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Starting Solid Food
Another reason for not giving solid foods earlier than 4 to 6 months is unintentional overfeeding, since younger babies can not present you signals when they are full, such as turning away or showing disinterest. Also you should remember about your baby's inability to swallow solids correctly before 4 to 6 months of age and this can potentially cause choking. And contrary to the popular myth, starting solids early will not help your child to sleep through the night. When offering a new type of food, always feed it for several days in a row before starting another new food. This makes it easier to detect food allergies, which can present with diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, hives or a rash. Do not offer mixed ingredient foods until you are sure that the baby isn't allergic to ANY of the individual ingredients. Also, don't add any seasonings to your baby's foods. Other practices to avoid are putting your baby down for a nap or sleep with a bottle of formula or juice, as this allows sugar to pool in your baby's mouth and can lead to cavities. Don't feed your baby cow's milk, honey or egg whites until your baby is at least one year of age. Also, do not give carbonated or caffeinated drinks, candy or other foods that your baby may choke on. Remember, these are general guidelines and the amount and types of food that your baby eats may vary from day to day.
Introducing Solids Start to introduce solids when the baby is 4-6 months old. Build a variety of foods into the baby's eating pattern between 6 and 12 months. The following are common guidelines for introducing solid foods: Do not put cereal into a baby's bottle or add sugar or honey to a baby's cereal. Do not offer wheat cereals until the baby is about a year old because these foods frequently cause allergies. Introduce only one solid food at a time. Wait for several days and watch for allergy symptoms, which may include a rash, asthma, or diarrhea. Don't introduce mixed foods until each food has been offered separately; this way you'll know if the baby is allergic to a certain food. A wide variety of commercial baby foods, including vegetables, fruits, meats, and mixed dinners are readily available or you can make your own. These have no added salt or sugar. Babies do not need baby food desserts. How to Feed a Baby Solid Foods When feeding, maintain eye contact with the baby as you offer each spoonful. Feed at the baby's tempo, neither hurrying nor offering food more slowly than the baby desires it. Allow the baby to explore food with her fingers, either in the dish or on the spoon. Talk in a quiet, encouraging manner. Good feeding is a nonverbal skill that develops between the baby and the parent or caregiver. Respect a baby's wish not to eat certain foods or to eat only a small amount. Unless the baby will eat an entire jar of food in one meal, remove enough food for the meal from the jar. Never feed a baby directly from the jar as bacteria from the baby's mouth could contaminate the food. Warm the food over hot water from the stove-not in the microwave oven. Microwavewarmed food develops hot spots that can burn a baby. Never heat milk in a microwave. Allow a baby to decide how much to eat. Never force or encourage a baby to eat more than he wishes; respecting a baby's appetite will help you avoid over- or underfeeding. Preparing Baby Food at Home Solid foods are easy to prepare at home. Cook meats, vegetables and fruits until tender, then puree in a blender or a grinder. Make sure meats are cooked to a safe temperature. When preparing vegetables and fruits, either boil or steam them in a small amount of water to reduce vitamin loss. Do not add sugar, salt or other spices to a baby's food. If you make more than the baby needs for the meal, freeze the extra puree in ice cube trays. Pop the frozen cubes into plastic bags to store. To prepare the frozen cubes for a meal, thaw and warm them over hot water-not in the microwave.
Special Handling for Solid Foods • Use unopened jars before the expiration date on the jar. • Check to see that the safety button on lid is down. Discard the jar if the lid does not pop up when opened or if it is not sealed safely. • Heat foods properly. Meat, meat sticks, eggs, and entire jars of food should be heated over hot water-not in the microwave. • If only using part of a jar of baby food, do not feed the baby straight from the jar; bacteria from the baby's mouth could contaminate the food. Special Handling for Liquids • Use unopened cans of formula before the expiration date printed on the cans. • Heat formula properly. A microwave is not recommended for heating bottles because it may cause very hot spots in the liquid. • To eliminate any hot spots, shake the bottle before testing the temperature on the inside of your wrist. The formula should be barely warm. • Throw away any unused formula left in the bottle when the infant has finished feeding. If you are regularly throwing out too much, make the bottles with less formula. Disposable bottles or bottles with liners: Heat in hot water from the stove. Reusable glass or hard plastic bottles: Remove the cap and nipple. Heat in hot water from the stove. Storing Baby Food Safely Refrigerate any unused portions of food or liquid. Discard any food or liquid that has been left at room temperature for over two hours because of the risk of food-borne illnesses, which can be fatal in infants.
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