1. Skip to navigation
  2. Skip to content
  3. Skip to sidebar

Topics:

Food for tot: Expert advice on feeding your baby

What's eating you about feeding your child? We turned to the experts and got advice that's easy to swallow.

By
//
Originally published in Today's Parent May 2005

Q: My four-month-old son has been eating cereal for a month, but he is now refusing to eat any strained fruit. How can I make sure he is getting the balanced diet he needs?

A: Your baby’s rapid growth can be sustained for about six months on breastmilk or formula alone.

I cannot tell you how many babies are started on solids at three or four months old because of some misconception that the baby is hungry or not fat enough. Babies, like adults, have variable levels of hunger. However, in these early months, this hunger should be satisfied by increased milk feedings. Starting solids too early may actually interfere with growth.

So don’t worry about your baby refusing fruit at four months of age. He doesn’t need it. At this age, breastmilk or iron-fortified infant formula already provides your son with a complete diet.
– Diane Sacks

Q: When do I stop puréeing and start giving my child cut-up table food?

A: Generally children can manage increasingly chunky foods near the end of their first year.

Try experimenting with less puréed foods and see how he manages. An older baby’s gums are very strong and having teeth is not a prerequisite for chunky foods. Start with soft cut-up foods, such as small banana pieces, mashed potatoes and other table food. As his fine motor skills improve, including his eye-hand coordination, he will likely start to enjoy finger foods like small cereals, rice, pasta, soft vegetables and fruits which he can feed himself. Children often want to try using their own spoon and cup as well around this time.
– Sarah Liddell

Subscribe to Today's Parent for just $14.95* That's only $1.25 an issue!

May We Also Suggest...

What do you think?