Speech, Swallowing, & Voice Specialists of Hawaii
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7-9 MONTHS
Feeding/Swallowing Milestones
Typical milestones during this age range
Feeding/Swallowing
In a highchair, holds and drinks from bottle (both hands on bottle)
Spoon feeding for puree
Attempts to self-feed by hand or spoon
Begins to eat thicker pureed and mashed/lumpy table foods
Enjoys chew toys that can massage sore and swollen gums during teething
Stays full longer after eating
Starts to look and reach for objects such as food that is nearby
Shows strong reaction to new smells and tastes
Preference for parents to feed
Vertical (up & down) munching of easily dissolvable solids
Finger feeding introduced
Can move food from side to side with introduction of lumpy solids
May start to point to foods he/she likes
Can drink from a straw
Minimal to no leakage (loss) of food from mouth
Feeding/Swallowing is a fine motor skill that also involves a great deal of sensory components. For this reason, motor and sensory milestones for this age group are also listed below as a delay or disturbance in either could influence your child's feeding/swallowing ability.
Motor
Sits independently for short times without support
Sits and reaches for toys without falling
Moves from tummy or back into sitting
Starts to move with alternate leg and arm movement (i.e.; creeping, crawling)
Crawling
Picks up head and pushes through elbows during Tummy Time
Turns head to visually track objects while sitting
Shows more control while rolling and sitting
Picks up small objects with thumbs and fingers
In simple play imitates others
Pulls to stand
Stands, holding on
Sensory
Explores and examines an object using both hands and mouth
Turns several pages of a chunky (board) book at once
Experiments with the amount of force needed to pick up different objects
Focuses on objects near and far
Investigates shapes, sizes, and textures of toys and surroundings
Observes environment from a variety of positions, while lying on back or tummy, sitting, crawling, and standing with assistance
Enjoys a variety of movements, bouncing up and down, rocking back and forth
Enjoys moving to explore the environment when placed on the floor