Becket & friends,

Of course the baby will learn to chew! Has anybody ever heard of a 5 yo
not eating pizza & stuff?

I have noticed that the second year is a big developmental period. While
their rate of physical growth tapers off some (they do not Triple their
weight in 2nd yr like they did in 1st), they are doing a lot of motor
coordination stuff & brain stuff. The ones I have been exposed to seem
to not be able to learn more than one big skill at a time. For example,
they learn to walk but do not work on vocabulary at the same time. Or,
they are increasing vocabulary at an amazing rate but have stopped
playing with their skill-building toys. Also, they often seem to have a
very irritable temper during these periods of rapid developmental
growth. They don't want to be bothered by extra tasks & need the
security of sameness in their lives. The comfort factor of nursing
becomes more important then, too, to help them counteract the extra
furstration they are experiencing.
Perhaps chewing is another of the big skills that has been put aside for
a little while until the child has completed a milestone in another
area.

One more thing:
Babies don't really "chew" until molars come in, sometime later in 2nd
yr. Until then, they bite with front teeth & "gum" the food given. And,
pain of dentition may be a factor in refusing foods with lumpy texture.

The ped. needs to come down to earth in a practical way, never mind
references. The criteria should be: healthy baby, alert, good color,
normal developmental milestones achieved, child & parents happy.

The mother needs to be empowered to do as her instincts tell her. She
can trust heself. She has the right to refuse advice from anyone, peds
included.

My .02 became more like $2, but there it is. It is my .02 not
necessarily that of LLL.

Liz Johnson, LLLL Worcester, MA