Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society

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Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society

667 US-51 Suite C
Ridgeland, MS 39157
601-385-DOWN (3696)

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Baby Feeding

Solutions for Feeding Infants with Down Syndrome

Babies born with Down syndrome can be bottle or breastfed, but they may require a little additional assistance. Many factors can affect eating, but the most common ones are due to a small mouth size, low muscle tone, or heart problems, which can make sucking difficult and very tiring.

Breastfeeding

Visit our Breastfeeding page for more information on how to breastfeed a baby with Down syndrome.

Bottle Feeding

Visit our Bottle Feeding page for more information on bottle feeding a baby with Down syndrome.

As Your Child Develops, Consider These Tips:

  • A tool to use to help strengthen your baby’s suck is the pacifier. The pacifier strengthens oral motor control and helps develop the muscles needed for drinking, eating solid foods, and talking.
  • When your child is able to begin drinking from a cup, it is important that they use a cup/straw instead of bottles and sippy cups.
  • When your child is a little older, your speech pathologist will probably recommend some type of regular facial and oral stimulation so it is helpful if your child becomes accustomed to touching on the face and in and around the mouth at an early age.