Between four and six months of age, a baby's energy needs increase, making it a good time to introduce solid foods. For most babies, it doesn't matter what the first solid foods are, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Though new or meticulous parents may wish to have a step-by-step baby feeding plan spelled out for them, they should be encouraged in knowing that as long as they stay within certain parameters, they can meet their child's nutritional needs.
Features
At five months of age, babies receive most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula. You may introduce solids at this point if the baby appears ready, or you may wait a month more. Usually, caregivers gradually introduce iron-fortified rice cereal as a first solid food. Pureed vegetables or pureed fruit may be introduced next, as baby grows accustomed to solid food. Vegetables before fruit may be a smart choice since vegetables generally contain more nutrients than fruit, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Considerations
Introduce solids when you get the go-ahead from your doctor. Indications that a baby is ready for solid food include a diminished tongue-thrust reflex, the reflex that causes them to push food out of their mouths, good head and neck control and the ability to sit upright. When babies are ready for solids, they also often show an interest in what others are eating.
Approach
Your first attempt at feeding solids should be when baby is well-rested and hungry, but not too hungry. You may give part of a bottle or breastfeed a little first. Then place baby in an upright infant seat or a high chair with a safety strap. Start with just a tablespoon of cereal thinned with about 4 or 5 tablespoons of breast milk or formula. Put a spoon of cereal near baby's lips. This first spoonful may be rejected. Wait a minute and offer it again. Remember that when introducing solid food, much of the cereal may never end up in baby's mouth. If you offer solid food several times and baby seems disinterested or frustrated, wait a few days and try again, recommends Nemours Foundation. Babies usually take some time to grow accustomed to solid food, so do not be alarmed if baby refuses certain foods. Offer them again after some time has passed.
Warning
New foods are best introduced one at a time. Feed baby the new food for two or three days and look for signs of an allergic reaction, which might include a rash, an increase of intestinal gas, bloating, diarrhea or fussiness after eating. Children are at a greater risk of allergies if one or more family members has food allergies, asthma, or eczema, but this precautionary measure is usually recommended across the board.
If baby has a severe reaction to a new food like difficulty breathing or hives, get medical assistance immediately.
Supplements
Breastfed babies receive all the nutrients they need for the first six months of life from breast milk, with the exception of vitamin D. Babies who drink breast milk exclusively, therefore, should receive a vitamin D supplement. Babies who drink formula, which already contains the right combination of vitamins, do not need this supplement.
As babies age, they need additional iron in their diet. For this reason, iron-fortified infant cereals are recommended from the start.
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