Abstract:Breathing usually occurs without awareness unless there are problems such asasthma, emphysema, allergies, or viral infections. Infant and child developmentmay affect how we breathe as adults. This article includes discussion of thebenefits of nasal breathing, factors that contribute to mouth breathing, howbabies’ breastfeeding and chewing decreases the risk of mouth breathing, andrecommendations that parents may implement to support healthy development of awider palate