Why should every pediatric therapist have a solid grasp of feeding milestones?
Feeding milestones are foundational for pediatric feeding therapists. They form the spine of our assessment and treatment plans. By understanding the typical progression of feeding skills from infancy onward, we can more accurately evaluate a child’s current abilities, identify potential delays, and design effective, individualized interventions.
Here’s a developmental overview from birth to 12 months—and why it matters.
0-3 months
Babies should be able to hold their head up (when given support), turn their head towards the nipple or bottle, opening their mouth as they do and latching onto the nipple or bottle. This is followed by a rhythmic suck swallow pattern that is innate and should not take much effort. They are born with a rooting reflex that aids in nursing or taking a bottle immediately after birth.
4-6 months
During this phase, babies begin to mouth toys, bringing them to their mouth. They also bring their hands to hold the breast or bottle, begin sitting up supported, open their mouth when presented with a spoon, munching chew pattern emerges, tongue moves the food from the front of the oral cavity to the back to prepare for swallowing.
6-9 months
Babies are beginning to reach for food, grab it, and put it in their mouths. They are much more curious about food, watching adults eat, and wanting to partake in it themselves. They should have good head control but may still need some trunk support for feeding. The tongue is beginning to move laterally in order to move the food back and forth for rotary chewing. Babies are able to drink from a straw or an open cup.
9-12 months
During this stage of feeding, babies will begin to self-feed, hold a utensil by themselves, take smaller bites from larger bites of food, rotary chewing emerges, and close their lips while swallowing.
Why Feeding Milestones Matter
As feeding therapists, we must be confident in our understanding of typical feeding development to:
✔️ Create developmentally appropriate treatment plans
✔️ Explain feeding progress clearly to parents
✔️ Adapt therapy when challenges arise
When we know what’s expected at each stage, we can act as detectives- identifying breakdowns in the feeding process and adjusting interventions to support our clients effectively.
All of this foundational knowledge- and more- is covered in Feed The Peds®, including how to build your feeding therapy caseload.
✨ BONUS: We’ve got you covered with our FREE 5-Day Pediatric Feeding Screener designed to help you screen, assess, and confidently guide your clients from the very first session.
