A New Way to Eat: Starting Solids

Sponsored by: Evenflo   

During dinner you look over at your four-month-old baby in her high chair, and she's eyeing your plate -- greedily and enviously, it seems. You think, it must be time to introduce solids. Not necessarily.

A New Way to Eat  
For much of the first year, breast milk or formula should make up the bulk of what your baby eats; no other food is more important nutritionally. Think of his eating solids more as a learning experience. After getting all his meals by sucking at the breast or bottle, your baby must now get the hang of taking in food in a whole new way. 
 
There's no reason to rush your child's introduction to solids. Her immature system can't digest or absorb them for the first few months of life, and she must develop a certain amount of control over tongue and mouth. Also, starting solids too early can interfere with proper nutrition; they fill up baby's tummy so that she doesn't drink enough of the more nutritious breast milk or formula. 
 
Some babies are ready for solids at four months, others at six months, and a few not until late in the first year. That's why it's important to be on the  lookout for the following signs that your child may be ready for the bowl and spoon:

• He has good head and neck control. That way he can lean forward when he wants to eat or pull back if he's not interested. 
• Your baby seems hungry after feedings. 
• She weighs at least 13 pounds, and she has at least doubled her birthweight.

It's important to discuss with your pediatrician the proper time to introduce solids to your child. Don't offer solids in an attempt to get your baby to sleep through the night; make sure he first exhibits the developmental signs mentioned above. While experts contend that solid foods won't help baby sleep through the night, many parents disagree. Keep this in mind; most babies start solid foods at the same time that their brain is maturing, so it may be a complete coincidence that sleeping through the night and solids often go together.  

Watching for Allergies
Once you do introduce solids, you must be alert for allergic reactions. During the first year, foods should be introduced one at a time, allowing at least two to three days between new foods so you can look for allergic reactions, including diarrhea, rash, vomiting and sneezing. 
 
Certain foods are especially likely to be allergenic and, so, their introduction should be postponed (sometimes as late as age two): 

• egg white 
• peanut butter 
• chocolate
• citrus fruits 
• berries
• corn 
• dairy products 
• pork 
• wheat

Getting Started
A good time for your baby's first solid experience is halfway through a meal (breast or bottle), when baby's hunger has been partly satisfied, but he'll still be interested in food. For most babies the first solid food is iron-fortified rice cereal; mix a little -- one or two teaspoons -- with lukewarm breast milk or formula. If your baby is breastfed, you might want to try ripe mashed banana instead -- its taste is said to be similar to that of breast milk. 
 
Sit your baby upright on your lap, scoop up some food with a spoon, and gently place it in her mouth, just beyond her lower lip. If she sticks her tongue out, instead of taking the food in, she may not be ready for solids; try again in a few weeks. If she takes the food in and swallows, you can be pretty sure she's ready for solids. 
 
Here are good early foods unlikely to cause allergic reactions: 

• iron-fortified infant cereal (rice and barley, for example) 
• ripe banana 
• avocado 
• peaches 
• squash 
• carrots 
• pears 
• green beans 
• peas 
• sweet potatoes

In the beginning you'll want to offer solids about once a day. However, solid food should be mashed or pureed. Because feedings with a novice eater are time consuming, you'll want to keep food at a nice temperature. 
 
Gradually you'll be increasing your baby's intake of solids (with guidance from your pediatrician), until around seven months, when he'll be eating all the food groups -- cereal, fruits, veggies and strained meats -- in three meals and two snacks (in servings of a quarter cup or so). Formula or breast milk remains an important source of nutrients. Babies shouldn't have regular cow's milk until at least one year of age. Around eight months you may introduce some dairy foods -- yogurt and cheese -- as well as gelatin, soft cooked beans and cooked egg yolks. 
 
You'll want to introduce a cup when baby is about six months old. Because the skill of sealing the mouth around a cup doesn't develop until about age one, you'll need to supervise drinking closely to prevent mishaps. 
 
At about nine months your child is ready to begin feeding himself finger foods, such as O-shaped cereal, cooked carrots or teething biscuits. Now's a good time to start offering tiny pieces of soft meat, such as chicken or ground beef. You might want to "sweeten the pot" by giving baby his own set of feeding utensils. 
 
You'll need to supervise closely to make sure baby doesn't choke. Likewise, don't give your child the following chokable foods until she's older:

• nuts and seeds 
• popcorn 
• hot dogs 
• hard candy 
• whole raw carrot 
• whole grapes 
• stringy foods 
• chunks of meat

By the age of one, solids will make up the bulk of your baby's meals, and he'll be a much more expert eater -- ready for most of the same foods, cut up finely, as the rest of the family. Dinnertime will become a less messy and more enjoyable experience for all -- and it will only get better as baby grows older, tries more foods, and joins in on the conversation. Bon appetit!

© 2007, Anne Winthrop Esposito and Evenflo