my son doesn't swallow food only candies

[Iveth]

my son stores his food in his mouth, sometimes he swallows after an hour or more but other times he keeps it until he goes to bed and I make him spit it out. Before he used to do the same but he would go and just spit it out after getting up from the table. I've tried givig him juice so he can swallow it along but he just pushes the food to the cheeks to drink it, candies the same thing he swalloes them and not the food. I thought it was because he wasn't ready for table food but now not even the graduates from gerber are working. When he was a baby he used to eat so much it was incredible. What should I do to keep him from doing that?

[Iveth]

Thanks for answering my question. I did forget to mention that my son is 2 and a half years old. He hasn't lost any weight but I am still concerned. No he hasn't been evaluated, I might try that next. I notice that he only chews and swallows foods he likes for example sweets.

[Renee Radenberg]

You did not mention his age, and from your question I gather he is around a year old. If he is a year old, then suggest giving Pediasure in place of milk at all times in his bottle and at meals so he will have the needed calories and protein to gain weight and grow due to his present eating habits. At the age one year old a child should be eating regular finger foods. He may need to learn how to chew and swallow food. That would not be a reflection on your parenting. Some children just do not know how to do it and need to be taught. They need to learn how to chew and shallow food properly; it is not really an instinct behavior like sucking. Has he been evaluated on how to chew food? If not, then suggest getting him evaluated, by going to your MD, and start therapy so he can start to eat regular food. Hoped this helped you.