Doctors recommend taking precautions when it comes to introducing new foods to babies under 1 year old. The most common reason is the increased risk of a food allergy in infants. Also, babies are at risk for choking on a number of common foods including nuts and grapes.
All Solid Food
Until a child reaches six months of age, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that an infant not have anything other than breast milk or formula. The AAP states that formula, breast milk or a combination of the two is the only thing a young infant needs for proper nutrition.
Choking Hazard Foods
Foods that are a choking hazard include grapes, hot dogs and hard candies. Bubblegum and suckers should also be put on the choking hazard list. Even foods that seem harmless, like popcorn, can be a choking hazard. Popcorn is a choking hazard due to the risk of an infant accidentally eating an unpopped kernel. Most of these foods will become easily eaten once a child can chew foods completely. Any food that poses a choking hazard should not be fed to even a toddler without close and complete supervision.
Food-Borne Illness Hazards
Botulism is a serious food-borne illness that can be carried in foods that children and adults may normally eat. While adults and older children can fight off the effects of botulism, it is harder for an infant to recover from botulism. Honey and low-acid home-canned foods (meats, poultry, fish and some vegetables) are known carriers of botulism. Corn syrup is also a known carrier of botulism but botulism is not nearly as common in corn syrup as it is in honey or low-acid home-canned foods.
Allergy Hazard Foods
When a family member has any type of food allergy an infant can also be allergic to the same food or even different foods. Whatever food a family member is allergic to should not be fed to the infant until he is at least 1 year old and after having consulted with the infants pediatrician. Some of the most common foods that produce an allergic reaction in infants are strawberries, peanuts and tree nuts or anything made with them such as peanut butter, egg whites and cow's milk. The easiest way to detect a food allergy in an infant is to introduce foods one at a time leaving at least three days between introducing new foods. If there is an allergic reaction to a food and the child has been introduced to new foods one at a time, then deciding which food is causing issues for the infant will be easy.
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