How to teach my son to chew?

My son is already 2 years 10 months old, but he still cannot chew his food. Until now he still eat soft rice with veggie and meat that have been chopped to small pieces. So he just swallow when he eats. I tried to give him coarse food but he didnot chew it, he just swallowed and choked. I also tried to give him finger food like crackers, bread, cake, etc but he never ate them, he just hold them on his hand, played and sometimes licked them. I even ate with him and showed him how to chew by chewing exaggerately in front of him, but it also didnot work. When he was younger, he had reflux symptoms, he could vomit up to four or five times a day. Now he vomits less frequently. His growth is normal, currently he is 17kg and 94cm. Can you tell me how to teach my son to chew his food? Any books that I can refer? Thank you in advance.Cindy

Personally I think you should make an appointment with your son's doctor. It seems unusual for a nearly 3-year-old to not be able to chew his food.

I have brought him to his paediatrician. But the doctor just said that some children develop differently, some are fast and some are slow. He told me to keep trying give my son food that stimulate him to chew, and he said he ever had patient that can chew when the girl reached four years old. I already tried for few weeks but no improvement. I am worry because my son is going to pre-school in the next few months and he needs to have his lunch at school.

I am thinking there are three possibilities. The least likely, in my mind, is kind of a lazy baby who is used to being spoon fed mush. If this is the case, I think a little less parental involvement would be a good idea -- are you letting him hold his own spoon, do you offer little tidbits for him to pick up with his fingers, making meal times a family affair so he will view food as an object of curiousity and interest, letting him see you eat your own food and want to share it with you? But because you are concerned, I think you've probably already done all you can do to address this and rule it out. A second possibilty is developmental delay. This happens sometimes. If it is the case, it will be a shock and will require much adjustment, but he's still your baby whom you will love and who will be precious to you, no matter what. If there is developmental delay, I think you need to know ASAP so that you can adjust parenting accordingly and do everything you can to help him develop as far as possible. A third possibility is some physical abnormality with muscle development that is interfering with chewing. I think I have read, for example, that it's possible for a child to have an internal cleft palate that makes swallowing difficult but that appears normal on the front of the mouth. Cleft palate often involves the structure of muscles as well as bone structure on the inside of the mouth, and if that's the case, there might be a surgery that could help.


In my opinion, you really need to pursue this until you are comfortable as a parent and feel really comfortable that the doctor has it right and has you on the right track in terms of treatment. The fact that you are still wandering and wondering indicates the doctor has not, in fact, really addressed your concerns.


I suspect your first doctor perhaps either didn't have training in developmental issues (because a child certainly should be chewing at nearly 3 years of age) or there may have been some communication issue that he didn't understand the extent of the symptoms you are describing. Just because a person is a doctor does not mean they are qualified to diagnose and treat developmental delay issues! And then there's the issue of communication -- are you sure he expressed a fully informed opinion after a thorough evaluation!?? I would think at this point, unless you are sure you have been an overprotective parent and need to drastically change parenting practices, you need to have your child evaluated by a pediatrician or an "eye, ear, nose and throat" doctor, not a General Practitioner. Moreover, I think that person needs to spend some time to really listen and observe. He needs personally to take time to watch your child eat and see what is happening so he can gauge for themselves, visually, and develop a fully informed, expert opinion on whether the child is developing normally, not just conjecture and "talk" in response to an "overly protective parent." I'm especially concerned because the situation you describes sounds like it might be quite dangerous, if every little morsel he might eat could pose a serious choking hazard.


Did your doctor look inside, look at the musculature of the face? If it's cleft palate, there's a possibility that surgry might help? These are just ideas of course, but I really believe that what you are describing, at this age, deserves serious attention. Don't let a doctor brush off your concerns unless you are certain he has done a full, fair, and knowledgeable evaluation of the whole situation, taking your concerns and the baby's physical and mental symptoms very seriously.


Honestly, in twenty years as a parent I've learned to trust my own instincts and common sense a lot more than when I was younger and trusted the "experts" more. Because nobody cares more about your child than you do, and nobody is more of an expert in your own situation and your own experience than you.

I agree with Meiguoren. Check with your doctor and if you are still not satisfied, ask for a referral to an occupational therapist (one who specializes in treating children). It may be an oral motor issue. Is your son's speech okay? You could also try chewing tubes if he is willing ... I think Little Giant in Causeway Bay has some, but they have a warning on the package that it should be used under supervision of a medical professional.