Food and speech development
A few weeks ago I received a visit from some young parents very concerned about the speech difficulties in their 3 year old child. While we were doing the parental interview I was told that the child was fed only mashed potatoes. Since the beginning of ablactation they had not changed the texture of their food. When the clinical examination of the patient was carried out, we found great difficulty in articulating, but would the diet be directly related to his speech problems?
Many parents are unaware that food prepares the organs that intervene in the emission of speech.
From breastfeeding itself until the child is able to feed on solids feeding provides, especially in young children, the strength of the muscles that are involved in the articulation of oral language (particularly in the muscles of lips, tongue and jaw). Speech is not only about learning meanings or knowing how to use words, but it also has a motor component in which the structures and musculature of the orofacial area intervene and which the child must develop and exercise from birth. For example a child who does not exercise the tongue forming the alimentary bolus, nor the jaws crushing the food, is going to have a great difficulty to reproduce sounds in which these structures intervene as for example the sound / l /o /r/. On the contrary, the fact that a child performs the correct closing of the lips around the chest and around the spoon or glass, makes these muscles acquire adequate strength and coordination for the correct articulation of the phonemes /p/ or /m/, in whose production a good lip seal is needed. ). What happens when you don't give your child adequate nutrition at home for his or her specific age? We will find patterns that negatively influence speech such as: tongue out, drooling, open mouth and mouth breathing.
In addition to the muscular part, think for a moment about the sensory development of the child. A child offered its mashed and mixed food does not have the same sensory development as a child who experiences textures, colors, flavors, and temperatures. A soft green broccoli and a hard yellow corn provide different stimuli. Your child is also being deprived of the rewarding experience of tasting different tastes and smells. And although we are talking about children, I would like to mention that this same situation is experienced by the elderly in many homes. Healthy older people often have the ability to chew and swallow all foods properly, but for convenience and speed they are given pureed food, not only depriving them of the pleasure of tasting food, but leading them to the deterioration of their orofacial musculature more quickly.
If you want to help your child develop language through eating, here are some tips:
- It is recommended that at twelve months you start using training cups. When the pacifier is used for longer than the appropriate time, malocclusions may develop that could cause difficulties in the articulation of children.
- When starting the feeding by means of porridge, it is recommended to use flat spoons initially and to avoid cleaning with the spoon or with napkins the excess of food that remain in the mouth of the child. It is recommended that they are the ones who eliminate these excesses, motivating you to stick your tongue out in all directions.
- To offer a variety of colors, flavors, textures, temperatures and sizes. If you want to implement Baby Led Weaning it is important to be informed about the particularities of this method as it allows the baby to feed itself - without using spoons at the beginning and without purées.
- The use of straws is very helpful however before giving him to drink with straw, it is advisable that the child has acquired good control with the glass. The straw allows you to develop strength in your lips and control your tongue.
- The way to chew should be adequate, ie with the mouth closed and without sticking out the tongue or lose food while chewing. Crunchy foods provide strength in the mouth, for example foods such as carrots, crackers or apples.
- The child should not be allowed to chew food and then take it out of the mouth without swallowing it because the larynx will not be mature enough to utter words.
- When feeding solid food to children it is recommended not to cut food into very small pieces as cutting food with their teeth helps them gain strength in their jaw.
- Remember not to force or scold him and allow him to adapt at his own pace.
- Respect the developmental stages and do not offer a food to the child ahead of time.
If you feel you need help, it is advisable to seek out a professional with experience in myofunctional and orofacial therapy who can assess your difficulties and the need for direct or indirect intervention.