A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the parents of a newborn about feeding skills. Place the following feeding skills in the order the newborn should develop them. (Move the steps into the box on the right, placing them in the selected order of performance. Use all of the steps.)
A.
Pushes solid objects from mouth
B.
Eats pieces of soft, cooked food
C.
Drinks from a cup held by another person
D.
Begins experimenting with a spoon
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
To provide anticipatory guidance to parents regarding a newborn’s feeding skills, it’s crucial to understand the typical developmental progression of these skills. Here is the correct order of the steps in the development of feeding skills for a newborn:
- Drinks from a cup held by another person (C)
- Begins experimenting with a spoon (D)
- Eats pieces of soft, cooked food (B)
- Pushes solid objects from mouth (A)
Explanation:
- Drinks from a cup held by another person (C): Newborns initially rely on bottle or breastfeeding. Around 6 to 9 months, they begin to develop the ability to drink from a cup. At first, they may need assistance holding the cup, but as they grow, they can drink from it with minimal help.
- Begins experimenting with a spoon (D): By around 6 to 9 months, infants start to show interest in using utensils. They might try to grasp a spoon and may bring it to their mouth, though their coordination is still developing. At this stage, they are not yet adept at feeding themselves but are learning the basic motor skills required for spoon use.
- Eats pieces of soft, cooked food (B): By 9 to 12 months, infants can handle soft, cooked food pieces. Their chewing skills improve, and they can mash food with their gums. This stage marks the transition from pureed foods to more textured foods, accommodating their growing ability to chew and swallow.
- Pushes solid objects from mouth (A): As infants become more skilled in handling different food textures, they learn to reject or push out food that they find undesirable or difficult to manage. This usually happens as they near the end of the first year and into the second year when their feeding skills are more refined.
Understanding these developmental milestones helps in guiding parents effectively, ensuring they support their newborn’s feeding development appropriately.