My 18 month old boy keeps food in his mouth for up to 60 minutes after meals. He loves to eat, tries almost everything we offer him and doesn't seem to have any other issues with food. The doctor told us she has only seen this with children who are starved or fed very little and they keep the food in their mouth because they don't know when the next meal will come. This boy tells us every time he is hungry or thirsty, always has food and drink available and is given three scheduled meals and snacks every day. The main thing that worries me about this behavior is the possbility of him choking on the food he keeps in his mouth. He can even drink a whole cup of milk or juice without swallowing the food. He is very active, healthy and not under weight.
Have you thought that maybe he doesn't want to eat any more, but feels like he has to put it in his mouth? Maybe he has too much food. If you gave him less, maybe he would eat all of what he is given and not store it for later.
Hi M., My 22 month old daughter has been doing the same thing over the past couple of weeks...I really think it's just a phase that will pass. I remember my other daughters doing it to and I have worked in child care for 14 years and have seen children actully go to sleep with food stored in there mouth( I didn't realize) and then waking up 2 hours later and either spitting it out or actually swallowing it. I really wouldn't worry about it to much... it may be an attention thing for him to, so maybe just ignoring it he will eventually stop. I know my daughter smiles alot when she's storing food... it's like a "look at me" kind of look. Good luck...C.
Hi M.,
My son did this when he was little. He is now 8 and hasn't done it for many many years. His main reason for doing it was it was food that he really did not want to eat. It doesn't sound like this is your son's reasoning though.
He will grow out of it with no harm to him, so just try to relax and not worry about it. If you feel he is doing it for attention, don't make a deal over it then he might stop the behavior.
L.
Hi,
My 28 month old daughter does this occasionally, but she apparently has some oral motor problems (taking too large bites or gulps of liquid and coughing it out, taking bites of food & letting it dribble out her mouth if it's something she doesn't like, etc). So we are going to a feeding clinic in Paterson NJ to get her checked out, was also seen by a behavioral analyst while there since she's had temper tantrums related to not wanting to eat. So my issues are a little different than yours, but I would get a second opinion from another pediatrician or a speech therapist, it sounds like your dr. was trying to blame you for starving your child, and you're obviously not! However, he may have sensory or oral motor issues that have been overlooked. Definitely learn the Heimlich maneuver in case he ever chokes (God forbid- better safe than sorry), and check his mouth after every meal. My daughter once spit a piece of chicken into the bathtub about 45 mins after dinner and I didn't even know it was there, so I sympathize with you. Good luck!
My son, who is now 9 years old, did the same thing. I just remember having to check after each meal that he was stashing food in his mouth. I don't think there was anything special that we did to get him to stop except to keep reminding him to chew, chew, chew and swallow. He eventually stopped doing it and everyone is fine and healthy!
Yeah my daugher does it too! She is 2.5 and I think its them trying to control what they eat. If she takes a bite she didnt want or doesnt like it or she is not ready to eat she "pouches it" and then I ask her to swallow by tickling her chin underneath and then she spits it out but this has happened for a couple weeks at a time then stops and has come back several times now. But if its food she loves then its no problem.I think it is a stage thing and I dont worry about it because I know she definetly can eat well.
I certainly wouldn't go by what this doctor says! It's NOT unusual for some children to do this, even though they're fed very well. My 13 year old used to do this. We called him a chipmunk! LOL He'd eat his Spaghetti-O's and save some in his cheek until later, kinda like a cow chewing his cud, lol. I would totally NOT worry about this at all! One of my triplets did this as well, and still stashes food. He eats and drinks anything that is left over from the others when no one is looking. The boy eats plenty but he just loves his food! My 13 year old wasn't and isn't a fat kid either. So it's not like he had to eat like a pig. Neither is my triplet son. He's not fat either from over eating, nor is he skinny from not eating enough. The only concern I would have is his teeth. If there's always food sitting on the teeth it can cause decay later on. That was and still is my ONLY concern with this food "hoarding". The body needs what the body needs and your child just loves food! It's all ok!
K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
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My 3 year old has been storing food since he started solids when he isnt storing(mouth empty ) he dribbles constinatly we have seen feeding clinicsand ocupational therapists with little to no change but he has recently been diagnosed by a ENT surgeon with enlarged tonsils which makes it difficult to swallow he is booked in the get his tonsils and adnoids removed fingers crossed
My nearly six year old still does this and it started around age two. He does it mostly with stuff that he doesn't like but will usually swallow once he gets something he likes.
Just watch out. Once he kept his food in his mouth from the time he went to my MILs till he came home so we're talking almost six hours!
He can still eat and drink other stuff while its in there. Usually I ask him to spit it out and he will though.
So I guess I have no advice. Good luck, though!
At least its in his mouth! My daughter stores food in her pullup! It is a phase and it will pass. As far as choking, you'll be surprised how aware children are. However, learn the heimlich (specll check) just in case :-) All my nieces did it and they grew out of it.
My son did this while at the table. I don't remember him keeping it in his cheeks for any longer lengths of time but we were always reminding him to chew, chew, chew, too!
