Starting Solid Foods

Guide To Feeding Infants

Starting Babies on Solid Foods: An Overview

For about the first six months of a baby's life, human milk or formula can provide all the nutritional requirements an infant needs. Yet, as infants become more active and grow, so do their nutritional needs.

By the end of their first year of life, most healthy infants are receiving half of their nutrition from breast milk or formula. The other half comes from complementary foods and liquids.

Why Now?

Starting solid foods is a big step for babies and their families.

Between four and six months of age, most babies are physically developed enough to handle the process of starting to eat solid foods. They are also moving a lot more, building muscle and strength as they develop their early mobility skills. This requires a great deal of energy and nourishment, more than can be provided with just breast milk or formula.

Starting solids goes beyond just satisfying nutritional needs, though. This is also an important time, because research has shown that eating habits established during the first two years of life carry through into adulthood. That is why establishing good eating habits from the start is critical.

When to Start Solids for a Baby

If your child is starting to give you hints that he or she is ready for solid foods, it might be time to take some baby steps into this new world.

What are good indicators that you can look for? The first is age. Starting solid foods between four to six months of age is ideal. You don't want to start too early or too late (see the next section for reasons why).

Besides age, there are other signs of readiness. Some of these include, when he or she:

Has good head and neck control.
Can sit with support.
Can push up with straight elbows from lying face-down.
Seems unsatisfied and hungry following their usual feedings of breast milk or formula. This usually occurs at or around the same time babies begin developing their early mobility skills and are using up a lot more energy.
No longer has a tongue-thrust reflex (extrusion reflex). This newborn reflex involves raising the tongue and pushing against any object placed between the infant's lips. It is necessary to complete the latching process when they are breastfeeding or drinking from a bottle. It will disappear on its own around four or five months of age.

The loss of the tongue-thrust reflex allows the tongue to participate in eating instead of pushing away solid foods. To safely swallow solid foods, the tongue needs to be able to transfer food from the front to the back of the mouth.

Wants to start eating solid foods. A clue is when your baby starts putting his or her hand or toys in their mouth. What they are doing is looking for varied textures.
Can indicate when they are hungry (by opening the mouth and leaning forward) and full (by leaning back or turning away).

When these indicators are present, it is time to start introducing solid foods.

Can You Introduce Solid Foods Too Early or Too Late?

It is not recommended to introduce complementary foods and liquids before a baby is four months old. This is because there are no known benefits; yet, there appears to be some risk. Some of the problems with starting solid foods too early include:

Increasing the risk for choking
Interfering with the ability to get enough calories through breast milk or formula
Increasing the risk for food allergies, atopic dermatitis (eczema), and other allergic conditions
Increasing the chances for type 1 diabetes or celiac disease in those already at high risk.

It can also be very frustrating for both the infant and parents. This is because most babies still have their extrusion reflex at this age, which makes feeding difficult.

What happens if you wait too long (after six months of age)? Research has shown that delaying the introduction of solid foods can:

Decrease an infant's growth rate from inadequate calories
Lead to a dislike for trying solid foods
Lead to iron deficiency in breastfed infants.

Can You Feed Too Much?

Absolutely. Babies are very good at knowing when they are hungry or full. Look for cues that they have had enough to eat (leaning back or turning away).

Also, there is no truth to the belief that if you feed your baby cereal right before bed, they will sleep through the night. All you are doing is increasing the chances that you are overfeeding your infant.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have the basics of why and when to start feeding your baby solid foods, it is time to learn how.

(Click Feeding Solid Foods to Infants for the ins and outs, including what you should feed your baby and in what order.)