For spoon feeding transition at 5 months, which technique is recommended?

For spoon feeding transition at 5 months, which technique is recommended?

• A. Use a long, round spoon at mid tongue and slight downward pressure
• B. Use a flat spoon at the lateral portion of the tongue and slight downward pressure
• C. Use a flat spoon at mid tongue and slight downward pressure
• D. Use a flat spoon at mid tongue and no pressure

Answer: (C)

For this age, the goal is to support controlled tongue movement and a safe swallow by guiding the bolus with a surface the tongue can manage. A flat spoon gives a shallow, broad contact that sits on the midline of the tongue, helping the child keep the food centralized and preventing spill or tipping to the sides. Placing it at the mid-tongue position promotes stable lip seal and reduces the tendency for an anterior tongue thrust, which is common earlier in development. The slight downward pressure helps move the bolus toward the back of the mouth and cues a swallow, rather than letting the food linger or spill forward. Using a long, round spoon or placing the spoon toward the side of the tongue can disrupt midline control and increase spillage or choking risk, while having no pressure doesn’t provide the guidance needed to propel the bolus and initiate swallowing. This flat, mid-tongue approach with gentle downward pressure best supports the transition to spoon feeding at five months.

For this age, the goal is to support controlled tongue movement and a safe swallow by guiding the bolus with a surface the tongue can manage. A flat spoon gives a shallow, broad contact that sits on the midline of the tongue, helping the child keep the food centralized and preventing spill or tipping to the sides. Placing it at the mid-tongue position promotes stable lip seal and reduces the tendency for an anterior tongue thrust, which is common earlier in development. The slight downward pressure helps move the bolus toward the back of the mouth and cues a swallow, rather than letting the food linger or spill forward.

Using a long, round spoon or placing the spoon toward the side of the tongue can disrupt midline control and increase spillage or choking risk, while having no pressure doesn’t provide the guidance needed to propel the bolus and initiate swallowing. This flat, mid-tongue approach with gentle downward pressure best supports the transition to spoon feeding at five months.