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SINGAPORE: You may be eager to introduce your baby to the fascinating world of tastes and textures, or perhaps your friends and relatives have been pressuring you to wean your baby early.
Nutrition experts, however, say it is best to hold that first spoonful of cereal until your baby is over six months old.
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommends that babies start eating solids from seven months, with breast milk as the sole source of nutrition from birth.
Said Gleneagles Hospital dietitian Rehana A Wahid: "Early introduction of solids could result in digestive disorders, due to an immature digestive system which is unable to digest certain substances like complex proteins."
Even if you do begin weaning your baby, solid foods should be introduced one at a time over a period of three to four days to detect any food allergies, advised nutrition experts.
"For babies with a family history of food allergy, dairy products should be delayed until after they are one year old and eggs should only be introduced after two years of age," said chief dietitian at KK Women's and Children's Hospital Christine Ong.
The best foods to start with are simple grains like white or brown rice, which are less allergenic. These are usually sold as iron-fortified rice cereal or milled rice.
"Rice cereal can be mixed to a smooth consistency by adding breast milk or formula. The cereal also usually contains iron which is important to prevent iron-deficiency anaemia in growing babies," said Ms Ong.
When rice is well-accepted, starchy vegetables such as potato, carrots and pumpkin can then be introduced before including fruits such as mashed papaya, banana, apple or pear.
"First foods are usually smooth purees, progressing to soft mashed foods and then roughly mashed or chopped foods by the time baby is 10 or 12 months old," added Ms Ong. - TODAY/ar
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