What would you do if someone offered you a piece of food? How will you consume it? You will chew of course! Have you ever wondered when you started chewing? Do you know how you learnt to do it? We can’t even remember if we learnt it on our own or if it was taught to us. A baby also has to learn to chew food at some point, they can’t rely simply on mashed foods forever. So how to teach your baby to chew food?
Chewing is such an innate process; we don’t even realise when we started doing it. No one keeps track of a baby chewing like they track the other milestones like rolling over or walking. Though a natural process, chewing is an important milestone. Unless a baby starts chewing, you cannot offer them a variety of food items.
In This Article
- What is Chewing?
- When Can Babies Start Chewing Food?
- Can Babies Chew Without Teeth?
- Top 4 Factors to Consider When Teaching a Baby to Chew
- Top 5 Tips to Teach a Baby to Chew Food
- FAQ’s
What is Chewing?
Let’s get to the basic question first. What exactly is chewing?
Chewing is the process of bringing your upper and lower jaw together, to crush the food with your gums or teeth. Chewing is the first step in digestion, which helps to grind the food into a softer and warmer material. The saliva then acts on this crushed food to help us swallow.
Unless you chew, you cannot break down the food and digest the same for your body to derive energy from it.
When Can Babies Start Chewing Food?
Babies are on a strict milk-only diet till about 6 months of age. By this time, you are bound to see your little baby chewing their fingers, hands and almost anything they can lift and mouth.
Now, as all babies are different, their chewing will differ too. While some babies can start chewing and swallowing easily, some babies will need a little more help and time before they can start chewing well.
If you are not too sure, here are a few signs to look out for:
- Can your baby sit up on their own with very little or no support? The ability to sit is an important indicator that your baby is now ready to eat food.
- Can your baby hold up their head well without any support? Your baby should also be able to hold up their head without support in order to be able to chew and eat without choking.
- Has your baby’s tongue thrust subsided? – A tongue thrust is where they push the food out with their tongues. It is natural for babies to push their food out when you start giving them solid foods. It should eventually subside.
- How is your baby’s weight? Is it double their birth weight? If not, you may want to consult your pediatrician to decide on what type of foods to give them.
If you are nodding a yes to the above questions, then your baby is ready to start chewing!
[Read : When Do Babies Sit Up Without Support?]
Can Babies Chew Without Teeth?
Yes, of course! Babies can chew with their gums. Their gums also get stronger with use. However, your baby cannot chew with their gums, like how we can chew with their teeth. You need to be conscious about what food items you give them. Ensure you don’t give them anything hard or sharp as it can hurt and tear through their tender gums.
Well-boiled vegetables, grains, steamed apples or pears can be easy on your baby’s gums. You can check by trying to squash the food item between your forefinger and thumb. If you can smash it easily, your baby’s gums can take it.
Some food items can get soft when wet. Your baby’s saliva and the enzymes in it can help break down some food items to make them suitable for your baby’s gums.
Top 4 Factors to Consider When Teaching a Baby to Chew
When you start giving your baby semi-solid food items to start chewing on, here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
1. Age
As mentioned earlier, your baby should be 6 months or over to start chewing. Younger babies will find it hard to swallow and their digestive system will not be ready either.
2. Extrusion Reflex
Babies are born with this reflex where your baby will push the food out with their tongue. Babies will need help and encouragement to cross this stage and then start swallowing.
3. Gag Reflex
The gag reflex prevents your baby from choking. When a baby swallows something too big or too much of something, they can choke. Instead of choking, babies will push the item out to the front of their mouths and clear the passage for breathing.
Gag reflex can be high for some babies as they start their solid food journey. It will eventually subside as your baby gets more control over chewing and swallowing.
4. Teething
Is your baby teething? You can check their gums to see if a tooth or two are slowly peeking through the gums. If they are teething, the gums can get sore and painful; but your baby would like to chew on slightly harder items. Chewing on something firm can be very soothing for their gums at this stage.
[Read : 8 Effective Ways To Treat Sore Gums In Babies]
Top 5 Tips to Teach a Baby to Chew Food
Is your baby ready to start chewing? Do they need a little help? Here are a few ways in which you can make this journey smoother for your baby:
1. Try Textures
Have you noticed how you like certain foods and don’t prefer to prepare them in any other way? The texture of the food we eat gives us a sensorial experience.
Try introducing different textures of foods to your baby. Pureeing everything may make it easier for them to swallow and digest but they will not get the sensorial experience. Try different textures to identify your baby’s preference.
2. Add Flavors
As your baby starts tasting new food items, their taste buds start developing. Introduce your baby to various tastes one after the other. Your baby’s choice might surprise you. Also, when you change the flavour from one meal to another or from one dish to another, it encourages a baby to try.
3. Fruit Feeder
A fruit feeder comes with a small slot covered in mesh. You can open this slot and put in a piece of food or fruit for your baby to chew. The mesh will prevent the pieces from going into your baby’s mouth, and there is no risk of choking. You can use this to introduce various food items to your baby if you worry about choking.
4. Choose a Time
Always feed your baby when they are hungry. They will be more open to trying new food items and will also try to chew.
[Read : How to Know Your Baby is Hungry]
5. Be Patient
Getting a child to eat can be very challenging for some parents. While the gag and extrusion reflexes can lead to a lot of food and time wastage, it is an important development milestone. If you are not calm, it can agitate your baby and make them refuse to try anything.
For parents wondering how to teach their baby to chew food, you must understand that chewing is a natural process and babies will eventually master it. It requires some time, help and patience from the adults around, for a baby to learn to chew on their own. Remember, chewing is an important milestone for eating.
FAQ’s
1. When Can I Start Giving Semi-Solid Food Items to My Baby?
You can start when your baby is around 6 months of age. If you are not too sure, always check with your pediatrician.
2. Can Chewing With Gums Affect the Growing Teeth?
On the contrary, it can help the teeth grow out. Chewing can help open up the soft tissues and help the teeth come out.
3. Can Chewing Cause My Baby’s Gums to Bleed?
If you give your baby anything hard or sharp to chew on, it can tear through their skin and cause the gums to bleed. Sticking to soft or semi-solid foods will not hurt them.
Read Also: 20 Baby Foods Your Baby Can Have Without Teeth
