A good friend of mine has a 16-month-old who is nursing.  He does not feed
himself (i.e. never brings food to his mouth).  He also refuses any food
other than soft canned baby foods.  He does not munch on cheerioes,
crackers, etc.  He is behind developmentally in speech and has some
autistic-like behaviors.  Parents are obviously very concerned and he will
be seeing a neurologist next month.  My question for you is regarding the
feeding.  I work  with newborns, therefore my experience with the toddler
is limited.  I recall reading or hearing something that the nursing toddler
may prefer the breast to solids.  I also recall learning that a baby has a
window of time for bringing food to his/her mouth (4-8 mos).  If this is
missed, it may take longer for him to learn to feed himself?  I am
searching through my references for more info and would appreciate your
opinions before sharing my thoughts with the parents.  Thanks so much.

Donna Zitzelberger, RN, BSN, IBCLC