We’ve been looking at the four domains of feeding we consider in our initial assessment, including feeding skills. Last time we looked at the importance of the tongue. This time, we’ll be looking at the lips.
Eating and drinking is complex, with each swallow involving 32 pairs of muscles, supplied by 7 cranial nerves – plus the gross and fine motor skills required for feeding – there’s a lot for our kids to develop and learn.
So…how do we move our lips?
The movements of our lips are controlled by one of our cranial nerves – cranial nerve 7, otherwise known as the ‘facial nerve’. The facial nerve controls the muscles that allow us to move our lips. These muscles work together so we can smile, frown, articulate speech sounds, and eat and drink. Here’s some of the key muscles:
Orbicularis oris is the muscle that surrounds our lips, allowing us to close our mouths, and pucker up for a kiss.
This one is very important for keeping food in our mouths while we are eating and drinking!
The zygomaticus major and the levator anguli oris muscles pull your lips upwards and outwards, helping you smile.
The depressor anguli oris and the depressor labii inferiori pull your lips downward and outward, helping you frown.
Why are our lips important for eating and drinking?
Your lips:
Help to keep food and drink in your mouth, preventing any spill from the lips (important when it comes to drooling and saliva management too).
Allow you to form a seal around a cup or straw when drinking.
Allow you to clear food from a spoon or fork.
During our initial assessment we look at how the lips move, and watch during eating and drinking to check current feeding skill development.
So… next time you smile, frown, or drink from a straw or cup, you’ll know what muscles you are using!
