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Before Birth

  • 12-20 weeks: Sucking, swallowing, and oral functioning are developing​

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  • 26-31 weeks: gagging, suckling, sucking, rooting, phasic bite, and finger sucking are developing​

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  • 34-40 weeks: coordination of hand to mouth movement emerges, tongue extension present, cough present. Fetus sucks and swallows increasing amount of fluid until birth

Pregnancy
Before birth

Birth to 2 months

  • Shows rooting reflex

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  • Demonstrates suck, swallow, breathe skills

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  • Extends tongue

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Birth to 2 m

3 to 5 Months

  • Able to close lips to seal mouth

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  • Easily moves tongue in and out of mouth

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  • Rolls in lower lip

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3 to 5
5 to 6

5 to 6 Months

  • Able to chew​​

  • Controls sucking impulse​

  • Opens mouth to accept spoon​

  • Turns head to feed​

  • Increased tongue movement​

  • Biting reflex disappears

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6 to 7 Months

  • Grasps food and utensils and moves food toward mouth​

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  • Sits without support​

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  • Munch chew pattern is emerging

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6 to 7

8 to 9 Months

  • Starting to drink from a cup​

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  • Understands spoon function​​

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  • Eating finger foods, soft/small pieces of fruits and vegetables

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8 to 9

9 to 12 Months

  • Rotary chew pattern is emerging. Demonstrates vertical chew pattern​

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  • Able to hold and move food into mouth independently and self feeds​​

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  • Eats small/soft mashable solids​

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  • Able to bite through soft biscuit

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9 to 12

12 to 18 Months

  • Sticks out tongue and spits​

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  • Able bite through harder food with development of teeth​​

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  • Eats small/soft mashable solids​

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  • Able to teach straw drinking

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12 to 18

18 to 24 Months

  • Rotary chew more established​

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  • No longer bites on cup ​​

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  • Eats full mechanical diet

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18 to 24
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