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Play with Your Food! The Impact of Squeeze Pouches on Motor Development



Squeezable food pouches have become a very popular item for parents with infants and toddlers. Pouches filled with pureed fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and grains are a quick and mess-free solution for feeding little ones on the go. However, pediatric therapy professional share a growing concern about the potential negative impact of these pouches on child development.


Let's dig deeper into how pouches can effect your child's development...


Delayed Development of Oral Motor Skills:

One of the primary concerns surrounding squeeze food pouches is their potential to inhibit the development of oral motor skills in infants and toddlers. Oral motor skills are the coordinated movements of the muscles in the mouth, tongue, and jaw, that are essential for chewing, swallowing, and speech production. Development of these skills is important during the early years of a child's life. It not only affects their ability to eat and speak but also plays a role in overall facial structure and muscle strength. Traditional feeding methods, such as breastfeeding and spoon-feeding, encourage the development of appropriate oral motor skills as babies learn to suck, swallow, and chew.

 

The problem with squeeze pouches is that they require minimal oral motor effort, unlike traditional feeding methods, where children learn to bite and chew solid foods. Chewing is a complex process that helps strengthen the muscles of the jaw, tongue, and cheeks. The act of sucking pureed food from a pouch through a spout does not engage the muscles of the mouth and tongue to the same extent as chewing solid foods. When children skip the chewing step and rely solely on sucking from a pouch, they miss out on an opportunity to develop important oral motor skills.

 

In addition, the immature sucking motion used with squeeze pouches may contribute to improper tongue positioning. Proper tongue positioning is essential for speech development and swallowing, and prolonged use of squeeze pouches could encourage a tongue thrusting pattern where the tongue pushes forward against the front teeth instead of resting on the roof of the mouth. This incorrect tongue positioning can affect the alignment of teeth and jaw development – possibly leading to dental issues and the need for braces in adolescence.


Missed Opportunities for Sensory Exploration:

Another concern of squeeze food pouches is their limited ability to provide a sensory experience during snack and meal times compared to whole foods. Sensory exploration with foods is important for infants and toddlers as it plays a big role in their fine motor development and relationship with food.

 

By engaging in sensory experiences, such as touching, smelling, tasting, and even listening to the sounds foods make, toddlers learn about the characteristics and properties of different foods. This exploration helps them develop their senses and food preferences, ultimately shaping their eating habits and attitudes towards food in the long term. Exposing toddlers to a variety of textures, flavors, and colors through sensory exploration helps expand their palate and reduce picky eating tendencies. Unfortunately, pouches lack the variety of textures and tastes that children encounter when eating whole fruits, vegetables, and grains.

 

Sensory exploration also promotes fine motor skills as toddlers practice grasping, scooping, and manipulating food with their fingers. As toddlers learn to grasp utensils, pick up small pieces of food, and bring them to their mouths, they are building their hand-eye coordination and dexterity. The intricate movements required for self-feeding, such as using a spoon or fork to scoop, stab, and manipulate food, engage the muscles in their hands, fingers, and wrists.


Potential for Overconsumption and Poor Eating Habits:

Squeeze food pouches are often marketed as a healthy snack option for children, but their convenience may also contribute to overconsumption and poor eating habits. The easy-to-squeeze design and appealing flavors of these pouches can encourage children to consume larger quantities of food than they need, without the opportunity to recognize feelings of fullness. This rapid intake of pureed foods may make it challenging for them to develop self-regulation skills around eating and potentially contributing to unhealthy eating patterns later in life. Over time, this could contribute to a pattern of unhealthy eating habits and increase the risk of obesity and related health issues.



So we know that while squeeze pouches can be a convenient lifesaver for busy parents, it's important to use them in moderation and incorporate other foods that promote oral development. How can you do that?

 

Limit pouch use: If you do choose to use baby food pouches for convenience, every now and then, that’s ok! But try to limit their use and save them for situations when you're on the go or in a pinch. Instead, focus on offering whole foods and sit-down meals as much as possible. It’s all about balance.

 

Introduce a variety of textures: Offer a mix of purees, soft solids, and finger foods to encourage chewing and oral exploration. Steamed vegetables, fruit slices, cheese cubes, and whole grain crackers not only encourage independent eating but also provide opportunities for sensory exploration and fine motor skill development.

 

Encourage self-feeding: Allow your child to hold and manipulate their food, even if it gets messy! Self-feeding and exploration helps develop fine motor skills and a positive relationship with foods.

 

Eat at the table, as a family: Begin involving your child in family meals from an early age and offer them a variety of foods that the rest of the family is eating. Family meals provide valuable opportunities for children to observe and learn healthy eating habits from their parents and siblings.


The key takeaway is that while squeeze pouches are convenient, it’s important to remember to offer a variety of food options to children in order to promote healthy development. Incorporating a variety of feeding methods and textures can help promote healthy oral motor skills and support their child's overall development. By prioritizing holistic nutrition and mindful feeding practices, parents can support their child's healthy development while still enjoying the convenience of squeeze food pouches.



If you’re concerned about your child’s oral development or feeding habits, consult your pediatrician, occupational or speech therapist for more support. For more information on other topics that impact these developmental areas, like pacifiers and sippy cups, visit our blog pages on those subjects.


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