How old can babies start eating solid foods?

(Video uploaded 04/2013)

Transcript

How old can babies start eating solid foods?

When your baby approaches six months; his oral muscles, intestinal and renal functions will usually have developed well enough to start processing of solid foods. Signs of readiness for solid foods include: your baby can hold his head up; sit upright while leaning against the back of a chair; reach out and grasp objects with his hands; and he shows an interest in adults' food. When you see these signs, it is time to let your baby try solid foods.

I have heard that babies can be started on solid foods when they are three months old. Is it true?!

Babies younger than four months old should not be fed with foods other than milk. If babies are started on solids too early, they have a higher risk of developing food allergies and their growth might be stunted due to a decrease in milk intake. So, parents should never add rice cereal to milk bottles for their babies.

My baby is almost six months old and whenever I feed him rice cereal, he spits it out. Why is that?

Each baby's oral muscles develop at a unique pace. If he uses his tongue to push against a spoon that was put in his mouth or if he spits out food, this means that he is not ready for solids yet. You can try again in one week but be sure not to force him.