Alicia Silverstone chews food for her 11-month-old child, Bear Blu

[Dennis Olson]

Alicia Silverstone chews food for her 11-month-old child, Bear Blu

By Hollie McKay

Published March 27, 2012 | FoxNews.com

Celebrities have a tendency to be a little on the quirky side, but is "Clueless" star Alicia Silverstone’s unique method of feeding her 11-month-old son Bear Blu clever or, well, clueless?

The actress and animal rights activist posted a video herself feeding her son breakfast on her popular health food website TheKindLife.com over the weekend.

“I fed Bear the mochi and a tiny bit of veggies from the soup…from my mouth to his. It’s his favorite...and mine,” Silverstone wrote. “He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating. This video was taken about a month or 2 ago when he was a bit wobbly. Now he is grabbing my mouth to get the food!”

The video shows the actress taking a spoonful of food, chewing it, and then passing it open-mouth to her little one.

Which may not be such a great idea, say some medical and nutrition experts.

“There are those who think that a mom chewing a baby’s food provides helpful enzymes from her mouth but it doesn’t seem like a hygienic practice. Various viruses and bacteria, but especially herpes virus, may be passed from mother to baby,” Dr. Jennifer Landa, M.D Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “These microbes present a challenge that the infant’s immune system may not be ready for. So the practice is questionable for safety, and then, there’s a certain ick factor here that needs to be considered.”

Dallas-based family therapist Melody Brooke said the bigger question was whether it is appropriate, on a psychological level, for a toddler to be diving at their mom’s mouth for food. Mira Jacob, deputy editor of parenting site Babble.com, noted that while the concept itself isn’t all that unique, it does come across as – odd.

“A lot of moms chew a portion of their baby’s food; it’s often a very natural transition. But this just looks really funny, like Alicia is making out with her son,” Jacob mused. “There is nothing terribly wrong with it, it just looks really weird.”

Even JJ Virgin, Certified Nutrition Specialist and star of TLC’s “Freaky Eaters,” was a little freaked out.

“Sounds like she is taking eating like a bird to the extreme. While this could help predigest some of it as we start carbohydrate digestion in the mouth it could also pass along any bad oral bacteria she has too,” Virgin said. “I think a food processor and a spoon are a better bet!”

On the flipside, Heather Lounsbury, founder of LiveNaturalLiveWell.com said the Silverstone’s baby would have already been exposed to anything mom might have through being carried inside her and through her breast milk.

“I'm sure Alicia is brushing her teeth regularly as to not expose her baby to bacteria in her mouth. It is dangerous to try and live in a completely sterile environment, because it's impossible,” Lounsbury said. “And it doesn't allow for the body to fight minor infections so it can fight more serious illnesses it may be exposed to.”

The interesting feeding approach has generated mostly positive reactions from Silverstone’s blog followers.

“I had never thought of this before but it's the cutest way of feeding your baby! I have a 7 month old and I think I will try this method...she is always trying to lick my mouth anyways might as well give her a reward,” commented one fan, while another wrote that it was “so sweet.”

Jackie Keller, executive chef of Los Angeles healthy food company NutriFit still thinks such behavior would be better suited in the wild.

“I've never seen anything like this – except in the animal world where birds and some other species pre-chew their offspring's food,” she added. “I wonder what benefit there could possibly be to the child and the mom? Certainly there is no scientific literature that I'm aware of that promotes this type of behavior among humans.”

A rep for Silverstone did not respond to a request for comment.


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[VesperSparrow]

I never had to chew my kid's food...I figured if it needed chewing and he couldn't chew it HIMSELF then he didn't need to be eating it....but hey....whadda I know anymore....

[mzkitty]

That's odd for US, but I'm sure many a mom has done it in history before food processors were invented. I never did it, and agree with VS. I still remember the first time I put a tad of baby food on my son's tongue, and the really confused surprised look on his little face, but he managed. hahahaha..... Memories.

[eXe]

Bear blu? I feel worse for the kid being named that then I do for the nutty hollyweird type chewing his food.. lol

[vessie]

That is seriously beyond normal behavior, it's beyond strange and totally unhygenic in the extreme.

I cannot believe what a totally ignorant little cheese Heather Loundsbury is to say, (quote) “I'm sure Alicia is brushing her teeth regularly as to not expose her baby to bacteria in her mouth. It is dangerous to try and live in a completely sterile environment, because it's impossible,” Lounsbury said. “And it doesn't allow for the body to fight minor infections so it can fight more serious illnesses it may be exposed to.”

Are you kidding me Heather??!!??? It's not just about brushing your teeth, the bacteria is all over the mouth and viruses too. And let's not forget to floss Alicia.

God only knows what Alicia's put in her mouth in her lifetime. My mind can think of a myriad of 'things'...

Sick, just sick. V

[Leigh19717]

I could have gone all day without knowing that

[Chair Warmer]

My grandmother told me that is what they did in the old days to feed their babies. I see no need to continue the practice since we have modern food processors available.

Other than store bought baby food, I would use a fork to mash the cooked food to give my babies, like carrots, potatos, and peas.

Giving the kid chewed food is just digusting!

[BadMedicine]

french kissing is believed to have roots in animals sharing food mouth to mouth. Dogs to this often when the mom is tending a young litter the male or pack will hunt and come back and regurgitate for her, and later the young pups, often eaten right from their mouths. Bonding, food sharing, politics... For under 1 year old, not too weird, IMO.

[Harbinger]

Masticating the food??? WTH! Hey, here's a bright idea and it is just as easy and safer.....

Picture this.....

Now, I realize it must be an amazing concept in hollyweird but....

Perhaps.....somewhere out there one might be find jars of baby food, try smashing the food with a fork, or heaven for bid; put it in a food processor.... plus, you can put the left overs or extras in an air tight container!

Our kids wouldn't touch baby food so we fed them soft yolk and pureed most everything!


I guess common sense isn't so common anymore!

[Dennis Olson]

Though I admire her talent, little Alicia never struck me as being the brightest bulb in the pack. Hey, at least she didn't HIRE someone to chew it for the kid....

[CapeCMom]

All we need to do is paint a red dot on her cheek-that way her little nestling will know where to peck to get Momma to regurgitate breakfast......Note to self-please let Alicia know she is not a seagull.

[Hansa44]

I recently read somewhere that this is a very common practise in some other countries. Africa for one. Most don't have baby food or processors and this is the best way to start giving them regular food.

[Troke]

Back before WWII, I knew mothers that did this. I never gave it a thought. Cheaper than buying baby food at a time when cheap was critical.

[Dennis Olson]

I recently read somewhere that this is a very common practise in some other countries. Africa for one. Most don't have baby food or processors and this is the best way to start giving them regular food.

And everyone knows how exactly like Turd Whirled sh*t-hole countries we backwards Americans are...

[Murt]

I can recall my grandmother talking about people with good teeth chewing food for the babies when she was growing up

[pops88]

Yuck. I know this was a practice, but I thought we learned a few things from modern medicine.

On a somewhat related note- I knew my daughter was ready for solid food the day she was sitting on my lap during Thanksgiving dinner, grabbed a handful of my mashed potatoes and slammed them into her like she was starving. Got the attention of about a dozen people around the table. It was hysterical.

[Kent]

On the flipside, Heather Lounsbury, founder of LiveNaturalLiveWell.com said the Silverstone’s baby would have already been exposed to anything mom might have through being carried inside her and through her breast milk.

Babies are not exposed to bacteria in the womb, or from the breast milk of a healthy mother. They can get antibodies from milk.

[willowlady]

While I do not appreciate the Hollyweird types trying to make this acceptable, I certainly see nothing wrong with the practice. It has been done throughout history. I would not be doing at at 11 months, though. By that time, unless they are toothless (and even then their hard palette should be tough enough to "chew" many foods), they can eat a great many table foods with a minimum of softening. What I do not understand is a board supposedly full of preppers taking offense as such a simple and natural method of providing baby food. As far as it being unhygienic... what can I say? If you protect them from every germ they come across from birth on, you'll have a kid full of allergies and sensitivities. Think about it, folks, and realize that when TSHTF we are going to have to say bye-bye to some of our extreme sensibilities. As stated previously, if you love French kissing, what's the problem with this? Further, I would certainly prefer to put my good home-cooked food into a child old enough to eat as opposed to the stuff they sell in the itty bitty super expensive jars. And what do you plan to do in a SHTF situation when there are no bottles, no jars of baby food, mom cannot nurse for whatever reason, there is no wet nurse available, and the only food available is adult food? It's time to get them some nourishment or watch them die.

[Hansa44]

And everyone knows how exactly like Turd Whirled sh*t-hole countries we backwards Americans are...

I didn't say it was right for us, although it might save on food stamps. I want to say more but have decided maybe I better not.

A comment about being turd world.

[pops88]

Think about it, folks, and realize that when TSHTF we are going to have to say bye-bye to some of our extreme sensibilities. As stated previously, if you love French kissing, what's the problem with this?

I've lived in a 3rd world country. I'm not going to that type of living unless I absolutely have to. As for French kissing, I don't really do very much of that because it is a way to pass things like the flu, norovirus, etc. As a responsible parent I wouldn't want to up the risk of passing something to my child by upping the load factor of exposure.

[Chair Warmer]

What I do not understand is a board supposedly full of preppers taking offense as such a simple and natural method of providing baby food. As far as it being unhygienic... what can I say? If you protect them from every germ they come across from birth on, you'll have a kid full of allergies and sensitivities.

If shtf, I'd think people should be even more careful not to spread germs, because that's when they can least afford to get sick.

And what do you plan to do in a SHTF situation when there are no bottles, no jars of baby food, mom cannot nurse for whatever reason, there is no wet nurse available, and the only food available is adult food? It's time to get them some nourishment or watch them die.

Find a lactating nanny goat. It's not healthy to feed an infant solid foods before they're developed enough to properly swallow and digest it. Goat's milk is the next best thing to human milk.

[pauldingbabe]

While I do not appreciate the Hollyweird types trying to make this acceptable, I certainly see nothing wrong with the practice. It has been done throughout history. I would not be doing at at 11 months, though. By that time, unless they are toothless (and even then their hard palette should be tough enough to "chew" many foods), they can eat a great many table foods with a minimum of softening. What I do not understand is a board supposedly full of preppers taking offense as such a simple and natural method of providing baby food. As far as it being unhygienic... what can I say? If you protect them from every germ they come across from birth on, you'll have a kid full of allergies and sensitivities. Think about it, folks, and realize that when TSHTF we are going to have to say bye-bye to some of our extreme sensibilities. As stated previously, if you love French kissing, what's the problem with this? Further, I would certainly prefer to put my good home-cooked food into a child old enough to eat as opposed to the stuff they sell in the itty bitty super expensive jars. And what do you plan to do in a SHTF situation when there are no bottles, no jars of baby food, mom cannot nurse for whatever reason, there is no wet nurse available, and the only food available is adult food? It's time to get them some nourishment or watch them die.

amen sister, many have forgotten this

[Up and Away]

Eeewww. Cook the food and mash it with a fork, will ya?

[Old Gray Mare]

And what do you plan to do in a SHTF situation when there are no bottles, no jars of baby food, mom cannot nurse for whatever reason, there is no wet nurse available,

Pray that one of my goats is in milk.[/QUOTE]
and the only food available is adult food? It's time to get them some nourishment or watch them die. [/QUOTE]I am not a doctor or healtcare worker. Can infants digest mashed adult food? I didn't think they could.[/QUOTE]

[Ragnarok]

Think about it, folks, and realize that when TSHTF we are going to have to say bye-bye to some of our extreme sensibilities.

I'm fairly confident that Alicia Silverstone is NOT in a SHTF scenario...

[Dennis Olson]

You know, the likelihood of a total SHTF / TEOTWAWKI scenario is a bit remote at this point (barring total world war). Even in that event, it is unlikely that we'd have to go back to basically Biblical times (before utensils were invented) and have to CHEW THE KID'S FOOD FOR HIM/HER. I mean, COME ON! Mash the food with a fork or dice it really fine with a knife. If someone has reached the point where they don't know how to use utensils (or don't have any and can't get any) what's the point of trying to get a baby to survive? Or of surviving yourself for that matter...

[willowlady]

Can infants digest mashed adult food? I didn't think they could.

[/QUOTE]

IIRC, that's the purpose in the adult masticating the food prior to feeding it to the infant. A lot of pre-digestive breakdown of the food occurs in the mouth. I'm not talking about masticating food for a two month old infant; more like six months and older. If younger, better pray there is a milk supply. That said, ever heard the phrase "sugar teat"? My grandmother told me you could keep a brand new infant alive long enough to find a cow, goat or wet nurse by using a sugar teat.

[Harbinger]

You know, the likelihood of a total SHTF / TEOTWAWKI scenario is a bit remote at this point (barring total world war). Even in that event, it is unlikely that we'd have to go back to basically Biblical times (before utensils were invented) and have to CHEW THE KID'S FOOD FOR HIM/HER. I mean, COME ON! Mash the food with a fork or dice it really fine with a knife. If someone has reached the point where they don't know how to use utensils (or don't have any and can't get any) what's the point of trying to get a baby to survive? Or of surviving yourself for that matter...

Ron White: Ya, can't fix stupid!

[Milk-maid]

At 11 months old, the child has teeth and should be chewing their own food. They are missing vital nutrients and enzyme action when they don't.

Think about this...it isn't natural.

What many of you are mistaking is that parents might have done this in the dark ages when all there was was meat to chew on and the kid had no teeth.

Children Now have baby food to get them through the period of time with no teeth. Babies live better and pass infanthood as a result compared to all who didn't live through it in the past and died of malnutrition.

[mzkitty]

They do make real baby food these days!! Organic too, if that's her glitch.

BTW, I didn't sleep well last night and flipped on one of the network early morning news shows. The news anchor (Betty Nguyen) says something like, after the break we'll be back with a Hollywood star whose parental baby feeding habits are making everybody say, "GROSSSSSSS!!!!"

I cracked up.

[ainitfunny]

We are DEVOLVING.
Becoming LAZY, STUPID, cruel, savages, uncivilized.
Everything is too much trouble. Standards be damned.
You don't need electricity to make baby food.
These are ten bucks new and about a buck in a thrift store.
Munchkin baby food grinder.

or a food mill:

Even those without this can simply take a metal strainer and the back of a spoon and press cooked food through it to make it baby ready.
People are no longer willing to make the effort to do things right.
What would they do it they had to wash diapers by hand, BOIL and sterilize bottles nipples and process home made formula like we did in the 60's an earlier?
Some have looked at the potential collapse of civilization and relearned "primitive survival skills" which while being useful for genuine emergencies, havve somehow erroneously glorified them as preferable to the developments and improvements man has learned and replaced those primitive survival solutions.

If you can't discern the difference between a "too clean" sterile environment impairing baby's immune system development and basic hygiene you don't have the judgement or innate common sense to survive a collapse of civilization, and perhaps we'd all be better off without your genes in the pool. Cave Momma didn't wash her hands after toileting or before preparing food either but that doesn't mean it's a good idea for tweeter mom to embrace.

[Harbinger]

At 11 months old, the child has teeth and should be chewing their own food. They are missing vital nutrients and enzyme action when they don't.

Think about this...it isn't natural.

What many of you are mistaking is that parents might have done this in the dark ages when all there was was meat to chew on and the kid had no teeth.

Children Now have baby food to get them through the period of time with no teeth. Babies live better and pass infanthood as a result compared to all who didn't live through it in the past and died of malnutrition.

My version of history and your version of history are obviously quite different! Fruits and veggies never grew any where???? When did mankind stop cultivating fruits and veggies????
Then again, man now makes franken plants aka GMO seeds that only resemble nutrition!

[Milk-maid]

My version of history and your version of history are obviously quite different! Fruits and veggies never grew any where???? When did mankind stop cultivating fruits and veggies????
Then again, man now makes franken plants aka GMO seeds that only resemble nutrition!

Pick-pick-pick...ok let's change that to the caveman who ate their meat raw. I don't remember them cultivating gardens.

[workerbee]

What was that movie she starred in?

Chewless?

Toothless?

[ainitfunny]

At 11 months old, the child has teeth and should be chewing their own food. They are missing vital nutrients and enzyme action when they don't.

Think about this...it isn't natural.

What many of you are mistaking is that parents might have done this in the dark ages when all there was was meat to chew on and the kid had no teeth.

Children Now have baby food to get them through the period of time with no teeth. Babies live better and pass infanthood as a result compared to all who didn't live through it in the past and died of malnutrition.

i agree.
I do want to point out though that the "dark ages" were NOT hunter-gatherer CAVE MAN DAYS but well after Christ and the fall of the Roman Empire and the Height of the Great Greek Civilization and well after the Height of the great Egyptian Libraries and Universities.

[Milk-maid]

i agree.
I do want to point out though that the "dark ages" were NOT hunter-gatherer CAVE MAN DAYS but well after Christ and the fall of the Roman Empire and the Height of the Great Greek Civilization and well after the Height of the great Egyptian Libraries and Universities.

See post 33 above.

Holy cows you guys and gals are a tough crowd.

[Harbinger]

Pick-pick-pick...ok let's change that to the caveman who ate their meat raw. I don't remember them cultivating gardens.

Humanists; for centuries, have cultivated the idea that those who dwelt in caves for a brief period, (I dislike the term cavemen. It has a demeaning connotation for our very advanced ancestors.) weren't intelligent enough to not only picked the fruits and veggies that grew nor cultivate the seeds. These are the same groups who also maintained how barbaric the native Americans were and lo, their intelligence in many ways superseded the Europeans. These are also the same people who; today, are telling us we are not intelligent enough to make a responsible decision on issues like sex, abortion, health insurance, and healthy diets, etc.

Remember, these "barbarians" who lived in caves applied the heliocentric universe theory long before Copernicus and new the planets in the solar system, and the stars, judged the seasons by the planets and stars according to cave paintings, and were capable of advanced math (that we, modern man, have just now stumbled upon with all of our intelligence) to build with such precision megalithic structures like stone henge, and arial structures such as in the Nazca Lines in Peru.


Also remember, revision is history....

Understand, that the truth is a weapon against those who would use it or destroy it for their selfish agenda. It's the difference between education and ignorance. Knowledge is power. One can be culled only if one doesn't know the truth......

[Milk-maid]

It wasn't purposeful revisionist history, it is me getting old and having a hard time remembering history from high school.

I know we have a bunch of experts on the board here, so I stand corrected.

Can we let it drop now and get back on topic?

[Harbinger]

Never led on the idea that you were purposely changing history, I maintained that humanists like to revise history to suit their agenda. It is a personal, niche of mine to express how important it is to know the truth even in something that may appear trivial but can many times mean the difference between appearing ignorant and appearing intelligent and back lash on the person who had good intent. I am not an expert nor have I ever implied that I was. Many on these boards have knowledge that is far superior to mine. I simply, remind my self of this and keep trying to learn so that I can face my opposition head on with facts and never break. My intent was to neither badger someone nor belittle them but to point out not to provide anyone the means to do so. These are hard lessons which I have had to learn because the art of proper debating (and it is an art) is very difficult and many, including myself are poorly equipped due to public education. If we can not provide proper environment on these threads with which to debate tactfully and effectually; we will be not be able to stand our ground against those in the world who would destroy it for their own purposes.

Just saying.....

My $.02.

Now back to the original topic....

[Josie]

Maybe pre-chewing a child's food was/is custom in the middle ages and in thrid world countries, but what was infant mortality like? Think about it. Beyond the gross factor, how many meals would mom be feeding her baby BEFORE any symptoms of an illness manifest? You are contaigous with the flu for 24 hours before you even know you have it. By pre-chewing an feeding your baby food from your mouth, you have also infected him or her. Whereas the flu may make you miserable, it can and does kill young children who's immune systems are not fully functional and who are much more susceptible to dehydration.

If the child is too young to chew their own food, they probably shouldn't be consuming that paticular food item. There is a reason you don't give a child who doesn't have their molar teeth and a good chew/swallow mechanism things like pop corn.
And by pre-chewing a child's food, you are depriving them of one of the pleasures of eating...chewing and really tasting food.

Edited to add: One thing I have noticed lately is that words double post now and then. I've noticed it in other people's posts and here I've spied it in one of mine. I am seeing two "like?" above, I cannot edit it out because it doesn't appear when I try to. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it my computer or a board hiccup?