Chatterboxes home page Developmental Milestones

Is Your Child Reaching Their
Feeding Developmental Milestones?


Developmental Feeding Milestones
Birth - 3 Years of Age
 0-1 months
  • Suckle on nipple
  • Nose breathing
  • Presence of rooting reflex
  • Incomplete lip closure


2 months

  • Suckling pattern
  • Mouth opens in anticipation of feeding
  • Improved lip closure


 3 months

  • Continue feedings via nipple
  • Orientation to midline
  • Liquids only


 4 months

  • Voluntary control of mouth
  • Pursing of lips


 5 months

  • Liquids and purees
  • Sucking pattern used with spoon
  • Gagging with new textures
 6 months
  • Lip closure increased
  • Gag reflex reduced
  • Rooting reflex disappears
  • Teething

 7-9 months

  • Lower lip used to stabilize cup drinking
  • Mouth closure around top of cup
  • Drooling with teething

 10-12 months

  • Independent finger feeding
  • Increased cup drinking as weaned from nipple
  • Removes food from spoon using lips

 13-18 months

  • Consumes all textures
  • Can drink using straw

 19-24 months

  • Primarily self-feeding
  • Swallows with lip closure
  • Rotary chewing predominate

 24-36 months

  • Completely self-feeding
  • Uses fork independently
  • Holds cup with one hand