Introducing Solid Foods to Baby

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Many mothers regard the introduction of solid foods as a sure sign that their babies are growing up. Some will that solid foods will make babies sleep better and longer at night. But feeding solids may be started too early - giving solids and cow's milk products before 4 months has been shown to lead to allergy problems in some susceptible babies. There is no need to start solid foods before four months, unless for a medical reason.


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This table can be used as a guideline for introducing your baby to solid foods.

In some cases in trying to introduce solid foods too early, as soon as the spoon touches thee front of the babies tongue, the tongue makes attempt to push the spoon out. Too early attempts can also be frustrating and messy, since most of what does get into the child dribbles straight back out again. The frustration involved in overcoming his efforts to fend off food can set up a poor eating pattern. Mealtimes should be pleasant experiences, not pitched battles between opposing forces.

When your baby is about four to six months old , he may seem still hungry after his feed and this may be the signal to start him on solids. Start with strained foods in small amounts, increasing as the baby's interest grows. Since milk has very little iron in it, the first foods introduced  should be cooked, strained cereals and iron added to them. A teaspoon of rice cereal mixed with enough formula or breast milk or water to give it a smooth consistency is an excellent first food. Although the rice may be relatively tasteless to you, it offers a new and important experience for your baby. He feels a new consistency  on his tongue. Some mothers add the cereal to the milk in the baby's bottle, but this deprives the baby of a pleasurable learning experience. Rice cereals is good to start with since it is unlikely to cause any allergic reactions such as diarrhoea. After a few days, oatmeal, barley wheat, and last of all, mixed cereals can be introduced onte at a time.

After cereals, introduce other strained foods, again one at a time. Then if any reaction does occur - such as a rash or diarrhoea - you can easily identify the offending food.

Introduce junior foods (still mostly strained, but with some chunks of food) when the child has one or two primary teeth. Some babies prefer to skip junior foods altogether and go directly on to smashed potatoes, cottage cheese eggs, and other table foods. Most babies at this age also enjoy hard biscuits, rusks and toast. By the time they are a year old gnawing carrots that have been scraped, bones that are safe for their age and pieces of apple.

Clarisse Tam

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