Introducing your baby to solid foods

Weaning can be a bewildering process, so Hilary Pereira guides you through the do's and don'ts of first foods for your baby

Government advice changed again in 2003, leaving mums - especially first-timers - confused about what to do for the best. The latest recommendation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is endorsed by the Government, states that babies should not be weaned until they are at least 26 weeks old. Introducing solid foods before this time makes them more susceptible to allergic conditions such as eczema.

Research findings also suggest that breastfeeding exclusively for at least 26 weeks helps to protect babies from gastro-intestinal bacteria, which cause illnesses such as diarrhoea.

Hungry babies
Some babies, however, seem dissatisfied with breastmilk or formula alone at a much earlier stage. Maddy Ieriti, Senior Paediatric Dietitian at Barts & the London School of Medicine & Dentistry, puts the latest advice into perspective for mums with particularly hungry or underdeveloped babies: 'It's imperative that each child is seen as an individual, and if a child's growth is faltering, then earlier weaning should be considered,' she advises. 'Also, breastfeeding mothers should receive appropriate nutritional advice and supplementation where necessary to ensure their breastmilk is nutrient-dense.'

Seek advice from your GP or health visitor before embarking on early weaning. This way you can get professional guidance based on your baby's overall growth pattern and any other special factors.

Maddy Ieriti also points out the importance of speeding up the weaning process if you do wait until 26 weeks, as a baby of this maturity will be ready to accept a greater variety of foods and textures than a four-month-old would have been: 'To ensure normal feeding progression and nutritional adequacy, it would be wise to decrease the length of time you offer only pureed foods, and move on to mixed mashed meals and finger foods by nine months,' she says.

Is your baby ready?
Your baby is probably ready to try solid foods if he shows some of these signs:

  • He seems hungry after a feed, but refuses more milk
  • He wakes more often for night feeds
  • The time between feeds gets shorter
  • He sits up in a highchair and shows interest in what's going on at the table
  • He grabs at the food on your plate
  • He simulates chewing and makes appreciative noises as he watches others eating

How to start

  • Do take the edge off his hunger with a part-feed first, then give him tasters of soft purees on the tip of a weaning spoon.
  • Do let him finish his milk feed when he has either lost interest in the food or had his quota.
  • Do keep going if he grabs at the spoon eagerly and looks for more food, but only offer tiny amounts of one or two foods at first and keep up his milk feeds.
  • Do look for cues that he's ready for more substantial amounts of solids: he'll probably reduce his milk intake of his own accord, and this is time to introduce him to a wider variety of flavours.
  • Don't offer more than a teaspoonful or two at first.
  • Don't persist if your baby pokes his tongue out as soon as it makes contact with the food: it means that a reflex which helps stop him choking is still active and he's not ready yet. Leave it a couple of weeks before trying again.
  • Don't buy fortified baby cereals at this stage: he's still getting all the nutrients he needs from breast- or formula milk, so all he needs from solid foods is extra calories.

What to offer
Many baby manuals advise starting your baby off with plain baby rice, which is fine if your baby enjoys it. However, it's very bland, and there's no harm in letting your baby try more flavoursome foods - as long as they are salt-free and don't contain any foods he should avoid at first.

It's easy to make purees by mashing foods up with a little breast- or formula milk, then pass them through a fine sieve or blast them in a liquidiser or food processor. Once you know what your baby likes, it's a good idea to make up a batch of his favourites, then freeze them in ice-cube trays. This way you can defrost as many cubes as you think he'll eat at a time.

Combinations to try:

  • steamed broccoli and mashed potato
  • mashed swede and potato
  • broccoli, courgette and mashed potato
  • boiled carrots and mashed potato
  • parsnip and mashed sweet potato
  • any combination of the above

For pudding, make purees from just stewed fruit, or add a little breast- or formula milk or baby rice if you like. Don't add sugar! Try:

  • apple
  • pear
  • apple and pear
  • pear and mashed banana

What to avoid
It's best to avoid introducing meat into your baby's diet until he has been accepting fruit and vegetable purees happily for a few weeks. Then you can start to include lean meat and poultry in your purees, as well as cooked rice, lentils and more green vegetables.

There are certain foods which a young baby's digestive system cannot tolerate, or which can trigger allergies*. These should be avoided for the first six months - especially if there is a family history of allergies. They include:

  • cow's milk or milk products (cheese, yogurt, fromage frais)
  • fish and shellfish
  • soya beans
  • eggs
  • citrus fruit (including fruit juice)
  • honey (avoid until your baby is a year old)

*If you do have allergies in the family, you should also avoid giving your child peanuts or sesame seeds (and products which contain them) until he is at least three years old. Check for any reactions when you first introduce these foods to your child.