Best Way to Introduce Solid Foods to a Baby

Current medical opinion holds that early introduction of solids to your child can be harmful. You should not start your baby on solids earlier than is recommended: they won’t make her grow better. In 1980, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that no nutritional advantages result from the introduction of solids before a child is between four and six months old. In 1981, a British medical report cautioned against introducing solid foods before an infant is three months old. By the time your child is six months old, solid foods should be gradually introduced, because breast milk or formula alone doesn’t provide enough nourishment for the developing body.

Your baby’s behavior is the best way to decide when to start her on solids, assuming, of course, that you don’t break the three-month limit. If you find that your four-month-old is still hungry after a feeding, even though you have increased the amount of formula, then it is probably time to try solids. But don’t rush into it.

Approach solids gradually, giving your baby one new food at a time, starting with a single-grain cereal. This will enable you to monitor whether your child likes it, and whether she has problems digesting it, or has food allergies. Give her a drink of breast milk or formula first, then mash a small amount of food and give it to her. You may find that she spits it out at first, but don’t worry—she’ll probably take time to get used to the new taste and texture. Remember that a baby should always get her main source of nourishment from breast milk or formula until she is twelve months old. Gradually introduce vegetables, more-complex cereals, meat, fruit, and juices, one at a time.

Some parents let their infant taste the food by putting some on their freshly washed finger, which they then place in the baby’s mouth. Some offer the baby solids from the tip of a small spoon. Other parents sit their baby on her high chair, place a lit­tle food on her tray, and then leave her to explore. Every baby is different. Once you have gotten your baby interested in solids, and she is older than six months, gradually make the food less smooth. Your child should be encouraged to get used to foods of different textures. Never force-feed her.

Commercially prepared foods, in boxes or jars, are very con­venient and may suit your lifestyle. Ensure that they don’t have added sugar (that could damage your baby’s developing teeth), salt, or any kind of additives. The fresh food that you eat will be suitable for your baby, but puree it and avoid adding salt to it. Once your infant is well established on solids, make sure she continues to take breast milk or bottle throughout the day.