From the Bottle to the Table

New parents seeking advice on what, when, and how to feed their babies are often surprised to learn that guidelines are constantly changing, and many decisions are left up to the parent. For instance, years ago doctors suggested that cereal and baby foods be given to babies within the first months of life. Today's mothers and caregivers are told to delay feeding infant foods until the baby is at least four or, preferably, six months of age. In addition, caregivers may be encouraged to use their own judgment when introducing solid, finger-type foods.

Many adults are concerned about what to expect with a baby's ability to self-feed. This depends upon both a child's cognitive ability and physical development. Some nutritionists believe that watching the child for clues rather than depending on the calendar is a better way to deal with the self-feeding issue. Watching the child helps adults match their expectations about self-feeding with the child's actual ability.

This article follows the sequence of physical and cognitive development skills during the first 18 months of life as they relate to self-feeding. By comparing and contrasting how the infant and toddler play to what they can do during feeding, caregivers will be able to determine the feeding ability of each child in their care.

The Early Months

Very few parents would expect babies to be able to self-feed during the early months for obvious reasons. Until the head, neck, and chest areas are fully developed, an infant is unable to actually participate in playing or feeding. At some point, infants begin to follow objects held in front of their faces and even to reach for them, but at first they still have little control over hand or arm movements. While an infant may "grasp" an object, there is little thought and purpose to the motion. Only when the infant has full control of its head and neck can he begin to physically interact with the environment and can self-feeding be considered.

4-6 Months

During this period, the upper body control mechanisms mature. In addition, subtle changes can be observed, particularly in eye-hand coordination. Infants begin to grab and clutch at objects that attract their attention. They may be able to hold onto the object, yet they do not understand that it is separate from them. They automatically bring the object toward their mouth, but this is more a hit or miss action than following a conscious thought. Therefore, most babies cannot self-feed yet.

6–9 Months

This is an exciting time for playing and feeding. Three important developments occur:

• Babies now are able to sit with support and by nine months of age, many may even be able to sit by themselves.
• They grasp, hold and explore objects.
• They purposefully direct objects to their mouths.

When placed on the floor, babies begin to clutch and hold onto objects, using the palmer grasp (the palm supports the object, the fingers are used in a unit as a scoop). When placed among objects, babies make selections and thoughtfully reach for and hold onto their choice. They also will switch from object to object or try to grab many objects at one time. They may quickly discard one object for another.

The palmer grasp allows the baby enough control so that she can move the object toward the mouth. This is a cue that self-feeding can start. Begin by placing small pieces of soft food, such as bananas, onto the food tray. But remember, the palmer grasp does not allow for accuracy and she will not get the food into her mouth every time. Expect self-feeding to be messy--and to continue to be messy for three--four years until mastery is complete.

Additional physical changes include emergence of the munching jaw movement (needed to manipulate dense food particles), appearance of teeth (for biting and chewing), and pursing of the mouth (to enable cup-feeding).

9-12 Months

Now the fun (and the mess) really begins. At this age, babies begin to recognize what they can do. One of their favorite activities is to pick up an object and throw it. The baby not only watches what happens to the object, he also watches the caregiver's reaction. If the caregiver retrieves the object, what does the baby do? Probably, he tosses it again. Being naughty? No. Curious and testing? Yes!

It is no different for the young self-feeder sitting at a table. Instead of tossing the food, he may open his hand and drop it, watching as the food lands on the floor, and looking to see the reaction of the caregiver. Smaller pieces of food become easier to pick up and handle. Food put in the mouth may be removed and explored. These pieces may be placed back into the mouth or discarded (yes--back on the floor). Being disgusting? Maybe. Curious and testing? Definitely!

Notice what else changes as the child manipulates objects. Instead of having to rely on the palm and fingers as a unit, the baby now can control his fingers independently. The pincher finger movements are developing, allowing the baby to pick up smaller articles and investigate them more closely, also using the mouth as an exploratory tool. The palmer grasp still is useful as the baby begins to use a spoon. Try to determine the level of mastery a baby has by giving the baby a spoon while she is playing. Observe what the child can and cannot do with the spoon. In the beginning, the spoon works better as a drum stick than as an eating utensil. Fingers will be the preferred eating utensils for years to come.

12-18 Months

Playtime is more important than eating during these months. The growth rate slows dramatically, so nutritional needs are not as high as they were in infancy. All the skills the baby is learning during play transfers to table eating. With maturing eye-hand coordination, the intricate manipulation of objects becomes part of the child's world. While holding a spoon in the left hand, the child will use her right hand to feed herself. When using a child-size spoon, the food may spill as the child's wrist flips over while traveling to the mouth. A child-size fork with dull tines may be easier to manipulate than a spoon for foods that are not stable. On the other hand, a child-size spoon will be easier for other foods. If you are uncertain which utensil to use, allow the baby a choice--you might be surprised to watch her try both and make conscious choices depending on her ability and comfort.

Learning to self-feed will be messy and may be frustrating, but it will be worthwhile. Watch her face as she successfully gets the spoonful of peas into her mouth. Watch his attention as he spears the green bean. Think about the skills these babies are learning....and enjoy!

Madeleine Seigman-Grant, PhD, RD
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Las Vegas, NV

INTERNET RESOURCES

www.parentsplace.com. Type in "self feed" in the search area.

www.zerotothree.org/feed.html

RESOURCES

American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995; 800-877-1600; www.eatright.org

The USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates St., Houston, TX 77030-2600, 713-798-6782; www.bcm.tmc.edu/cnrc

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