Before introducing solid foods to your baby, there are signs to prove readiness. Until then, breastmilk or formula provides all the nutrients the baby needs.
Babies are yet to develop skills such as swallowing and solid food digestion until they are at least four (4) months old. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding before the introduction of solid foods.
Signs of Solid Foods Readiness
- Head control: At birth, babies are so fragile and need support for their heads to stay in place. Until your baby can keep his head in an upright and steady position, he’s not ready for solid food.
- At birth, babies use their tongues to push food out of their mouth rather than move it backwards to swallow. This is known as the Extrusion Reflux. Babies need to grow past this stage before solid foods are introduced.
- Babies should show interest in what you are eating by opening their mouth if offered a spoonful and reaching out for food.
- When babies seem hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breastmilk or formula, it is a sign that the baby is ready to be offered other solid foods.
Tips for Solid Foods Introduction
- Keep it exciting. Don’t offer bland foods to babies; offer puree foods and vegetables to expose them to a wide variety of tastes.
- Introduce one food at a time. Wait for at least three (3) days before introducing a new food to allow time to observe food allergies or other problems associated with the food.
- Be patient with the baby. In cases where the baby refuses a new food, wait and try again a few days later. You may have to try multiple times before the child accepts the food.