A nutritionist’s advice for good ergonomics around the table!

With Myriam Alexis aka Madame Miam, pediatric dietitian nutritionist

 

These days, young parents are confronted with information overload on all areas of parenthood, and it's easy to feel lost! But eating is not just a question of nutrition, therefore Myriam Alexis, the paediatric dietician-nutritionist, shares her recommendations for good table ergonomics.

Ergonomics around the table: when can you start putting baby in a high chair?

First, it is important to distinguish classic food diversification and BLW (baby-led weaning). "These are two distinct methods that involve various setups for the baby: the recommended ages to start the diversification truly depend on the method chosen by the parents," explains Myriam Alexis.

 

At the beginning of classic food diversification (from 4 months old), baby still lacks muscle tone. Not all children develop at the same pace: the element to take into account before starting to feed a baby in a high chair is therefore not age, but tone. "Some parents are tempted to secure the baby in the chair, with cushions for instance: but in this case we're really talking about the baby's ability to sit up on his own," says the dietician.

 

 

This criterion of tone is absolutely essential: it is only when a baby is able to sit up straight that its trachea can align correctly, which drastically reduces choking hazard. To see whether a baby is ready, just try these with your baby and observe: put him in a sitting position and see if it moves forward or to the side. If your baby nods its head yes or no, this is also an indication that its back and neck muscles are strong enough. For safety reasons, always feed your baby when it is fully awake.

 

Oral motor skills should not be a criterion for placing your baby in a high chair: that is mainly training. If you feel your child is struggling with oral motor skills, get its frenums checked by a trained professional (ENT, chiropractor, lactation consultant or occupational therapist).

 

Should you wait until your baby is toned enough to safely start diversification?

It is recommended to start classic food diversification when the baby is between 4 and 7 months old. "If a baby is not yet able to sit up in a high chair safely, you can still start offering pureed food, making sure you choose equipment that allows your child to be placed in a semi-vertical position," explains Myriam Alexis. There are bouncers that can be raised straight enough for the trachea to be properly aligned. The most important consideration is that the baby shouldn't be slumped into a 'C' position. If this is the case, wait a few more weeks before starting.

 

Peaceful feeding: the ideal equipment

 

The perfect spoon for your baby is very small, narrow and flat: remember that proportionally for your child a teaspoon is the equivalent of a ladle! The size should be adapted to the size of its fist. Some brands even offer textured spoons to stimulate the gums.

 

Myriam Alexis insists on one essential point: good ergonomics and good posture mean that baby's feet should reach the footrest. "This is absolutely crucial for good proprioception, especially in case of avoiding the food ‘going down the wrong pipe’, which would require the airways to be cleared," explains the specialist. Unlike adults, your baby hasn’t yet acquired the reflex to hold on to the table: it will mainly lean forward with the help of its feet. Generally speaking, the ideal position involves two 90° angles: one at the hips, the other at the knees.

 

 

Similarly, it is also important to only strap your baby at the pelvis and not at the shoulders’ level. Not only does it prevent the reflex to bend over to expel a piece of food, untying a shoulder harness will make you waste precious time should you need to perform first aid.

 

The chair's tray should be at the baby’s navel’s height. This enables the baby to see what is in the plate and to freely lean forward to cough. It can also easily access the food with its hands to explore.

 

With these criteria in mind, the ENOCK chair is a very good choice: it has a multi-level-adjustment and easily follows the child’s evolution from when it is 6 months old until reaches 10 years, allowing the ideal position of the footrest and tray to be chosen. It also offers a three-point strap only at the pelvis.

 

 

The right position for adults to have good ergonomics

For an adult to be best positioned to feed a child, he or she should be next to the the little one. "The spoon should not be placed in front of the child, but on the side. It should go in and out of the mouth horizontally, without scraping the upper lip," explains Myriam.

 

Discovery is the most important during the food diversification process, not nutrition (at least at the beginning): the baby is still fed milk to ensure sufficient intake. The pediatric dietician-nutritionist therefore insists that the meal should be a joyful, social and convivial moment. As far as possible, she recommends that the baby eats at the same time as the whole family. The baby can also eat before the older children, but this should not prevent it from being around the table during the meal. In this way, you will develop a positive relationship with your child's eating time for the rest of their life!

 

Find Madame Miam on https://www.madamemiam.fr/