If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve come across the idea of using baby food pouches to feed your baby. Those little pouches that come in different shapes and sizes? The kind with the little sprouts on them so you can press one side and a single, small portion of food falls out? They’re easy, convenient, and can save meal time from being quite boring for your child. But even if these benefits seem like too good to be true for you at first glance, there are some real risks associated with overusing those pouches that should definitely not be ignored.
In this post we’ll discuss four important reasons why overusing those baby food pouches could actually harm your child.
- It can cause damage to your child’s teeth
Dr. Liza Dworkin, a dentist at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, has made it her mission over the years to raise awareness about how important it is for children to eat real food from day one. According to her, “we know that babies’ teeth are being replaced by birth. And at this age, toothbrushing isn’t really going to make a difference,” she told Medical Daily. “Teeth are made up of enamel and dentin, so if you’re not brushing the actual teeth – especially at an infantile stage – they’ll start wearing down. They’ll start to wear down and you may have a case of cradle cap, because their breath will get trapped in the creases of the skin. So that’s one concern with the pouches.”
- It can lead to a less nutritious diet
As a professional who specializes in nutrition, Dr. Harry Adelson has seen the problematic connection behaviors between parents and food pouches firsthand. “It’s very easy for people to overdose on carbohydrates and sugars because it’s easy to pour them in,” he told Medical Daily. “You just don’t have any control over what you’re actually giving your child.” And when you factor in that many of the things that come in those pouches are made up mostly of water and salt, you may be asking yourself how they could possibly be good for a child’s health.
- It can lead to oral motor issues
If you’re not familiar with the term “oral motor,” it refers to the movements of the lips, tongue, jaw and other related muscles involved in chewing and swallowing. And according to Dr. Dworkin, a lot of kids who consume nothing but baby food pouches from an early age end up developing issues with this important process later on in life. “Kids start out really good and they actually swallow the food,” she said. “Now we’re starting to see where they’re starting not to chew it at all but rather just swallow it without chewing.”
- It can lead to digestive issues
According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, babies are at a disadvantage when it comes to developing their digestive systems as they progress through life. And Dr. Adelson says this can come off in different ways, especially when it comes to things like pouches. “The problem is a lot of these foods are not exactly well digested,” he said. “Even though they may be well packaged and have short ingredient lists they may not be metabolized well by the body – which means they’re not really healthy for them.”
Conclusion
In a nutshell, overusing those baby food pouches for your child can be bad for them in a variety of ways. And if you’re already doing it, it’s time to start questioning why you’re doing it