At what age can a baby start eating baby food? Table food?

Answer 1

I am a nutritionist

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many other health organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or other foods) for the first 6 months of life. Some doctors may recommend delaying solids for the first year if there is a family history of allergies. I'm not going into the many health benefits of delaying solids here

Solids readiness depends on both the maturity of baby’s digestive tract and baby’s developmental readiness for solids. Although the maturity of baby’s digestive system is not something that we can readily observe, research indicates that 6 months appears to be ideal for avoiding the allergies and other health risks of too-early solids. After this point, different babies are ready for solids at different times -- developmental readiness for solids cannot be determined using a calendar. Most babies are developmentally ready for solids somewhere between 6 and 8 months.

Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

* Baby can sit up well without support.
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
* Baby is ready and willing to chew.
* Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness.

Four- to five-month-old babies are sometimes very eager to participate at mealtime, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are ready to eat solids - more often it's just the normal developmental urge to do what everyone else is doing. Research studies tell us that there are many health advantages to delaying solids for about 6 months for all babies, not just the babies who are not yet interested in mealtime.

common myths:

weight:
The American Academy of Pediatrics/World Health Organization recommendations for starting solids at 6 months or later has no exceptions for babies who weigh more. The research that I've seen on the health benefits of starting solids at 6 months and later holds for all babies, no matter what their weight.

It's the maturity of the digestive tract and baby's developmental readiness that makes the difference, not baby's weight.

sleep:
The popular belief that feeding solids at night will help baby sleep through the night has no basis in fact.

Answer 2

it is really a parent's choice. When you feel that your baby is developed enough, I would say it's a good time. A baby can start, however, eating baby rice or baby food as early as 4 months and can start having table food as soon as he/she get's a few teeth. I started my daughter on baby rice at 4 months then about 4 weeks later, I mixed baby food in with it, then by 7 months she was eating softened table food. I hope this helps

Answer 3

A baby can start to eat baby food at around 5 mths of age. A baby can start to eat table food at about 10 to 11 mths in age. But they have to have at least 4 teeth at the time they start to eat baby food. To be able to chew it up.

Answer 4

stage 1 baby food can be started at 4 months, along with cereal. Table food shouldn't be started until baby is able to gum most things and has been eating stage 3 baby food for a while.

Don't give baby dairy, honey, peanut butter or eggs to baby unless your doctor has told you to. Stay away from citrus fruits until around a year and don't give that much sugar to a baby.

Answer 5

Baby food at 5-6 months, and table from 9 months to 1 year. Depends on your baby, but you should ask the baby's pediatrician.

Answer 6

It all depends some babies can at 6 months and some at 8, but a lot of parents like to wait until the baby is at least 10 to 11 months old.

Answer 7

Drs tell us all sorts of strange things. Most say never until after they are a 1 yr.
Here is the problem. Babies are hungry!
My daughter started eating very liquid cereal through her bottle at 3 wks old. I gave this to her at bed time & in the morning & she was a happier girl! She also had soupy mashed potatoes. When your baby is showing signs of not being satisfied at their feeding. Try to introduce something more stable.
Now, don't go crazy & fix them a steak & baked potato. When you start introducing baby foods. Remember, 1 thing at a time. The reasoning for this is to not overwhelm them & also in case there would be a food allergy. This way if or when there would be a reaction, you would know exactly what caused it.
Sometimes the old "wive's tales" that are talked about are the best advise in the world. If your mother is around - lean on her, your grandmother. The women from your family will be your best friends as your baby grows. I used to think I was going to do exactly what the Dr said, then my daughter was born, I found myself on the phone with my mom or my grandma most of the time. Remember they raised children, they do know a bit. by the way - Blue Berry Buckle Gerbers is the most wonderful stuff in the world. You would like it! My mom said she had to watch my dad to be sure he actually fed it to me & not just to himself - haha.
just remember, if the baby hasn't got teeth, they can't chew, so don't get too advanced on them. But the rice baby cereal is wonderful. Use it very runny & bore the hole in a nipple of a bottle a bit bigger to allow easy passage - but not too big as to have it run out & choke them. Never prop a bottle!!! Hold your baby to feed them. first of all they need & deserve our undivided attention, secondly - they need to be safe! Talk to your baby while you feed & hold them. They don't care what you say, as long as you say it. The more you interact with your baby now, the more intelligent they will be when they are older! Truly!

Answer 8

well most say baby food at 4 months and table food at 9 months but my son at baby food when he was 1 month and table food when he was 6 months. but he go baby food at 1 month cause he kept acting like he wasnt eating enought with just formula witch is normal for some babys.

Answer 9

Absolutely NO SOONER THAN SIX MONTHS...and thats for baby food not "table food"

Baby's systems are more sensative than older children...so even though they may act like they want it, or you think it's cute to give them some pizza or whatever...please...just breast milk or formula for the first six months...NOTHING else...after six months you can start introducing in some mild semi solid baby foods...if you don't want to read a book about parenting...at least read the labels on the food you're trying to feed the kid...they will indicate the age group it's intended for.

Answer 10

I have twins and I started my son around 4-5 months with small amounts of baby rice cereal mixed w/ formula (rice is better due to low allergy reaction). You'll know when they're ready for rice cereal because they'll go through bottles quickly and still be hungry. He loved it and then my daughter took to it at about 5-6 months. after they're eating cereal u can start them on low allergy single veggies (like carrots or peas). Only feed one kind of food per week when ur introducing to check for allergic reactions. Dont give fruit until they're eating the veggies well (if u introduce fruit and fruit juices too soon they wont have anything to do with the veg) and dont give adult food till about 1 year and even then try to make it small portions of easy to eat foods just for transitioning (nothing with honey till 2 years). I really liked the Gerber finger foods. Made feeding easy for me and more fun for them.

Answer 11

My pediatrician for my son said I can start with fruits and vegetables and cereal around 4 months through 5 months and introduce one fruit or veggie for like 3 days so you can watch out for signs of any alergic reactions to a food. at 6 months they can have juice like once a day (4oz.) and more than just fruits and veggies combinations. you can always give your baby table food but blended for younger babies and just the naturals fruits and veggies 4-5 months big whole table food doesnt come till around 1 yr. old