Baby - Feeding
Foods to Wait On in the First Year: Honey, Water, Cow's Milk
Honey, water, cow's milk and choking hazards in the first year.
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- Breast milk or formula only for the first months: no water, juice or cereal in a bottle.
- Start solids around 6 months (not before 4), with iron-rich foods; ask about introducing peanut early.
- No honey, cow's or plant milk as a drink, or juice before 12 months. Cut round foods lengthwise and always supervise.
In the first months
- Breast milk or formula only. No water, juice, cereal in a bottle, or other drinks unless the doctor advises it.
- Exclusive breast milk is recommended for about the first 6 months where possible, then alongside foods for 2 years or beyond (AAP, WHO).
Starting solids
- Not before 4 months; most babies are ready around 6 months. Readiness signs: sits with support, good head control, opens mouth for food, swallows instead of pushing food back out.
- Offer a variety of iron-rich foods and fortified cereals (oat, barley, multigrain), not only rice cereal.
- Ask the pediatrician about introducing peanut early, especially for a baby with severe eczema or an egg allergy.
- Water can start around 6 months, about 4-8 oz a day from an open or straw cup until 12 months (AAP).
Not before 12 months
- Honey, in any form, because of the risk of infant botulism.
- Cow's milk or plant milk as a drink (yogurt and cheese are fine earlier).
- Juice.
Choking hazards
- Whole grapes, whole nuts, hot dog rounds, popcorn, and hard round foods. Cut round foods into small pieces lengthwise and always supervise eating, seated upright.
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Grounded in: CDC "When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods", AAP HealthyChildren and WHO breastfeeding guidance. General information; follow the pediatrician's advice.
General information, not medical advice. If something feels wrong, trust that and call your pediatrician or provider. See Sources.
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