Open vs. Sippy Cups: Which is Better for Your Baby’s Speech Development?

Sippy cups have been around long enough that most parents consider them a necessary step between bottles and straw cups. But is this true?

Sippy cups are not necessary for a child’s drinking and swallowing skill development. In fact, there is growing evidence that they should not be a step at all because prolonged sippy cup use can impede speech development and proper tongue use.

This idea has been discussed for a while now, so let’s get into the nitty gritty to understand the debate, which cups (if any) are better, and how to time transitions.

Sippy Cups Change Swallow Patterns

Take a moment to drink water out of an open cup, a straw, and a bottle. Pay attention to your lip, tooth, jaw, and tongue position for each drinking method. These are considered mature swallow patterns because you have to lift your tongue nearly to the ridge behind your front teeth to drink.

Babies do not drink from the breast or bottle this way. They use an immature “shallow” drinking method in which the tongue is pushed low and forward over the lower gums to latch properly and bring milk to the throat.

The problem with a hard-spouted sippy cup is that the spout blocks the tongue from rising to the position it should be in for mature swallowing. With the hard spout pushing the tongue down, the toddler doesn’t learn to shift his or her tongue to the position it should be in to handle drinking out of an open cup or straw more proficiently. Not all sippy cups are designed with a hard plastic spout. Are they any better? Not really. Even silicone or soft plastic spouts still block the position the tip of the tongue should be in to transition to mature swallowing.

Sippy Cups Bring the Tongue Forward

Since sippy cups force the tongue to stay low and flat, prolonged sippy cup use can impede a toddler’s ability to drink well from open cups and straws. Moreover, the toddler may habitually leave the tongue low and flat when speaking.

To understand how crucial it is to move your tongue when speaking, try saying the following sentences without lifting your tongue:

• Thomas is mowing the lawn.

• Zebras are my favorite animal.

• Leaping lions are chasing mischievous monkeys.

These are not easy to say with your tongue in a low, forward position, are they? Believe it or not, tongue movement habits are initially built by the way we drink and refined by babbling various sounds in the first year and a half of life.

Sippy Cups May Encourage Mouth Breathing

One concern sippy cups and pacifiers inspire is mouth breathing. Toddlers who have used them for months can develop “paci-mouth,” a forward lower jaw position that makes resting with an open mouth comfortable.

That low-tongue position from lots of sucking and immature swallowing can be a tough habit to break for toddlers and young children. So, get ahead by weaning from the pacifier before your child’s first birthday and skip the sippy cup altogether!

Sippy Cups May Impact Tooth Development

Another issue speech-language pathologists will raise regarding sippy cups and pacifiers is their impact on tooth development. With a low-lying tongue position and a tendency to rest with the mouth open, toddlers may develop an open bite.

An open bite occurs when there is a gap between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed. Obviously, this problem is more likely to happen in toddlers who continue using the pacifier constantly or carry the sippy cup around in their mouth as a comfort item.

Are Straw Cups Better Than Sippy Cups?

Straw cups are better than sippy cups because they allow the tongue to rise up for mature swallowing. However, the straw must be small enough in diameter to not force the tongue down. Silicone straws are ideal because they do not poke through the back of the throat in case a toddler falls while drinking. The soft texture of silicone is also excellent because they don’t force the tongue down at all.

If you want a truly spill-proof straw cup for your baby or toddler, we have a fantastic option here at Moonkie! Our Silicone Training Cup with Straw comes with two straw options: one valved straw for young learners and one regular flow straw for those who already have the concept down. Made entirely of silicone, the cup is flexible enough to avoid harming littles who fall on it but sturdy enough to withstand boiling, tantrums, and chucks across the room. It’s a nifty addition to your little one’s dinner set!