At what age should infants be introduced to solid foods?

From the Guidelines

Babies should start solid foods around 6 months of age, but not before 4 months, when they show signs of readiness such as sitting with support, good head control, showing interest in food, and the ability to move food from a spoon to the back of the throat, as recommended by the most recent guidelines 1.

Introduction to Solid Foods

When introducing solid foods, it's essential to begin with iron-rich foods like iron-fortified infant cereals, pureed meats, or well-cooked legumes, offering one new food at a time every 2-3 days to monitor for allergic reactions.

Key Considerations

• Start with thin purees and gradually increase texture as your baby develops.
• Continue breastfeeding or formula feeding alongside solids, as milk remains the primary source of nutrition during the first year.
• Introducing solids at this age is important because babies' iron stores from birth begin to deplete around 6 months, and they need additional nutrients for growth and development.
• Their digestive systems are also more mature at this point, reducing the risk of food allergies and allowing them to handle more complex foods.

Allergenic Foods

• All infants should be given allergenic solid foods, including peanut butter, cooked egg, and dairy and wheat products, in the first year of life, as recommended by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Guidelines 1.
• For high-risk infants, such as those with severe eczema and/or egg allergy, introduction of solid foods should begin at 4 to 6 months of age, starting with solid food other than peanut, so that the child can demonstrate the ability to consume solid food without evidence of non-specific signs and symptoms that could be confused with IgE-mediated food allergy 1.

Monitoring and Adjustment

• Start with small amounts (1-2 teaspoons) and gradually increase as your baby shows interest and appetite.
• Monitor for signs of allergy or intolerance, such as rash, itching, swelling, vomiting, or diarrhea, and adjust the introduction of new foods accordingly.
• If an infant has a history of severe eczema and/or egg allergy, it is recommended to introduce peanut products at 4 to 6 months of age, under the guidance of a healthcare provider 1.

From the Research

Feeding Solid Food to Babies

• The provided studies do not directly address the question of when to start feeding solid food to babies.
• However, some studies discuss the relationship between food allergy, atopic eczema, and the introduction of solid foods to infants.
• For example, a study published in 2007 2 mentions that foods such as cow's milk and hen's eggs can provoke flares of atopic eczema in sensitized infants, but it does not provide guidance on when to introduce solid foods.
• Another study from 2010 3 discusses the inter-relationship between food allergy and atopic eczema, and mentions that emerging evidence indicates that oral exposure to potentially allergenic foods may be important for inducing immunological tolerance, but it does not specify the optimal time for introducing solid foods.
• Other studies 4, 5, 6 focus on topics such as intestinal permeability, iron-deficiency, and dietary intervention for metal allergy, which are not directly relevant to the question of when to start feeding solid food to babies.