Straw Cup vs All-Rounder Cup: What's the difference?

Straw Cup vs. All-Rounder Cup: What’s the Difference?

Did you know that newborns have reflexes to help them feed until they can control their movements?

These reflexes usually disappear within the first year. It's essential to help develop their oral motor skills to control liquid flow and feeding.

Whether you continue nursing during the toddler years or not, Dr. Jessica Khong from Royce Orthodontic & Pediatric Dental Center recommends weaning from the bottle between 12-18 months.

Prolonged bottle use can impact jaw development and cause an immature swallowing pattern.

Bottle-feeding, especially at night, increases the risk of tooth decay, particularly in the upper front teeth, and may lead to crooked teeth, such as misaligned back teeth or a gap between the front teeth.

Transitioning from a bottle to a straw or open cup helps your baby use their facial muscles, tongue, and soft palate, aiding in speech and feeding. Cup drinking also makes children more aware of their face and mouth, helps them learn to hold the cup independently, and introduces them to different temperatures, flavors, and liquid textures.

Introducing cups can start as early as six months. A straw cup introduced between 6-9 months old aids proper jaw development by training the jaw muscles and promoting a mature swallowing pattern.

Different Cups for Your Child’s Development

What Is a Straw Cup?

A straw cup is the first step towards using a regular cup, as both require a sucking motion. The straw cup helps position the tongue correctly, making it easier to transition to a regular cup.

The ideal age to switch to a straw cup is between 9 and 15 months, though you can start as early as 6 to 7 months. A straw cup encourages lowering the chin slightly, tongue retraction, and lip seal while drinking, allowing children to manage small liquid volumes for easy drinking.

Advantages of a Straw Cup

• Strengthens oral muscles through sucking and swallowing, involving lip, tongue, and cheek movements.
• Supports speech abilities by encouraging correct tongue positioning and early consonant sound production.

The Hegen PCTO™ Straw Cup, a 330ml/11oz cup for 9-month-olds and up, encourages natural sucking for faster oral-motor development. It offers a safe and easy drinking experience without a bite valve, promoting natural sucking and preventing choking.

What Is an All-Rounder Cup?

Open cup drinking provides several developmental benefits, such as visual sensory development, facial muscle, and bone development, which improve speech, feeding, and swallowing skills.

Unlike a straw cup that promotes sucking, an open cup teaches children to control liquid flow and volume, form a bolus, and transfer it inside, reducing spills and palate irritation from straws.

The Hegen PCTO™ 240ml/8oz All-Rounder Cup helps transition from bottle to open cup drinking. Suitable for children 12 months and older, it promotes healthier teeth development and nurtures oral motor skills for confident, independent drinking.

Advantages of the Hegen All-Rounder Cup

• Easy sipping, reduced gagging, and gas intake with a soft silicone disc regulating water flow.
• Reduced spillage due to a soft silicone disc.
• Dust cover for hygiene protection and compatibility with various bottle sizes.
• The Hegen Sqround™ shape nurtures motor skills for holding a cup without additional attachments.

How to Transition to a Cup?

Dr. Jessica Khong advises choosing an easy-to-hold cup with an ergonomic design and stable base to prevent spillage.

Demonstrate drinking from the cup and make it a fun activity with your child. Don’t worry about spills; it's a learning process.