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as with all
feeding
practices, there are things to be aware of. ?the idea that hand-held pieces of mushy food was a choking hazard never crossed my mind,? says local mom, breanna taylor. ?i would encourage all mothers to check with their pediatrician to get the complete picture. everything i read about the practice just listed the benefits.? the greatest risks involved with this practice is exacerbated gagging
and choking. gagging is a developmentally typical occurrence for babies
. ?in the six- to nine-month-old baby, he or she uses oral play to manually work back the gag reflex from the front part of the tongue to further back where it will reside through adulthood,? says dewberry. however, frequent gagging with food introduction can be problematic. ?gagging may worsen reflux, and it may also create a negative feeding experience for baby.? dewberry, along with many speech language pathologists and occupational therapists trained in feeding practices agree that the introduction of some purees may be beneficial in easing this transition, as they aide in intrinsic tongue muscle development. choking hazards exist for all babies and children and should always be carefully monitored. according to the center for disease control and prevention, foods that pose the greatest choking hazard for babies and children ages 6-12 months include raw vegetables, uncut grapes or cherry tomatoes, nuts, hot dogs, hard candy, gummy candy, and marshmallows. the most important part of the practice is the concept of it actually being baby-led. the nuance to this approach is to listen carefully to the cues from your baby indicating interest, physical readiness, and feeding cues such as when she is full or when she is ready to try something new. collaboration with a pediatrician is key. keep in mind that this is not a one-size-fits-all approach and may not be suited for all babies. what?s most important is that feeding is a positive experience for babies. taylor stresses the importance of letting your baby lead, ?i never forced him to eat, it was only if he was willing.? ? s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8 | b r p a r e n t s . c o m 2 9
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