Developmental Delay Red Flags
for Feeding Babies
4-6 Months
- Coughing throughout meal or when drinking
- Spitting up frequently after meals
- Abnormal bowel movements (constipation, diarrhea, loose
stool) and frequency
- Skin reaction (dry patches, hives, rashes) Discomfort
(crying, arching back, irritability, retching)
Therapy Options
Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with delays in child
development and behaviors.
These include in-home services, outpatient (you take your child
to a clinic), inpatient (following injury or surgery) and school
based services. Which type of therapy should you choose?
Visit our Therapy
Options area to learn more.
Ask a Therapist
We understand developmental milestones and the challenges of
Special Needs children. We spend a great deal of time with
families understanding the inner workings of childhood routines
and interactions. Ask us about your child today!
Ask a Therapist
Feeding Skills for Babies - 4-6 Months
Feeding your baby is one of the most important aspects of child
care. When it does not work as you expect or is a stressful event,
it can be of great concern. Here are some developmental milestones
to look for at this age:
- Baby will feed in semi-reclined position
- Visually recognizes bottle
- Continues to bring hands and toys/objects to mouth
- Uses hands to pat bottle/breast during feeding
- Begins to eat puree/smooth creamy foods by sucking food from a spoon
- Child should demonstrate a good coordination of suck and swallow
- By 6 months, child will swallow strained foods
- Recognizes the bottle or breast
Failure to Thrive
A study of 160 Failure to Thrive (FTT) infants in Montreal with an
average age of 8.8 months, concluded the average age of onset of feeding
problems was 3.1 months and the average referral time by pediatricians for
help was 19.2 months (1999 Ramsay).
There are a number of professionals who may offer support and
recommendations, including but not limited to, speech therapists,
occupational therapists, nutritionist/dietician, psychologists, and
physicians. Ask a Therapist.
Feeding Skills by Age Group
The following are feeding skills developmental stages, defining expected
feeding behaviors and postures in each age range. Included are 'red flags'
to warn of particular developmental delays you should look out for.
Contact Information
Find Early Intervention
Support contacts in your State. If you have a question or comment for
us, please visit our Contact page.
Early Intervention Helps with Developmental Delay
For children with Special Needs, intervention in early childhood
development means finding specific ways to help a child become as functional
as possible.
Learn more on our Parenting
Tips
page.
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