What is the best way to introduce new foods to infants?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In addition to breast milk or formula, an infant can begin eating solid foods between 4 and 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months but recognizes that infants are often developmentally ready to accept complementary foods between 4 and 6 months of age. The main purpose of introducing solid foods is to provide needed nutrients that are no longer supplied adequately by breast milk or formula alone. The foods chosen must be those that the infant is developmentally capable of handling both physically and metabolically. As digestive secretions gradually increase throughout the first year of life, the digestion of complimentary foods becomes more efficient. The exact timing depends on the individual infant’s needs and developmental readiness, which vary from infant to infant because of differences in growth rates, activities, and environmental conditions. In addition to the infant’s nutrient needs and physical readiness to handle different forms of foods, the need to detect and control allergic reactions should also be considered when introducing complimentary foods. With respect to nutrient needs, the nutrients needed earliest are iron and zinc, then vitamin C.