Prolonged use of a soft diet during early growth and development alters feeding behavior and chewing kinematics in a young animal model.

ABSTRACT: In infants and children with feeding and swallowing issues, modifying solid foods to form a liquid or puree is used to ensure adequate growth and nutrition. However, the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of prolonged use of this intervention during critical periods of postnatal oral skill development have not been systematically examined, although substantial anecdotal evidence suggests that it negatively impacts downstream feeding motor and coordination skills, possibly due to immature sensorimotor development. Using an established animal model for infant and juvenile feeding physiology, we leverage X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology to compare feeding behavior and kinematics between 12-week-old pigs reared on solid chow (control) and an age- and sex-matched cohort raised o

SUBMITTER: Montuelle SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11177321 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature