THIS IS HOW BLW INFLUENCES THE CORRECT ORAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BABY

There are many children who throughout their childhood must wear an apparatus to correct a defect in the teeth. The use of orthodontics is also common in adolescence and even in adulthood.

Obviously, there are oral problems of genetic origin that cannot be prevented, but there are also habits that can positively or negatively influence the child's oral development, and that parents should take into account.

Between the healthy habits that we should favor would highlight early chewingWell, it has been shown that offering the child uncrushed food helps to improve the development of the jaw and mouth muscles. This is explained by Dr. Juan Carlos Pérez Varela, president of the Spanish Society of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (SEDO).

Excess crushing: why not bet on the BLW?

Experts warn that parents take too long to give our children uncrushed food, and this can affect the proper development of the muscles of the jaw, mouth, and consequently speech.

"The problem arises when children of two or three years continue to eat everything crushed. On the one hand, they do not acquire enough autonomy, and on the other they do not develop their oral system properly," warns Pérez Varela.

Therefore, more and more professionals recommend offer children whole foods (cut into pieces or strips that favor your grip) and not pureed. This form of feeding is known as the Baby-led Weaning (BLW) method, and there are many advantages that it brings to the child's development.

"Actually, This mode of feeding is not so innovative with respect to what our ancestors did, because many years ago there were no porridge or purees. However, at present, much of the complementary feeding that is offered to the baby during the first months, is based on porridge and baby pots "- says the doctor.
"But it also joins the fact that many of the foods we consume today are softer than those consumed years ago since they are extremely processed. Therefore, the stimuli received by our masticatory system and maxillary bone development can suffer"

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How does BLW influence the child's oral development?

Dr. Pérez Varela explains in three steps why chewing food favors the child's oral development:

First, because the effort made by the child to chew and crush the food is greater than if it were fed pureed.
Second, because using the jaw will be stimulating the growth of the entire chewing system.
If we are the ones who give the baby the food, we will be propitiating that in many cases it only uses one side of the mouth, but the stimuli that the mouth needs to develop should be symmetrical.

On the other hand, if the child puts food in his mouth by himself, he will use either side or another to chew, helping a harmonious and correct oral development.

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But in addition to the clear bucondental benefits (and consequently, of the language) provided by the BLW, if we let the child eat freely using their own hands We will also be helping you exercise eye-hand-mouth coordination, and discover the texture of all foods, favoring greater acceptance of flavors.

Could it be said that the BLW would save us the orthodontics of children in the future?

Although it is impossible to answer with a resounding YES (as there are many other factors that must be taken into account), the truth is that promote the chewing of the baby from the beginning of the complementary feeding, it brings many benefits for the future, including a lower spread of orthodontics.

"Although excess soft food is one of the reasons that explain the increase in orthodontic treatments in children, it is logically not the only one"

"We should know that if the child does not exercise his jaws, these will develop less, and being smaller could cause space problems to house the teeth. Therefore, the teeth will tend to grow in a crowded manner, increasing malocclusions "- explains Pérez Varela.

And also, add a curious fact:

"Studies conducted today in Aboriginal people who continue to have a similar diet (for example, the Yanomami of the Amazon) reflect the low incidence of dental crowding and other pathologies"

Therefore, when our baby starts in the complementary feeding we try to bet on the BLW. Of course, properly informed, guided by experts, agreed with the pediatrician, and starting with simple foods. You see that they are all advantages!

Photos | iStock

Acknowledgments | Doctor Juan Carlos Pérez Varela