Help Your Little One Be a Straw Drinking Champion
Straw Drinking can start between 6-8 months of age.
The transition from drinking out of a bottle to drinking from a straw is an important step in a child’s development. This allows the tongue to transition from a sucking motion (in and out of the mouth) used when drinking from a bottle to a normal swallow pattern (meeting the roof of the mouth in a wave from front to back) used when drinking with an open cup or straw.
Introducing a straw:
Use a skinny plastic straw, like one found at a restaurant, when first introducing straw drinking to your baby.
Place a small amount of liquid in the straw, cover the top part of the straw with your finger, creating a pipette.
Keeping your finger in place, place the straw to the baby’s lips.
Remove your finger once your baby’s lips have closed around the straw.
Repeat this until lip closer on the straw is consistent and your baby can swallow the water without it spilling from their mouth.
Learning the concept of using a straw:
Use a squeezable cup with a straw (honey bear cups, juice pouches, or condiment bottle with straw through the hole).
Slowly squeeze the container until liquid is at the top of the straw.
Place straw in the baby’s mouth with adequate lip closer around the straw.
Give repeated sips with light squeezing of the cup between swallows.
Slowly decrease the height of the liquid in the straw and the amount of squeezing as they learn to suck and retrieve liquid.
Fading assistance:
As the child develops this skill, fade the pinching or sequeezing of container to increase independence.
Your child should be able to begin attempting from drinking from other straw cups that do not require assistance.
NOTE:
If your child takes too big of sips: pinch the straw as they suck to reduce the amount of liquid given.
If your child takes too many sips before swallowing: pinch the straw closed completely to allow time for them to swallow between sips.
Water is the safest first liquid to try with your child in a straw. Water is the least caustic material - if accidentally aspirated into the lungs, it is the least likely to cause aspiration pneumonia.
If your child shows signs of choking during straw drinking, but not during bottle drinking:
First, decrease amount of water you are giving your baby via straw.
Second, if baby is still choking with minimal water in the straw, schedule a speech therapy evaluation.