How Breastfeeding Helps In Developing Your Baby’s Facial Structure

Breastfeeding provides a positive effect in the shaping of the roof (hard palate) of the child’s mouth. This is because the natural shape is adjustable to the shape of the infant’s mouth. After the baby achieves a proper “latch-­â€_x0090_on” they compress the areolar tissue of the breast by the rolling action of the tongue. Once they start suckling there is a back and forth rhythmic movement. This nourishes the child with the mother’s milk and also initiates the development of the facial musculature, good habits and also prevents believe it or not crooked teeth.

There is more than what you see:

Children suckle onto the mothers in a way which is different from how they use a feeding bottle. This makes a huge difference. The technique of rolling the tongue while suckling is what sets the pattern for a correct normal swallow into adulthood. The movements of the tongue, lower lip and lower jaw draw out the milk while feeding. This exercises the muscles too, ensuring babies to have better developed facial musculature.

Pressure-free:

Breastfeeding requires the baby to use less oral pressure and more thoracic pressure, ensuring chest muscles are exercised. Excessive pressure or forceful action of bottle-­â€_x0090_feeding causes the cheeks to draw in. This, in turn, puts pressure on the gums and teeth, affecting the position of teeth (present in the jaws since birth).

Tongue trained:

Apart from shaping the face and muscles, breast-­â€_x0090_ feeding trains the tongue too. The position of the tongue at rest is seen to be correctly trained (i.e. around the roof of the mouth) in breast-­fed children, which otherwise is seen to be on the floor of the mouth. This position dictates jaw development in children. A piston-like motion is seen to develop in bottle-­fed children, due to the habit of positioning the tongue on the artificial nipple to control milk flow. This abnormal motor activity of the tongue is referred to as a tongue thrust which leads to malocclusion or crooked teeth in the future.