Baby Cup

As the child nears the age of one year, the newborn suckle begins to give way to a more developed swallowing pattern, and the use of a bottle or the use of a hard-spouted baby cup can impede this transition. That's why it's crucial to switch to a cup with a straw as soon as possible, preferably before the baby turns a year old. The brain will permanently rewire itself to keep the tongue on the floor of the mouth if it isn't trained to rise to "the spot" at rest and during swallowing. Unfortunately, this has led to an improper lingual or tongue-rest posture and an abnormal swallowing habit. Because I am not a dentist, I will not go into detail on the effects of a lagging tongue on swallowing or dentition. Some children develop a lisp during the course of their speech development, which causes air to be audibly heard escaping the front or side of the mouth during the production of particular sounds, such as an "s" that sounds "slushy."