Chewing as a Skill: What to Know When Babies Start Solids 1. Chewing comes before teeth! Babies can chew with their gums. They don’t need teeth to start practicing soft solids. 2. It’s a learned motor skill Chewing involves coordination of the jaw, tongue, and mouth muscles — skills that take time and practice to develop. 3. Starts with mashing, not real chewing Early chewing is more like “munching” or “gumming.” Babies use their jaws to mash food, which later becomes rotary chewing as they grow

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