Readiness for Solids

To decide if your baby is ready to start solids, check for the following points, and check with your doctor. (Most babies start between 4 and 6 months of age.) - Your baby can hold her head up well on her own, to prevent choking. - Baby is able to draw the lower lip in so that food can be taken from a spoon. - Baby shows an interest in and reaches for table foods from other members of the family. - The tongue thrust reflex has disappeared. (This is a reflex that causes young infants to push foreign materials out of their mouths. To test, try placing some thinned out cereal in your baby´s mouth with your finger to see if it gets pushed back out or swallowed. If it gets pushed back out, the reflex remains.) NOTE: If allergies are present in your family, most doctors recommend waiting until the end of the first year to introduce solids.