Some toddlers seem to gag on anything that isn’t baby food.
Even older preschoolers can sometimes prefer liquid over solid food and may gag onanything with chunks.
These kids may even throw up after eating solid foods.
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It also offers advice on when you should take your child to see a pediatrician.
Eric Audras / Getty Images
Some children have trouble learning how to eat solid foods.
These children may simply take longer than their peers to get the hang of it.
While they’re learning, they may resist solid foods or gag on them.
Other children have a physical difference in the mouth, tongue, or throat.
This difference might keep them from swallowing normally.
These children struggle with the muscle coordination that’s needed to chew and swallow without choking or gagging.
When to See Your Pediatrician
Not all babies are ready for solid food at the same time.
First, a baby needs to be able to:
The age that babies can do these things varies.
This is why pediatricians urge parents to move slowly on solid food.
Gagging is a normal part of learning how to eat.
It’s the body’s natural way of protecting the airway and preventing choking.
Most if not all kids will gag when they first try solid foods.
Different textures are especially likely to trigger this.
Your pediatrician can determine if there is an underlying problem.
Recap
see to it your baby is ready before offering solid foods.
Remember that gagging is normal at first.
If it continues, your pediatrician can look for an underlying problem.
Possible Causes of Gagging
Swallowing is a fairly complicated process.
Gagging can point to a problem somewhere in this process, or in overall development.
For example, children with GERD may need reflux medication.
Children with SPD or low muscle tone may be referred to a physical or occupational therapist.
These specialists can help your child improve oral muscle coordination and feeding skills.
Gagging can point to a few possible problems with development or an underlying medical condition.
Depending on the cause, the problem can usually be treated with medication or physical or occupational therapy.
In some kids, though, gagging on food can be a sign of an underlying medical problem.
Talk to your pediatrician if you think your child may have a feeding problem.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.FAQ: Introducing your baby to solid foods.
Boston Children’s Hospital.Enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
Stanford Children’s Health.Swallowing problems (dysphagia).
In:Pediatric Dysphagia.
Springer, Cham; 2018:119-134.
UNC Pediatric Feeding Team.What to expect in feeding therapy?
American Academy of Pediatrics.Starting solid foods.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Feeding and swallowing disorders in children.
