Mouth Stuffing
Dysphagia, trouble swallowing, is often seen in the elderly population, but did you know that kids can have dysphagia too? Many children exhibit their form of dysphagia as a term we refer to as pocketing, or mouth stuffing. This is referred to when a child will hold food in the mouth without swallowing.
Questions frequently asked about pocketing:
Is pocketing normal for my child?
Does my child do this for behavioral reasons?
Is It because my child has difficulty swallowing?
The fact of the matter is, It could be all of those things. Little ones stuff their mouths because they are learning to move lips/teeth/tongue, trying new textures, hurrying to finish dinner before their brother, etc. There are so many reasons why. Typically the top three reasons are because of:
Pain or uncomfortable swallow. This can be related to reflux, sore throat, or even swollen tonsils/adenoids, as well as many other reasons.
Poor/weak oral motor skills. Limited strength and coordination to move food from the front of the mouth to the back to swallow. Believe It or not, swallowing takes ALOT of motor planning and coordination.
Sensory processing. Difficulty tolerating certain textures while eating and instead of spitting It out they will pocket in their mouth, often because they cannot feel It sitting in that “pocket”.
Don’t fret! I am here to tell you about the ways to decrease the risk of choking with 5 easy steps:
Only give your little one small portions, therefore, they don’t have the opportunity to stuff their mouth.
Pace the child during eating. Offer sips of water between bites to decreasing how much they are eat at one time.
Make food more appealing by cutting into shapes/designs which might intrigue the child and slow them down as they look at the food more closely.
Model chewing for the child. The saying that’s always used “Monkey see monkey do”, It works just the same for eating.
If the meal is over, be sure to do a mouth sweep to look for any pocketed food in their mouth. Using a mirror can help to eliminate the chance of scaring the child and help to decrease risk of food being pushed further back in the mouth.
Pocketing can be a sign of more complicated feeding issues. Feeding therapy should be considered. Speak with your pediatrician about what would be the best solution for you and your child, but seek help if pocketing food is impacting their ability to eat enough.
Schedule a discovery call with MOMents Beyond the Bump to discuss what we have to offer and determine if our services are for you.