Posted by
on Nov 9th, 2015 and filed under Doctor gives tips on starting babies on solid foods – KCTV Kansas City
A pediatrician says a sign a baby is ready for solid foods is the baby wakes up a lot more to feed. (Source: CNN)
(CNN) – When is the best time to start your baby on solid foods?
Like so many other new parents, Ashley and Jon Maloy had lots of questions about when and how to introduce solid foods to their daughter, Hannah.
Most children are ready to try their first solid food between four and six months of age.
So how do you know if it’s time to for baby to give solids a try?
Dr. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician, said one sign that some parents see is that their babies will be waking up a lot more to feed, and that means that the breast milk or formula is no longer tiding them over.
“The other thing is that some babies really like to stare at the parents’ foods,” Shu said. “So they’ll be looking at you, they’ll be smacking their lips, might even grab at your food. And that’s another sign that they might be ready.”
Shu also has some advice for parents concerned about food allergies.
“It is probably better to introduce things early rather than waiting too late,” Shu said. “So whereas many years ago, we used to say wait on things like peanuts until a baby’s three – peanuts are now fair game as soon as you start solids.”
The doctor said that to watch for an allergic reaction, she usually recommends waiting at least two or three days in between each new food.
Copyright 2015 CNN. All rights reserved.
