Why does a baby chew his tongue at 3 months?

29.01.2020 23272 0

• When to introduce the first complementary foods
• How to tell if your baby is ready for solid food
• Diet for young children
• Common mistakes in complementary feeding
• Prohibited products
• What to do if your child cannot eat solids
• Gameplay for eating

When a small child appears in a family, parents are faced with a difficult task: not only to raise and educate, but also to instill in the child all the necessary skills. For example, young parents are often concerned about how to teach their child to chew. We have collected advice for you from famous Russian and foreign pediatricians that will help you find the optimal solution.

What are the difficulties?

For adults, the process of chewing food seems completely natural. But the child only has a sucking reflex, and even liquid puree becomes unusual and unfamiliar food for him. In addition, the same period is characterized by other reflex reactions, due to which solid pieces of food that enter the mouth are rejected. They weaken by 4 months, but there is no need to wean the baby from the breast at this age: mother’s milk “adjusts” to the baby’s needs, its composition changes over time.

Dangerous causes of tongue protrusion in children

If the baby's tongue sticks out constantly, parents should consult with their local doctor. A particularly alarming symptom is the tongue falling out of the mouth during sleep.

If during the waking period the baby often opens his mouth, his tongue is not held in the oral cavity, and incessant drooling is observed, then there is a possibility of developing an infectious disease. In addition, similar manifestations occur in infants with pathologies of the endocrine system or suffering from neurological diseases.

Read also: Why does your skin hurt?

Hypothyroidism in a child

A decrease in the functions of the thyroid gland can cause a disease such as hypothyroidism. Most often it occurs due to a lack of iodine in the mother’s body during pregnancy. The consequences for the child can be very serious: with hypothyroidism, there is a lag in intellectual and physical development.

To diagnose the pathology, blood is taken from the heel of newborns in the maternity hospital. If a disease is detected, the mother is invited to consult a specialist. If hypothyroidism was not detected immediately after birth, then it can be determined at 2-3 months of life by the following signs:

• the skin has a marbled tint;
• the child sticks out his tongue, his mouth is open regardless of the need for food;
• the baby lags behind his peers in development;
• the baby's skin is unnaturally dry;
• the child’s tongue swells and does not fit in the oral cavity;
• the nasolabial area has a bluish tint;
• the newborn is not gaining weight well;
• constipation occurs.

Before starting treatment, the baby is carefully examined. They take tests for thyroid hormones and perform an ultrasound of this organ. Next, hormonal therapy is prescribed.

High blood pressure

Another reason that a child’s tongue falls out of the mouth is a neurological pathology resulting from a birth injury.

Most often, neurologists diagnose high intracranial pressure in infants. At the same time, children experience tearfulness, sleep disturbances, and poor appetite.

How to tell if your baby is ready for solid food

As a rule, the baby himself makes it clear that he is interested in updating his diet. This can be seen from his behavior:

• Stops sucking food from a spoon, removing it with his lips

• Tries to chew

• Shows interest in “adult” food

• Puts hard objects into mouth

• Opens mouth wide when feeding

Usually this happens no earlier than 6-8 months - this is when you can start giving your child cereals and other foods with small dense particles.

Could these symptoms be a sign of dementia?

Many parents are afraid that a baby’s constantly sticking out tongue may be a symptom of mental retardation and even mental retardation. Indeed, with mental retardation in children, similar external manifestations are observed. However, dementia at an early age can be exclusively congenital, and symptoms are not limited to tongue protruding. In addition to the open mouth, parents should pay attention to the following phenomena:

• swollen tongue;
• dry skin;
• yellowish skin tone;
• prolapse of the tongue, which is not controlled by the child;
• poor sleep, anxiety;
• constant regurgitation;
• It is not the whole tongue that appears outside, but only its tip;
• swollen fontanel;
• pulsation in the area of ​​the fontanelle;
• uncontrolled facial expressions;
• throwing your head back during sleep.

Common mistakes

Young parents may involuntarily make mistakes. This is normal and should not cause panic: the first child is always difficult. If your baby refuses solid food, there are several reasons.

Particle size too large

. A child’s protective reflex is triggered, causing him to often spit out food. And if the piece is very large, the baby may start vomiting.

Complementary foods were introduced very late

. Some “specialists” and “experienced relatives” convince young mothers that they need to feed their baby breast milk for up to a year, without giving him other food. The baby gets used to this diet, and his chewing reflex does not develop. There is no need to be afraid, it is difficult, but it can be fixed.

The child does not like the taste

. Yes, he is already an independent person who has formed his own preferences. So the baby can easily eat broccoli and refuse the baked pear. Or vice versa. You should not force your child to eat something he doesn’t like or force him to finish the entire portion.

Negative associations

. Some psychologists believe that refusal to eat from a spoon may be caused by the fact that the child associates food with medicine (manifests itself in cases where the baby was given tasteless medicines).

Too many new products

. Don't try to include a lot of different foods in your diet. As Ellyn Satter writes in Feeding and Nourishing Your Baby with Love and Common Sense, it's best to add "scary and unfamiliar" foods to what your baby already loves, and in very small portions.

The child is fed like an adult

. Larisa Surkova writes in the book “How great it is with a child from 1 to 3 years old: a generator of useful tips”, you should not deny your baby tactile sensations. If he wants to crush food, sniff it, smear it on the table, let him do it. In the end, the table can be covered with oilcloth (and the floor, by the way, too).

When and how to teach a child

To prepare your child for chewing, you can make faces, grimace, and perform chewing movements. When your baby “speaks baby,” answer him. The child will repeat after you and actively move his jaws, tongue and lips.

The sooner parents introduce their child to foods of different hardness, the more willing he will be to try new foods. As soon as the child began to make chewing movements, slurping and smacking, he developed an interest in food, and especially when the first teeth appear, you can give pieces of food (soft boiled vegetables, for example, carrots). The optimal age for the first introduction to food is 6-7 months. Children are old enough to accept new food, but still too young to start being capricious and indignant at the table.

What to do if your child cannot eat solids

In some cases, even a one-year-old baby cannot chew food and constantly choke on small pieces. This means that the chewing reflex has not fully formed, and parents will have to act very delicately:

• Prepare thick cream soups and purees for your child, but leave a few tiny boiled pieces of vegetables when blending

• Later, the vegetables can be chopped with a fork; the pieces will become larger, but not hard enough for a child to choke on.

• The best effect will be achieved by products whose taste the child likes. These can be baked apples and pears, bananas, children's cookies

• Food needs to be made not only tasty, but also beautiful so that it attracts the baby

If, during the learning process, the child continues to choke and is unable to swallow solid food, this is a reason to consult a doctor who will find the cause of the problem.

Why does a baby chew and suck its tongue?

You should not panic if you notice this, but you should figure out the reasons and eliminate the “bad habit” in your child yourself or seek the help of a doctor. There are many factors in the development of this phenomenon, and in this article we will try to identify possible sources of the problem and find ways to solve them.

Possible diseases

Sometimes the cause of chewing and tongue sucking can be various pathologies:

The so-called thrush (an infectious fungal disease that affects the baby’s oral mucosa) is a common problem that parents face. Due to the whitish coating on the cheeks, gums, and especially the tongue, the child can stick it out, chew and suck. In addition to dense deposits, the child may feel pain and discomfort. To identify and treat the disease, you need to consult a pediatrician. If a child chews his tongue, endocrine diseases may be the cause. Hypothyroidism - insufficient production of thyroid hormones - can also manifest itself in the muscular organ. It swells and becomes larger than normal. The child tries to “remove” it from his mouth, that is, he walks with his tongue sticking out. It is clear that discomfort can also result from chewing the tongue. Endocrinologists identify this pathology and prescribe treatment. Pathologies of the jaw bones and malocclusion are phenomena that cause children several months old to chew and suck their tongue

Due to an excessively small lower jaw and irregularly shaped dental arch, children can feel the “size” of the tongue and, as a result, pay attention to it and chew it. This may also apply to children during teething – when the gums become inflamed, itchy and painful.

To reduce discomfort, the child tries to compensate for the pain by chewing his tongue. During teething, you need to visit a pediatric dentist, and for children with existing teeth and pathology of the bite or jaws, an orthodontist. The reason for chewing and sticking out the tongue during sleep is increased intracranial pressure. Children with such problems should be urgently shown to a pediatrician.

READ ALSO: Why does a baby sometimes stick out his tongue?

If a child adheres to this habit for a long time, and there are no other symptoms, then he should consult a neurologist. He will help you find the problem and fix it.

Causes not related to pathologies

The most common cause of tongue chewing in infants is the child's transition to feeding adult food. Before the baby begins to eat food containing solid elements, it develops increased salivation.

This process appears at 3-4 months and older. The mechanism of the phenomenon is simple - for the normal absorption of such food, saliva mechanically helps its passage from the oral cavity further along the gastrointestinal tract. It performs an important function - it breaks down carbohydrates using the enzymes it contains. In this regard, excessive salivation often forces the baby to move his tongue in the mouth, chew and suck it.

READ IN DETAIL: increased salivation in infants: causes and solutions

The reason could also be simple hunger. When feeding time comes, the baby begins to chew his tongue if he does not get food. However, over time, when the child learns to express his need for food and immediately receive it, the bad habit will stop.

During the developmental period of the baby, while he is weaned from the pacifier, he may chew and suck his tongue due to habit. Accustomed to constantly having a pacifier in the mouth, the child, in its absence, feels that something is wrong, and automatically makes chewing movements coupled with sucking - only now these actions extend directly to the tongue.

When the baby is busy with an interesting game, watching cartoons or communicating with people and pets, he may chew and suck his tongue or even stick it out. There is nothing wrong with this and, most likely, he is simply busy with an interesting activity, and, as you know, even adults who are carried away by any process can perform uncontrolled actions.

As a bad habit, tongue chewing can develop in children older than 12 months. This is one of the common habits (along with thumb sucking and nail biting) that children develop when they are bored. Without proper attention from adults, the baby begins to amuse himself, and this will lead to such actions as systematic chewing and tongue sucking.

Game process

The child needs to be interested. A game story for eating is the absolute norm. During the process, you can tell your baby an interesting story in which he will be involved. The well-known “airplane” flying to the “hangar” is a real way to feed a child without nerves and hysterics. However, it is important to understand that if the baby begins to turn away, it means that he has already eaten. There is no need to feed him with the rest of the puree, even if it is only a spoon. Teaching a baby to eat “adult” solid food is a really difficult task that requires attention and patience from parents. Remember that you are helping your child develop one of the most important skills! On this path you need to become an ally to the baby. Force feeding will cause rejection. It is simply impossible to teach by feeding tasteless purees or forcing the child to finish eating porridge when the child is already full.

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Baby sticks out tongue

Sometimes caring parents notice that their newborn child begins to stick out his tongue frequently. What is this: pampering or a sign of some disease? We will hasten to reassure you - everything is probably fine with your baby. It’s just that the child recently arrived in our world and began to actively explore it, including his body, and in particular his tongue. If the baby is constantly sticking out his tongue, concerned parents should watch his behavior. Surely many have heard that this may turn out to be far from innocent fun, but a rather serious symptom of a disease of the endocrine or nervous system.

Why does a newborn stick out his tongue?

Many young, inexperienced parents often look for explanations for the simple and harmless behavior of their baby. But, most often, the reasons that a baby sticks out its tongue are quite prosaic:

• the baby may simply show his tongue because he once saw this “gesture” in adults;
• perhaps he is trying to make some new sound, but with all his attempts he can only stick out his tongue
• most often you can notice that an infant sticks out the tip of his tongue during some “turbulent” activity;
• If your baby is over three months old, this may be a sign that he is teething. In this case, the child experiences quite unpleasant sensations and has a desire to “scratch” his gums;
• As for babies who are breastfed, the reason for the protruding tongue may be the lack of tactile contact with the mother. In other words, the baby simply missed his mother’s breast.

Baby sticks out tongue - possible diseases

1. A fairly common reason for a child sticking out his tongue is thrush. Because with this disease, the baby develops a white coating on the cheeks, palate and tongue, which sometimes causes very unpleasant and sometimes even painful sensations. To treat thrush, you need to consult a pediatrician.
2. It is worth worrying if a prolapsed tongue in a newborn is accompanied by throwing the head back during sleep. This may indicate increased intracranial pressure. It is imperative to consult a specialist and undergo the necessary examination.
3. Sometimes, due to the individual structure of the lower jaw, the child simply cannot completely fit the tongue behind the teeth. Most likely this is not a disease, but you should consult a doctor and undergo the necessary examination. Because in some cases, an increased size of the tongue may indicate the presence of some congenital disease.
4. If the newborn's tongue seems to fall out of the mouth and at the same time looks quite large and swollen, immediate assistance from a specialist is necessary. This may be a sign of thyroid disease - hypothyroidism. However, it is worth noting that children with hypothyroidism differ from healthy children not only by constantly sticking out their tongues. Typically, with this disease, the child's voice becomes low and hoarse.

As you can see, the reasons that a newborn baby sticks out his tongue can be quite varied and do not always indicate the presence of serious diseases. But in any case, if you are concerned about this phenomenon, consult a doctor and undergo the necessary examinations. Every caring parent knows when to “sound the alarm”, the main thing is not to overdo it!