Survey raises baby food concerns
New research carried out by Kiddylicious Little Bistro, a children’s food brand, has shown that current baby food and its packaging could cause three potential problems for babies.
These problems, which have raised alarm among parents and professionals, include:
1. Speech defects
2. Teeth distortion
3. Enamel erosion
There could also be an issue in some products with misleading labelling of sugar content.
The independent research surveyed 1,000 UK parents with children aged up to 5 years old, 71% of whom were unaware that the use of spouts, typically used in baby food pouches, can have a detrimental effect on their baby’s speech development and teeth formation.
66% of parents surveyed said that they would have reconsidered their purchase had they been aware of the teeth defects that baby foods with spouts can cause. 58% of parents were also unaware of the importance of soft chunks (approximately 8mm) in food for children from around the age of seven months, to encourage chewing as well as jaw muscle and speech development.
Emma Ahern, Speech and Language Therapist, stated that “Spouts restrict the passing of larger yet suitably sized, soft chunks of food for children around the age of seven months, which is important to encourage regular chewing patterns. Critically, chewing helps to increase the strength, coordination and control of the all-important jaw muscles as well as the tongue and the lips that children need early on to help promote future speech development.”
The research also found that over 11% of UK parents have children under five years of age who suffered from dental issues such as distorted teeth and tooth decay.
