Question & Answer - Development

What are some amazing facts about babies?

The following is an interview with Diane Bahr (Published Author and International Presenter on Feeding, Motor Speech, and Mouth Development) by Cintia Saporito (Journalist in Argentina). This interview was conducted in November, 2016.

Question from Cintia Saporito: What are some amazing facts about babies?

Answer from Diane Bahr: Here are some interesting facts about babies:

-Babies communicate from birth with body language to tell you they are ready to eat (e.g., sucking on hands), are ready for a break (e.g., pausing), are full (e.g., sucking slows down), or something does not feel right (e.g., squirming).

-Babies make social eye contact as part of feeding and cuddling from birth. Around 1-month-of-age, babies prefer to look at human faces, begin to smile socially, and imitate some mouth movements.

-At 6- to 8-months-of-age, most babies are ready to eat well-mashed fruits and vegetables, soft baby cookies, and sticky rice.

-6- to 7-month-old babies can produce many vowel sounds and a variety of consonant sounds in their parent’s language.

-Much of a baby’s jaw growth occurs in the first year if the baby is provided with appropriate feeding and mouth activities.

Reference

Bahr, D. (2010). Nobody ever told me (or my mother) that! Everything from bottles and breathing to healthy speech development. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons/Sensory World.

About the Interviewer

Cintia Saporito is a Journalist and Sociologist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has contributed as a writer to different media and editorials in her country, as well as collaborated in the writing process of books specializing in subaltern movements and economic history. Cintia is also a Human Studies and Communications Middle School Teacher and is now in the process of getting her degree in Psychology.

Here is the article written by Cintia: http://www.telemundo.com/el-poder-en-ti/2016/11/07/los-recien-nacidos-no-lloran-y-otros-13-datos-increibles-sobre-los-bebes?image=8194490

About Diane Bahr

Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI is a certified speech-language pathologist and infant massage instructor. She has practiced speech-language pathology since 1980 and has been a feeding therapist since 1983. Her experiences include teaching graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education courses; working with children and adults who exhibit a variety of speech, language, feeding, and swallowing disorders; and publishing/presenting information on oral sensory-motor function, assessment, and treatment. She is the author of the textbook Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages (Allyn & Bacon, 2001). She has also written a book for parents entitled Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That! Everything from Bottles and Breathing to Healthy Speech Development (Future Horizons/Sensory World, 2010).