Table 3 - Developmental milestones and feeding skills birth to 36 months
From the following article
Swallowing and feeding in infants and young children
Joan C. Arvedson
GI Motility online (2006)
doi:10.1038/gimo17
| Age (months) | Development/posture | Feeding/oral sensorimotor |
|---|---|---|
Source: Adapted from Arvedson and Brodsky10 (pp. 62–67). | ||
| Birth to 4–6 | Neck and trunk with balanced flexor and extensor tone Visual fixation and tracking Learning to control body against gravity Sitting with support near 6 months Rolling over Brings hands to mouth | Nipple feeding, breast, or bottle Hand on bottle during feeding (2–4 months) Maintains semiflexed posture during feeding Promotion of infant–parent interaction |
| 6–9 (transition feeding) | Sitting independently for short time Self-oral stimulation (mouthing hands and toys) Extended reach with pincer grasp Visual interest in small objects Object permanence Stranger anxiety Crawling on belly, creeping on all fours | Feeding more upright position Spoon feeding for thin, smooth puree Suckle pattern initially Suckle  suckBoth hands to hold bottle Finger feeding introduced Vertical munching of easily dissolvable solids Preference for parents to feed |
| 9–12 | Pulling to stand Cruising along furniture First steps by 12 months Assisting with spoon; some become independent Refining pincer grasp | Cup drinking Eats lumpy, mashed food Finger feeding for easily dissolvable solids Chewing includes rotary jaw action |
| 12–18 | Refining all gross and fine motor skills Walking independently Climbing stairs Running Grasping and releasing with precision | Self-feeding: grasps spoon with whole hand Holding cup with 2 hands Drinking with 4–5 consecutive swallows Holding and tipping bottle |
| >18–24 | Improving equilibrium with refinement of upper extremity coordination. Increasing attention and persistence in play activities Parallel or imitative play Independence from parents Using tools | Swallowing with lip closure Self-feeding predominates Chewing broad range of food Up–down tongue movements precise |
| 24–36 | Refining skills Jumping in place Pedaling tricycle Using scissors | Circulatory jaw rotations Chewing with lips closed One-handed cup holding and open cup drinking with no spilling Using fingers to fill spoon Eating wide range of solid food Total self-feeding, using fork |
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