When Do You Start Feeding Babies Solid Food
For more information virtually how to know if your infant is set up to starting eating foods, what showtime foods to offering, and what to expect, watch these videos from ane,000 Days.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American University of Pediatrics recommend children be introduced to foods other than breast milk or infant formula when they are nearly six months old. Introducing foods before four months quondam is not recommended. Every kid is dissimilar. How practise you know if your child is set up for foods other than breast milk or infant formula? You lot tin can look for these signs that your child is developmentally prepare.
Your child:
- Sits up alone or with support.
- Is able to control head and cervix.
- Opens the oral fissure when food is offered.
- Swallows food rather than pushes it back out onto the chin.
- Brings objects to the mouth.
- Tries to grasp pocket-sized objects, such every bit toys or food.
- Transfers nutrient from the front end to the back of the tongue to swallow.
What Foods Should I Introduce to My Child First?
The American University of Pediatrics says that for most children, you do not need to give foods in a certain order. Your child can brainstorm eating solid foods at about 6 months onetime. By the fourth dimension he or she is vii or 8 months old, your child tin can consume a variety of foods from different food groups. These foods include infant cereals, meat or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts and cheeses, and more.
If your child is eating infant cereals, information technology is of import to offer a variety of fortifiedalert icon infant cereals such as oat, barley, and multi-grain instead of only rice cereal. But providing infant rice cereal is non recommended by the Food and Drug Assistants because there is a risk for children to be exposed to arsenic. Visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administrationexternal icon to acquire more.
How Should I Introduce My Child to Foods?
Your child needs sure vitamins and minerals to grow salubrious and strong.
At present that your kid is starting to eat food, be sure to choose foods that give your child all the vitamins and minerals they need.
Click here to learn more than about some of these vitamins & minerals.
Let your child try one single-ingredient nutrient at a time at start. This helps you lot come across if your child has any problems with that food, such equally nutrient allergies. Await 3 to five days between each new food. Before yous know it, your child will be on his or her way to eating and enjoying lots of new foods.
Introduce potentially allergenic foods when other foods are introduced.
Potentially allergenic foods include cow's milk products, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Drinking cow's milk or fortified soy beverages is not recommended until your child is older than 12 months, but other cow's milk products, such every bit yogurt, tin can be introduced earlier 12 months. If your kid has severe eczema and/or egg allergy, talk with your child'south doctor or nurse well-nigh when and how to safely introduce foods with peanuts.
How Should I Prepare Food for My Child to Eat?
At first, it'south easier for your kid to swallow foods that are mashed, pureed, or strained and very smooth in texture. Information technology can accept fourth dimension for your child to adjust to new food textures. Your kid might cough, gag, or spit upward. As your baby's oral skills develop, thicker and lumpier foods tin be introduced.
Some foods are potential choking hazards, then information technology is important to feed your child foods that are the right texture for his or her development. To aid forestall choking, prepare foods that can be easily dissolved with saliva and do not require chewing. Feed small portions and encourage your baby to consume slowly. Always watch your kid while he or she is eating.
Here are some tips for preparing foods:
- Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or h2o to make information technology shine and easy for your baby to consume.
- Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.
- Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.
- Cook food until it is soft plenty to easily mash with a fork.
- Remove all fatty, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.
- Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit, so cut the fruit into small pieces.
- Cutting soft food into small-scale pieces or thin slices.
- Cutting cylindrical foods like hot dogs, sausage and string cheese into brusque sparse strips instead of circular pieces that could get stuck in the airway.
- Cutting small spherical foods similar grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes into small pieces.
- Melt and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice, and other grains.
Learn more about potential choking hazards and how to forestall your child from choking.
When Do You Start Feeding Babies Solid Food
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/foods-and-drinks/when-to-introduce-solid-foods.html