Today, however, experts know that there is not one “right” age to start your baby on solids. Solid foods should not begin before age 4 months because: Breast milk or formula provide your baby with all the nutrients that are needed. Fortunately, doctors have zeroed in on a sweet spot for starting baby food, which is sometime between 4 and 6 months of age—though, ideally, baby should be receiving their nutrition exclusively from breast milk until the six-month mark, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). When you add solid foods to your baby’s diet, continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months… So that's the argument for targeting the 4-6 month … The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the introduction of solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4 to 6 months … Your baby isn’t physically developed enough to eat solid … NOTE: The AAP recommends breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition for your baby for about 6 months. Finally, studies suggest that starting solids before 4 months doesn't reduce the risk of allergies (West 2017), and some researchers worry that it might actually increase the risk. At 4 months old, you may be wondering if you can start introducing solid food to your baby. As with all milestones (sitting, eating solids… In the past, doctors commonly advised parents to introduce rice cereal to their babies around 4 months old. (typically at about 4 months) and weigh about 13 pounds or more, they may be ready for solid foods. Some babies may be ready for solid foods a bit sooner (4-6 months) and others a bit later (6-8 months). 17 In the Iceland study, the 4-month solids group also had higher iron stores than the 6-month … You should talk with your baby’s health care provider before starting solid foods. Around 6 months, you can start introducing solids. In one of the Honduran studies, starting solids at 4 months gave babies higher hemoglobin, hematocrit, and iron stores (measured by plasma ferritin) at 6 months of age compared to the 6 month EBF babies. Recommendations for complementary feedings of infants and young children have not varied significantly over the past 40 years.