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# A Guide to Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby.

## When to Begin

Most babies are ready for solid foods at about six months of age. When babies are ready to eat solids, they will show these signs: they can sit with little or no support, they have good head and neck control, they show an interest in food. In fact, they open their mouth when food comes closer to them and they lose the tongue-thrust reflex which pushes food back out. Six months ago, your baby’s entire diet consisted of breast milk or formula. Always check with your pediatrician before starting.

## Let’s Begin

Start with giving them one or two small meals a day, after they are calm and not too hungry or tired. For the first year milk is the main form of nutrition, so offer solids as a complement, not a substitute.

Iron-rich foods are a good first choice as the baby’s iron levels start to decline by six months. - Iron-enriched baby cereal. - Ground meat or poultry. - Beans or lentils that are mashed. - Vegetable purees such as sweet potato puree, carrot or pea puree - Mashed bananas, avocado, or pear are also a good option.

Give your child a teaspoon or two at a time and allow them to continue as they wish. Exploring tastes and textures of food, not filling tummies, is the goal.

## It means introducing new foods.

Introduce one new food at a time, and allow three to five days before introducing another. It makes it easy to identify any allergic reaction, such as rash, hives, vomiting, diarrhea or swelling. If you are facing difficulties with breathing or getting your face swollen, seek emergency medical attention straight away.

Present guidelines recommend that common allergens such as peanut products (thinned peanut butter, never whole nuts), egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish and tree nuts should be introduced early rather than delayed. If your infant is experiencing eczema flare-ups or has a food allergy, consult your doctor first.

## Moving forward with textures.

You can progress from smooth purees to thicker mashedd foods at 7-9 months, then to soft finger foods and small, tender pieces at 9-12 months. Whatever way you go about doing it, spoon-feeding or baby-led weaning or both, you must serve safe textures.

## Safety Precautions Necessary

- Ensure your baby is seated upright during meals. - Do not give young children whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn, hard raw vegetables, chunks of meat or cheese, and hot dog rounds. - Don’t feed honey to babies under one year old as it can cause botulism. - Don't offer cow's milk as a drink before 12 months. Avoid adding salt or sugar.

## Stay low and keep things steady.

A new food may require 10 to15 exposures to the baby. It’s important to remember that gagging is normal as they learn. Choking, on the other hand, is silent and different. Exploration is learning even if it makes-a-mess! Look out for signs of fullness, like turning away or shutting the mouth, don’t force-feed.

Relish this achievement together.

# a Guide to starting solids with your baby

## how old is my baby?

Typically most Babies will be ready for solid foods by the time they are six months old. The best way to determine if your baby is ready is to look for these signs of readiness: - he/she sits up without much support. - has very good head/neck control. - shows an interest in the food. - opens his/her mouth wide enough for the food to go into it. - does not have the "tongue thrust" reflex where he/she pushes the food back out after trying to eat.

Before six months of age, breast milk or formula provide everything that your baby needs. Always consult with your pediatrician before starting your baby on solid foods.

## Getting Started

Start off with either one or two small meals per day. It is easiest to start feeding your baby when she/he is calm, and not too hungry or tired. Milk should still be the main source of nutrition for your baby through-out their first year. Solid foods can be used as a supplement instead of replacing milk.

Here are some examples of good first foods for your baby. These foods are rich in Iron because Babies' Iron stores begin to decline at approximately six months of age: - Iron-fortified Infant cereal - Pureed meats/poultry - mashed beans/lentils - Pureed vegetables such as sweet potatoes/carrots/or peas - mashed fruits such as bananas/avocados/or pears

When you first introduce new foods, try using one or two teaspoons at a time and allow your baby to set the pace. In the early stages of eating, the purpose of mealtime is for taste testing and texture exploration versus filling the tummy.

## introducing new foods

To make it simpler to find out whether your baby develops an allergic reaction to a particular food item, always offer one new food at a time. Wait for three to five days before introducing the next new food. Common symptoms associated with an allergic reaction to a specific food may appear within minutes to hours of ingestion and could include but are not limited to rash/hives/vomiting/diarrhea/swelling. Please seek immediate medical assistance if your baby experiences difficulty breathing or facial swelling.

Recent recommendations suggest that introducing common allergenic foods, including peanuts/thinned peanut butter/neither whole nor chopped nuts/egg/dairy/wheat/soy/fish/tree nuts, earlier in life may reduce the occurrence of developing allergies compared to waiting until later in life. However, please discuss introducing common allergenics with your pediatrician prior to introduction if your child has severe eczema or already has a diagnosed food allergy.