s S

oft fi

nger

food

s lik

e:–

Mas

hed,

har

dboi

led

egg

yolk

– Sm

all p

iece

s of r

ipe

bana

na

– Sm

all p

iece

s of

past

euriz

ed c

hees

e–

Soft

brea

ds–

Soft,

cook

ed c

arro

ts

Whe

n fir

st in

trod

ucin

g th

icke

r pu

rees

, mix

with

a th

in p

uree

Var

y th

inne

r pur

ees

and

thic

ker p

uree

s

Maj

ority

of b

aby’

s nut

ritio

n sh

ould

still

com

e fro

m

brea

st m

ilk o

r for

mul

a

Allo

w y

our c

hild

to p

lay

with

food

and

get

mes

sy

Don

’t fe

ed b

aby

food

s with

ad

ded

salt

and

pres

erva

tives

Alte

rnat

e gi

ving

bab

y a

stra

w

to d

rink

from

and

hel

ping

ba

by w

ith a

n op

en c

up

Try

alte

rnat

ing

feed

ing

baby

with

spoo

n an

d le

ttin

g th

em tr

y to

feed

them

self

Fin

ger f

eeds

self

Eat

ing

an in

crea

sing

va

riety

of f

ood

Beg

ins t

o us

e an

ope

n cu

p R

eady

to tr

y so

ft-co

oked

ve

geta

bles

, soft

frui

ts,

and

finge

r foo

ds M

ight

be

read

y to

star

t

self-

feed

ing

with

ute

nsils

Enj

oys a

gre

ater

var

iety

of

smel

ls a

nd ta

stes

Bre

ast m

ilk a

nd/o

r for

mul

a C

ousc

ous,

rice

, & q

uino

a A

dditi

onal

fing

er fo

ods:

– Sc

ram

bled

egg

yol

k –

Bean

s/le

gum

es (l

entil

s,

blac

k be

ans,

pin

to b

eans

)

– Gr

ound

mea

t–

Slic

ed d

eli m

eat c

ut

into

smal

l pie

ces

–

Strip

s of c

hees

e–

Brea

d, to

ast,

crac

kers

, & m

uffin

s–

Cook

ed p

asta

Bab

y sh

ould

be

eatin

g 3

mea

ls p

er d

ay p

lus

seve

ral h

ealth

y sn

acks

Use

cho

p op

tion

on fo

od

proc

esso

r to

serv

e ba

by th

e sa

me

mea

l you

are

eat

ing

at

an a

ppro

pria

te co

nsis

tenc

y or

mas

h w

ith fo

rk

Ser

ve sn

acks

at c

onsi

sten

t tim

es

so b

aby

is h

ungr

y fo

r mea

ls

Eat

toge

ther

at t

he ta

ble

durin

g m

ealti

mes

Can

use

ope

n cu

p in

depe

nden

tly S

houl

d be

abl

e to

eat

mos

t fo

ods b

y 1

year

and

par

ticip

ate

in fa

mily

mea

ltim

e In

crea

ses v

arie

ty o

f ch

oppe

d ta

ble

food

s

With

ped

iatr

icia

n’s a

ppro

val,

milk

is

typi

cally

intr

oduc

ed a

t 1 y

ear o

ld

Fru

it cu

t int

o sm

all c

ubes

or s

trip

s B

ite-s

ized

, soft

, coo

ked

vege

tabl

es

like

zucc

hini

or b

rocc

oli

Mix

ed fo

od te

xtur

es: m

acar

oni

and

chee

se, c

asse

role

s F

inge

r foo

ds li

ke:

– Sm

all p

iece

s of b

read

/bag

el–

Shre

dded

or s

mal

l pi

eces

of m

eat/

tofu

– Lo

w su

gar c

erea

l–

Soft

fish

Enc

oura

ge se

lf-fe

edin

g w

ith u

tens

ils

Rem

embe

r tha

t you

r job

is

to p

rovi

de h

ealth

y, sa

fe

food

opt

ions

to y

our b

aby

and

your

bab

y is

in c

harg

e of

how

muc

h to

eat

Com

mon

cho

king

haz

ards

:–

Hot

dog

s–

Nut

s–

Who

le g

rape

s–

Popc

orn

– H

ard,

stic

ky, g

ooey

can

dy

0-3 Months AND Newborn

Feed

ing

Tip

sA

pp

rop

ria

te

Foo

ds

Feed

ing

Mil

esto

nes

Ple

ase

visi

t ww

w.P

athw

ays.o

rg to

find

mor

e FR

EE re

sour

ces o

n ch

ild d

evel

opm

ent.

*Rem

embe

r to

corr

ect y

our c

hild

’s ag

e fo

r pre

mat

urity

.

4-6 Months AND Supported Sitter

7-9 Months AND Crawler/Independent Sitter

10-12 Months AND Beginning Walker

12+ Months AND Independent Walker