Recommendations for introducing solids have changed a lot in the concluding couple of decades. Women used to be pressured to feed rice cereal to their babies equally early as a few weeks former for a amend night's sleep.

When I was a babe, moms were told to start solids betwixt half-dozen weeks and 4 months old, depending on babe's sleep pattern and if the baby was struggling with reflux or excessive spit up.

When I became a mom, I started introducing solids at iv months, based on dissimilar recommendations. Recent inquiry and the reactions of my kids makes me wish I had waited to introduce solids.

What Are the Current Recommendations for Introducing Solids?

Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend sectional breastfeeding until baby is half-dozen months former.

"Introducing babies to complementary foods as well early can cause them to miss out on important nutrients that come from breast milk and infant formula." explains Chloe M. Barrera, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Today, despite these recommendations and studies that advise otherwise,  over 54% of women surveyed innovate solids to their infants earlier vi months.  The survey showed that 16.iii% of babies are given solids before iv months and 38.3% betwixt 4-5 months.

In another survey, parents cited these reasons for introducing solids before 6 months:

  • ninety% said they thought their baby was old plenty to start eating solids
  • 71% said their baby seemed hungry a lot of the time
  • 55% said their doctor or health intendance professional recommended this

Why Wait Until half-dozen Months to Introduce Solids?

Babies are born with very immature digestive systems.While the GI tract is withal maturing, infant's systems are not equipped to digest anything but chest milk. If anything merely breastmilk is introduced, even formula, it tin permanently change babe's gut microbiota,causing bug like necrotizing enterocolitis, diarrheal disease, and allergies.

"In infants, the ring of muscle between the esophagus and the stomach—the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)—is non fully mature, assuasive tummy contents to flow backward," says Andrew E. Mulberg, M.D., a pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist. "In fourth dimension, the LES will mature and open up only when the baby swallows and will remain tightly airtight the rest of the fourth dimension, keeping stomach contents where they belong"

That said, some mamas simply don't produce enough breast milk (and other moms may not want to breastfeed for diverse reasons). If breastfeeding doesn't work for y'all, that'south ok. At that place are plenty of healthy formulas, and many babies thrive on formula. Consider adding probiotics to baby's formula to help with immune and gut function.

But that's just the beginning.Here, a host of other reasons to hold off on introducing solids until 6 months:

i. Long-term wellness

Property off on all solids until half-dozen months of historic period can heave your child's long-term wellness. Because infants who offset eating food demand less calories from breastmilk, they may lose out on some of the most of import benefits of breastfeeding. These include lower risk of obesity, diabetes, respiratory and ear infections, every bit well as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding also reduces the frequency of doctor visits, hospitalizations, and prescriptions, according to the CDC.

2. Improved immune arrangement

"Ane of the benefits of breastmilk is that each mother provides custom-designed milk to protect her infant," co-ordinate to Dr. Sears. "When a baby is exposed to a new germ, female parent's torso manufactures antibodies to that germ." One study suggests that these maternal antibodies in breast milk improve an babe's intestinal immune system—an event that continues to benefit baby well into adulthood.

iii. Allergy Prevention

Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months has been shown to significantly lessen the risk and severity of food allergies in families with a strong history of them. It also reduces the risk of peel sensitivities, like eczema.

To farther forbid allergies, studies advise introducing allergenic foods every bit soon as baby is set up to attempt solids tin can reduce your child's take a chance of developing nutrient allergies past upwards to 80 percent. But since babies can't exactly eat basics or even peanut butter, I recommend trying a product called Ready, Set, Food!, which gives parents the pick to add the most common allergenic foods (eggs, nuts, and milk) to breastmilk, formula, or puree in a safety and effective mode.

four. College IQ

1 report found that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with a higher IQ. At seven-yr followups, the IQ of exclusively breastfed babies was an boilerplate of 3.8 points higher gain than those who were non exclusively breastfeed during this fourth dimension flow. Researchers call up this is because maternal milk is rich in fatty acids and other bioactive components essential for brain development.

5. Mama'southward Milk Supply

The best mode to maintain your milk supply is to keep nursing—nursing is all about supply and demand. When you start introducing solids, babe needs less breast milk since he/she is getting calories elsewhere. But babies nether 6 months of age get all of the calories and nutrients they need from breast milk, and then there is no need to put your supply at take a chance by introducing solids.

Get free updates on infant'south first year! – Gratis Updates on Start Year [In-article]

Sign me up!

At that place Are Always Exceptions

Like merely about anything with babies, there is no difficult-and-fast rule when it comes to introducing solids. At the cease of the day, every baby is different, and every infant develops at different speeds. Some babies are more advanced and may exist fix for solid foods effectually 5-5.5 months; other babies may non be ready for solid foods until seven-8 months. And for other babies, your pediatrician may recommend starting solids if baby needs extra calories or nutrition. Don't focus too much on the number if it seems like your baby is showing signs that he/she is gear up a littler earlier or a little later.Always work with your doctor to best decide the right time to innovate solids to your baby.

A Note Almost Introducing Solids

Waiting until after 6 months of historic period to introduce solids and water is important for optimal long-term health. After 6 months, watch your infant for signs of readiness.Baby should exist able to support his/her head very well and sit down up on his/her own. Baby may even start to evidence interest, by reaching for your food.

If baby reaches 6 months and doesn't seem ready for solids, talk to your pediatrician virtually how to proceed. For about babies, iron stores begin to driblet around this time—many babies will begin to need more nutrition than mom's milk alone tin can provide. Waiting too long to introduce solids tin too lead to delayed developmental skills, food texture sensitivities, and allergies.

Once baby is gear up to outset solids, get slowly. Merely because y'all're ready to start introducing solids doesn't hateful you can feed baby whatever you're eating. Start with complementary foods and keep breastfeeding. Bank check out this article to explore the best atomic number 26-rich foods for baby.

The WHO recommends that, in improver to breast milk, babe eats

  • solids 2-three times a day between 6-8 months,
  • 3-4 times a solar day betwixt 9-11 months,
  • 3-4 times a day with an additional snack i-two times a twenty-four hours between 12-24 months.

Ready to start introducing solids? I recommend trying baby led weaning.Once y'all start, lookout man for signs of discomfort, like indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, and increased spitting upwardly. If baby shows signs of discomfort, he/she may non exist prepare just yet. Reduce the amount of food y'all're introducing and consider adding probiotics to help with digestion. If that doesn't work, take a little suspension and endeavour again in a few days.

How About Y'all?

When did yous showtime feeding baby solids? How did yous know your baby was gear up?

  • Share
  • Pivot
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Text