13 Month Old Pushes Food Out of His Mouth

its justa phase...don't worry about it. He'll eat more when he gets more hungry. Believe me he will not waste away.

I agree with Kathy. Unless he is having problems: I.e. weight loss, lethargy, constipation, or some other sign of distress then he is probably just going through a phase. Did he just have a growth spurt?

Babies will not (as Kathy said) starve themselves. If he just started some new physical activity like crawling or walking - or even pulling up then he is probably more interested in doing that than in eating. Also, don't forget babies are oral- and then they realize they can touch things and do wonderful things with them (like smashing food and feeling it between his fingers) this might just be a new trick. And as a bonus he gets to control it! :). At 13 months he is developing all sorts of realization about how he interacts with the world around him and how the world responds.

One other note: If he is taking in a lot of fluid it may be interfering with his food consumption. Especially milk, all 3 of my kids did this for a while. My pediatrician always says that young children and babies get the nutrients they need divided more over a week than daily.

Also, if it's warm in the house or outside he may not want to eat.

If you notice any negative effects - no bowel movements, weight loss, etc... of course you should take him in. But, if he is being basically "himself" then I wouldn't worry too much.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

A.

I know this is extremely frustrating, but children do not starve themselves so trust your son.
How much milk is he getting? Are you feeding him first and then later giving him liquids?
If this started suddenly, look in the back of his throat for swollen tonsils that may make swallowing difficult.
And for some reason kids around this age often eat a lot less than previously. If there is really no intake, try making some custard (milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla) and see if a bland, soft food is tolerated. The only other thing might be a tongue thrust where he means to swallow but doesn't. Does he seem distressed by the lack of intake?
I know this is frustrating and worrisome. keep us posted on how it turns out.

You should never punish or scold a baby/child for not eating. Nor should you offer food as a reward for good behavior. Let your baby eat when and if he's hungry. If your concerned take him to the doctor.

After a year of age, babies' growth rate slows so he doesn't need as many calories per meal now. Give him foods before his bottle so he will be hungrier. Maybe it's time to let him try a spoon--get a bowl that sticks onto the high chair tray with a suction cup so the whole thing doesn't land on the floor at once... Finger foods--gerber graduates or cheerios, diced bananas, etc. If he's hungry, he'll eat!

L., I have a friend that has a daughter that would not eat and it was she at her young age had an illness about food. YOu should try talking to your doctor to be sure he does not have the same thing. She would not eat anything and became very thin. good luck with your son and just love him, it may not be his fault!!

I have an 11 month old. She occasionally does the same thing. I will tell her "No." If she continues, feeding time is over. I do the same when she starts pushing all her food on the floor.

I know she will not starve herself so I do not get concerned. When she is hungry she will eat.

My kids did this I got sneaky and put half and half on the spoon one side the food I was trying to give them and the other side one of the foods that they likes. It worked for me give it a try it might work for you. Good luck, been there.

My son in just now 15 months old and did the same thing. I thought he would never eat. I kept him on the toddler formula because I was worried about him not getting enough nutrition. I also noticed he ate better when I fed him what we were eating instead of the Gerber Graduates. We took away the bottle this week and he is eating like a champ. I think maybe I wasn't letting him get hungry enough. He is just now starting to put food in his own mouth. The food spitting seems to have been only for me. I took him on a trip and someone else handed him a graham cracker and he ate it.(He couldn't see that I was watching at the time) Also when other small children came over and were feeding themselves, he seemed more interested.

Kids that age will not starve themselves. If he doesn't want to eat, then don't force it. When he starts doing that, ask him if he's all finished. If he wants more, you can try again, but if he keeps spitting out the food, then end the meal and try again at the next mealtime. Do the same if he throws the food on the floor. Making food a battle will put you at your wits end and won't change the situation at all, so you'll just have to let it go. Trust me, he will get enough to eat when he's hungry. If you don't allow him to continue the behavior and end the meal when he does it (without giving him a snack an hour later), he will learn pretty quickly that if he wants to eat, he can't do that.

Also, you may want to make sure you aren't filling him up too much with milk or juice during the day. That could affect his mealtimes. I used to just give my daughter milk with meals and water during the day if she needed something to drink. I never let her have juice at all until my mom gave it to her when she was about 19 months old (she didn't know I didn't give her juice). She just turned 3 yesterday and even now she only gets 2 cups of juice per day and they are diluted with water.

The bottom line is, if your son is hungry, he will eat. Don't fight with him over it. It will only frustrate both of you. I've been there, so I feel your pain. It's likely just a phase and he'll be over it before you know it.

This is normal behavior. Most babies/toddlers put nearly everything they touch into their mouths. Around this age they start to push food out of their mouth with their tongues for several reasons. One reason is they are discovering their tongue and what it can do just like they did with other body parts. Another reason is they like the way it feels when they push the food around in their mouth and squish it with their tongue. I wouldn't scold a child for doing it but I wouldn't ignore the behavior. When your son starts doing this ask him if he is done or full. If he says no then tell him he can't play with his food and spit it out like that; he has to eat like a big boy. If he says yes or acts uninterested in the food then end meal time. A young child will not starve themselves. He'll eat more when he's hungry.
Also, like many moms said on here, don't let him fill up with juice or milk before meal time because he'll eat less then.
I would also suggest that he feed himself. It may be messy but children his age usually eat more (and try new foods) when they are allowed to feed themselves. They want to pick it up and put it in their mouth, either with or without the use of utensils.

If he is 13 months old he is capable of feeding himself. Maybe he doesn't want to be fed? Maybe he doesn't need to eat as much food as you are trying to give him? Once they are toddlers it is amazing how little food they seem to require. Something like 3 Tablespoons at each meal a day is actually enough. Give him table foods cut up into small pieces to feed himself. He won't starve. If he's hungry he will eat. I have one kid (13 YEARS) who still seems to live on air. If he starts losing weight or otherwise seems "off", call the doctor. Otherwise it is probably a stage.