DELAWARE MODERN
PEDIATRICS, P.A.
David M. Epstein, M.D.
300 Biddle Avenue, Suite
206
Springside Plaza, Connor
Building
Newark, Delaware 19702
Phone: (302) 392-2077
Fax: (302) 392 - 0020
www.DelawareModernPediatrics.com
Starting Solid Foods for Infants
Parents
of newborns will receive much advice about feeding from well-meaning
people. Unfortunately, much of this
advice is more complicated than necessary.
In fact, starting solids is quite easy and fun; it does not have to be a
source of stress or panic for parents.
All
infants should be fed only breast milk or formula for the first four to six
months. Water is optional, but not
usually necessary. Solids are generally
not introduced until four to six months, unless there is a medical reason to do
otherwise. Whole cow’s milk is
generally started at about 12 months of age.
When
starting solids, you may start with rice cereal for a few days. This is given by spoon and not in the bottle
(except for certain medical conditions).
After your child takes cereal well for a few days, you can begin to
introduce vegetables, then fruits. I
like to suggest vegetables for the first few foods, because some children will
become used to the sweetness of the fruit and reject the vegetables later. Do not start more than one new food every
few days, so that if your child develops a reaction you know which food caused
it.
There
are several foods which should be avoided until 12 months of age, because of
the risk of food allergies. These
include milk products, fish, nuts (especially peanut butter), egg whites
(although hard-cooked yolks are fine), and honey. In particular, peanuts and peanut butter should be avoided until
age 2 or 3 if a close family member has any severe food allergies.
Many
parents are now making their own baby food, right off their own plate at
mealtime, for some or all meals. I
think that homemade baby food has several advantages. It is less expensive to make your own food, there is less
waste, and it tastes better. Also, it
is easier to include the infant in your mealtime, which has benefits for social
development.
To
make your own baby food, cook it until soft (or take it off your own
plate!). Puree in an electric blender
or grinder, or mash with a fork, so that the baby won't choke on the
pieces. The KidCo Food Mill ($12 at
Amazon.com and other sources) works well.
Do not add salt, butter or milk, but you may soften it with water or the
baby's milk. Mild spices are fine;
teach your baby to like the same food that you do!
After
your infant has had some experience with several different foods, you can begin
to offer three meals a day, with two or three different foods at each
meal. Babies should be taking solid
food 3 times a day by 6 months of age at the latest (earlier if you wish). Allow your child to experiment with
different flavors and textures. Let her
eat her fill of each food, as she pleases, then you may finish with breast milk
or formula.
Many
parents like to give juices, but juices are actually unnecessary. There is no nutrition in fruit juice that
can not be gotten from the solid fruit.
In addition, many infants will fill up on juice, and refuse the better
nutrition of solids later in the day.
Or the infant may learn to prefer sweet foods, which may be a risk for
obesity. It is a good rule to limit juice to 6-8 ounces per day, and put it in
a sipper cup only, so that the child does not become "hooked" on
juice bottles.
At
all costs, avoid feeding battles with your child. Let her hold her own spoon by 9 months! If the child learns to depend on her parents for determining what
and how much to eat, the child will have less experience in gauging her
appetite later. It is becoming clear
that many later problems with eating disorders and obesity can be avoided by
allowing the child to develop an attention to her own appetite.