Can one start feeding a baby with pureed food from 4 months?

Question

Will this effect the way the baby Stolls? I ask this because I have a baby brother he's 4 months now and he behaves like a 7 month old and looks like a 9.

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 but you can check the link http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html


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.

In a study by Shulman, (Shulman, Boutton, Klein. Impact of dietary cereal on nutrient absorption and fecal nitrogen loss in formula-fed infants. J Pediatr, 1991;118:39-43.), absorption of energy and protein from rice cereal mixed with formula did not result in increased net energy and nitrogen absorption in infants 16-40 days of age. Stool excretion (dry weight) increased more than fourfold when the diet of the infants was changed from formula alone to formula plus rice cereal. Thus cereal may be a very inefficient way to increase energy intake in infants.

Answer 2

NO! medical doctors say it particularly is excellent to attend to 6 months, no could rush 'solids', That infant formulation or breast milk has extra nutrients and energy that infant desires at 4 months than 'infant nutrients'. FYI Gerber point one ingredients would be a a million/2 a jar of water! whilst infant is approximately 5-6 months you are able to fork mash delicate culmination or cooked vegetables. and strawberries are an allergen, a extreme one. ward off this for some months.

Answer 3

Usually, the time to introduce solid foods depends on the motor skills. If the baby can sit up on his own and develops and "up and down" movement with his mouth, then introduction to solid foods can begin. Usually the progression is to start with an iron fortified cereal, then move on to vegetables, then meat, then fruit; make sure to only introduce one new food at a time for about 3 days to rule out any food allergies.

Check out this website, which provides detailed information about feeding your baby (from USDA) http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/feeding_infants.pdf

Answer 4

I am a mother of twins (born prematurely 2 months early). I was told to hold off on feeding the babies before 7-8 months, but I started them on cereal in their 4th month and baby foods in their 5th month and praises be to GOD they are flourishing and loving the feedings. Of course if you do start the baby foods, do vegetables first for one month before you introduce fruits so that way they will like and be used to veggies first. Make sure to try one veggie for at least 5 days and keep a watch on your baby to make sure their is no allergic reaction. If none, then try a new veggie. My kids are eating pretty much every veggie now and many fruits too. They are also drinking babies juices. They are now a healthy 8 months old. Good luck with your baby.

Answer 5

I fully feel its at parently discretion. I found formula was not supplementing enough. Even without teeth I fully think the baby is capable of pureed foods at 4 months. Mine was on them at 5 months.

I have also heard as long as the baby is capable of holding their own head up, which assists in swallowing its fine. Try some and see how the baby feels about it.

Answer 6

Rice cereal is fine, but I would hold off on the fruits & veggies for now.

My doctor recommended that I start my baby on rice cereal @ 4 months. Some people are going to say wait until 6 months. But your doctor may advise you to start early based on the babies' physical development. So check w/ the babies' doctor.

Answer 7

Yes baby's can start eating solids at 4 months. You should start with cereal first though.

Answer 8

6 months is the minimum recommended age.

Any earlier than that and you can give (yes, give) him food allergies. Currently, his digestive tract is covered with a protective film. If foods other than formula or breast milk come into contact with that film, his body *may* produce antibodies against that particular food and *bam*, you have a food allergy.

You can do a lot more damage than good by giving him solids. 4 months is far, far too young.

Answer 9

If the child is ready then you should start with baby rice ceral first.

Answer 10

i was told not to start my daughter on solids until she was 16 weeks, however, she was ready at 13 weeks and i started her on baby rice mixed with pureed veg, after that you can introduce pureed fruit.