pre-chewing baby son's food

[Lovefruitsandvegs]

Just read this story www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2127315/Alicia-Silverstone-defends-controversial-practice-pre-chewing-baby-sons-food.html

What do you think of this method? My SIL used to do it to her kids. It is really disgusting. Also, when I was a very young child I remember seeing my cousin's wife doing it to their kid. Even though I was like 6 or 7 I found it disgusting.
I have seen how mums put pacifiers into their mouths and then stick them back into their babies' mouths. Why do mums have to do it?

Really people have a problem with parents sucking their kids soothers if they have fallen? Why? Surely it's better to give it back with just their saliva on it rather than whatever dirt was in the floor it fell on? DS grew inside my germ riddled body, came out of my vagina also I am sure full of bacteria, and sucks his sustenance direct from my body, from nipples that I don't even clean beforehand. You think a bit of my saliva will do him some harm?
I hadn't heard of this practice before re the food chewing but it doesn't bother me at all. Each to their own. Although I am sure at 11 months he should be able to chew some food himself?

blue you have taken the words right out of my mouth!

It's the bloody Daily Mail. Who even cares?

I care that people think my hygiene standards lack because I suck my baby's dummy

i read somewhere about a link between sucking your child's dummy and cot death, not sure if it's been disproven and can't search as on phone.

The process of digestion starts in the mouth with the enzymes in saliva - so pre-chewing food will begin to break down the starches and make them easier for a baby to digest.

lst that wasn't aimed at you. thread had moved on in the time it took to post

The dummy thing is gross because I wouldn't put something that's been on the floor in my mouth. If I desperately wanted to give my baby something that had been on a dubious floor I would probably wipe it with a baby wipe.

Pre-chewing is unnecessary and can remove some of the 'goodness' of the food (imagine biting into a orange segment, you swallow most of the juice straight away and only pass on the skin). It can also transmit diseases.

But shouldn't the baby be fed food that's appropriate for his age i.e. there's n need for an 11 mo to have mashed banana/brocolli/chicken etc and no need for his mum's saliva starting up the digestion process.

Also people seem to forget that there aren't that many harmful bacteria on say, dry pavement. OTOH, what about gingivits? Or any kind of cold, flu etc?

It's totally unnecessary.

I (probably) wouldn't do it, can't see how it's gross when most kids are happy to chew on mud.

With Blue & LST on this one.

It can transmit diseases, but then so can BF. If you have a disease that can be transmitted via saliva, chances are you know about it already and can take appropriate precautions.

Its not something I do btw (BLW all the way here). But I can see why people choose to do it.

If its outside I have a back up dummy. But if we are inside and it falls on a fluffy rug or the carpet I give it a quick suck to get fluff feline hair off.

I supposed most people wouldn't want to eat chewed food mixed with other person's saliva.

Actually makes me feel quite ill just thinking about it.

Not true, Queen, as you can be contagious for few days before you get symptoms of flu, cold etc. Not everyone will be aware that they have gum disease, especially in the first stages.

winnybella - yes, if you are waiting til 6 months it is totally unnecessary (though I have a friend who used to do it with nuts for her DS from 6m as he had no teeth, she felt nuts were a beneficial food as they are vegan).

But all over the world, people aren't waiting until 6 months, for all kinds of reasons, and the pre-digestion of the starches from pre-chewing probably makes it easier for younger babies to digest them.

"Also people seem to forget that there aren't that many harmful bacteria on say, dry pavement"

Seems like an obvious place to find e-coli from poo, if nothing else.

Oh, sorry, I should have been more specific - I meant diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. If a caregiver has a cold the baby is likely to get it anyway, irrespective of sharing a bit of spit.

I used to do this with my dd's if it was too tough for them ie meat (think thats the only thing i did chew 1st though) Otherwise they would not of been able to eat it. As a previous poster said the enzymes help to break down the food so helps the child digest it better.

I agree re: places where people don't wait til 6mo etc.

What about HPV? I know it's mainly contracted by genital contact, but what if you have papillomas in your throat or mouth? I had one, was not aware of it til a doctor saw it during check up.

Of course, it's not very likely, but still, it seems quite an unhygenic practice to me.

And, yes, baby might get that cold or flu through everyday contact, but not necessarily, while feeding him your saliva is pretty much guaranteed to make him catch it.

Ginger- generally speaking, dry surfaces are not a favorable environment for bacteria to multiply, hence you're much less likely to get ill for licking a dry pavement than from say, taking a sip out of a puddle iyswim.

Not to say that there aren't any germs on pavements, obviously. But perhaps usually not in quantities large enough to cause illness.

*from licking dry pavement, not for

Grossed me out when I first thought about it, but then I remembered when I was a little girl, if my Dad was eating an apple he'd take a big bite out of it then hand me the piece, and I'd quite happily eat that. Still doesn't gross me out now, thinking about it.

thinking about this did see a lady chewing orange segments and the giving them to her daughter to eat, she looked about 10 months. didn't make me feel ill, i did think that's a bit odd but that's all. i wouldn't do it but not worried that others do.