so my son is 9 months mashallah… and his gag reflex is out of this world amazing
he gags on food quite a bit.. especially if its sticky.. like mashed potatoes mixed with butter… or mashed fish mixed in butter.. is that normal guys? he even gags on cereal!! if its too thick and not gooey enough.. he will gag
he also cant handle lumps with smooth pastes.. it all has to be the same consistency
any other parents go through this with their kid?
Re: gag reflex in babies
My eldest was extremely sensitive to textures. Is it normal? Yes to a certain extent. They have to learn how to coordinate many muscles in order to chew and swallow and it does take time. Some learn more quickly than others and some truly have an issue. If you have any concern about it, you can take him to his pediatrician and ask for a "swallow study". My son had a few of these done. They have the parent bring foods and they will explain to you the types - I was told to bring milk to drink, smooth cereal and then a chewable food. They add some barium to these items and take like a movie of the process of swallowing to see whether there is truly a problem. My son initially had a severe problem with coordinating his mouth but after having speech therapy through Early intervention, he improved. So...if your son is having enough trouble that he vomits often or is becoming fearful of mealtime, I'd highly recommend that you ask for a swallow study.
If it isnt severe enough, you can work with him on developing the muscles in his mouth. Get some interesting chew toys - my son liked the thick plastic ring thats filled with water and I'd chill it in the refrigerator. Also a vibrating chew toy he liked alot. If you can get him to try drinking with a straw or blowing bubbles with it, that helps alot. Theres a great little snack thing - I forget what its called but you put a hunk of fruit on this kebab kind of stick and then cover it with its net baggie. Baby can then chew away on the fruit but the netting that covers it prevents it from breaking into pieces. So they get practice chewing and swallowing without the fear of choking.
I hope this helps!
Re: gag reflex in babies
i dont think its severe... if it were.. wouldnt he have a harder time swallowing chunks rather than thick puree?
i have the net mash but he hates it. he wants the pulp :D thats another thing.. he can eat cookies by himself.. sometimes even fruits.. unless he bites a huge pce and cant work it...
i was just worrying why he cohkes and gags on thick purees. it seems so odd
Re: gag reflex in babies
khawa sorry for being off topic but just some advice like u said hes ok with cookies or sme fruits well instead of mashing the fish and potatoe why not make it into little chewable peices n let him pick them up n eat them, i did that with Aryaan frm 8 months n it really helped him.
Re: gag reflex in babies
cuz he plays with it more than eats it.. i cant say he makes a meal out of it .. ive waited it out but at the moment.. its just a game.. so until he gets the hang of it and learns its food and its to fill him up.. i gotta feed it to him myself.. if i put pcs of food myself in his mouth.. he chokes and gags.
Re: gag reflex in babies
y not chew it n gve we do tht :D