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Home › Articles › Toddlers › Sensory Play for Toddlers

Sensory Play for Toddlers

Salty, Sour, Bitter and Sweet

Part Three

By Laura Cone

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Studies based on the fetus gulp rate of amniotic fluid increasing in the presence of sweetness suggest a child may detect differences in taste and may perhaps indicate a sweet tooth at as early as 13 months.

Dr. Hirsch says it is not unusual for toddlers to avoid new foods, a problem called neophobia. He says the problem can be solved by exposing toddlers to different foods in small concentrations over a period of time. "You can discourage your children from eating new foods by making it a conditioned response, telling them if you eat your spinach you will get dessert," he says. "That discourages them from eating the spinach. You don't want to do that."

Dr. Hirsch advises parents to feed their toddler a new food at the end of the meal. "At the end of the meal their endorphins are elevated as a result of having eaten," he says. "What you eat at the end tastes better. Your body perceives it as being better than at the start. The reality is you have a greater ability to smell and taste at the start, but your body perceives it as being more pleasant at the end."

Infections, sinusitis or even a nutrition deficiency may cause your toddler to have a taste or smell disorder. "There are certain things you can watch for," Dr. Hirsch says. "For instance, are they indiscriminately eating? Are they not very picky? If they have a taste disorder or smell disorder they may eat foods you would not expect them to eat."

Preventing Loss of Taste
Dr. Hirsch says head trauma may also cause taste loss, which is why it's important for toddlers to be placed in car seats. Also, by avoiding secondhand smoke, you may prevent smell and taste loss in your toddler.

Researchers have found children who are breastfed tend to grow up to be less picky because breast milk has multiple flavors depending on the mother's diet, according to Dr. Hirsch. If you did not breastfeed, make sure to expose your toddler to as wide a range of flavors as possible while eeting dietary requirements.

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