Health and breastfeeding experts agree that it is best to wait until your baby is around six months old before offering solid foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many other health organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed (without grains, juices, or other foods) for the first 6 months of life.
Preparation for solid food depends on both the maturity of the baby’s digestive tract and the baby’s willingness to develop solid food. From this point on, different babies will be ready for solid food at different times; The readiness for solids development cannot be determined by a calendar; most babies are ready for solids development between 6 and 8 months.
Is Your Baby Ready For Solid Food?
Breast milk or baby food is the only food your newborn baby needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after giving birth. But between 4 and 6 months of age, most babies are ready to start solid foods as a breastfeeding or nutritional supplement, during which time babies usually stop using their tongue to push the food out of their mouth and develop coordination. Moving solid food back from the front of the mouth to swallow.
In addition to age, look out for other signs that your baby is ready for solid foods. For example:
- Can your baby keep their head in a firm and upright position?
- Can your baby sit with support? Does your baby bite his hands or play with his mouth?
- Does your baby feel like eating by leaning forward and opening his mouth?
If you answered yes to these questions and your baby’s doctor agrees, you can start supplementing your baby’s liquid diet.
- Start simple. Offer single-ingredient foods that contain no sugar or salt. Wait three to five days between each new food to see if your baby has a reaction, such as diarrhea, a rash or vomiting. After introducing single-ingredient foods, you can offer them in combination.
- Important nutrients. Iron and zinc are important nutrients in the second half of your baby’s first year. These nutrients are found in pureed meats and single-grain, iron-fortified cereal.
- After a bottle- or breast-feeding. Start by serving one or two teaspoons. Once your baby gets the hang of swallowing runny cereal, mix it with less liquid and gradually increase the serving sizes. Offer a variety of single-grain cereals such as rice, oatmeal or barley. Avoid feeding your baby only rice cereal due to possible exposure to arsenic.
- Add vegetables and fruits. Gradually introduce single-ingredient pureed vegetables and fruits that contain no sugar or salt. Wait three to five days between each new food.
- Offer finely chopped finger foods. By ages 8 months to 10 months, most babies can handle small portions of finely chopped finger foods, such as soft fruits, vegetables, pasta, cheese, well-cooked meat, baby crackers and dry cereal.
Know The Limits
Certain foods aren’t appropriate for babies. Consider these guidelines:
- Don’t offer cow’s milk or honey before age 1. Cow’s milk doesn’t meet an infant’s nutritional needs — it isn’t a good source of iron — and can increase the risk of iron deficiency. Honey might contain spores that can cause a serious illness known as infant botulism.
- Don’t offer foods that can cause your baby to choke. As your baby progresses in eating solid foods, don’t offer hot dogs, chunks of meat or cheese, grapes, raw vegetables, or fruit chunks, unless they’re cut up into small pieces. Also, don’t offer hard foods, such as seeds, nuts, popcorn and hard candy that can’t be changed to make them safe options. Other high-risk foods include peanut butter and marshmallows. To introduce nuts and prevent choking, spread peanut butter in a thin layer or puree peanut butter or peanuts with fruits or vegetables.
If your baby makes no effort to pick up foods and feed herself or reacts negatively to a spoon touching her lips, she’s likely telling you she’s not yet ready for solid foods. Consider trying different food. If she still refuses, wait a few days and try again. Don’t be discouraged, remember consistency and patience is the key.
Source reference : American Academy of Pediatrics