How to Decide to Give a Baby Cereal

Giving an infant her first form of food is fun. While the experience creates great pictures, remember that feeding a baby cereal is a serious decision. Since all babies are different, it is important to know what signs to look for when introducing a baby to cereal.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Consider family history of allergies. Studies have proven that introducing cereal before six months old will increase a baby's chances of developing food allergies. Around six percent of young children in the United States have a food allergy. Since the tendency for food allergies can be inherited, you may prefer to delay introducing cereal for as long as possible.

2. Ensure the baby is physically ready. The baby must be able to sit assisted in a high chair or bumbo seat and have enough head strength to actually eat. Next, make sure that the baby has the proper tongue reflex. Also check to confirm that the baby has lost the "extrusion reflex." In order for a baby to properly eat cereal, she must be able to swallow it. If the baby still forces everything out of her mouth, it is too early to introduce cereal.

3. Make sure the baby needs the extra food. Breast milk or formula provides all the necessary nutrition for a baby's first year of life. It is important that the baby continues to receive enough vitamins after she starts eating cereal. If a baby is nursing more than 8 to10 times a day or drinking more than 32 ounces of formula a day, it is time to consider introducing cereal.

4. Watch to see if the baby is interested in food. If the baby is not interested in cereal, trying to introduce it will be stressful and pointless. Wait until the baby becomes interested in the world around her and she will start imitating the adults that she sees. Signs of interest include reaching for spoons and food.

5. Obtain doctor approval. It is highly important that your pediatrician gives permission to start feeding cereal. A pediatrician is informed about the constant changes in the medical field and is also familiar with your child's history.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a day when the baby is in a good mood to introduce cereal.
• Offer cereal in between feedings so the baby will not be so hungry that she is unable to learn to eat.
• Do not feed cereal to babies in bottles unless directed by a doctor. Although doctors may recommend that babies with reflux have cereal in a bottle, do not do so without permission. Drinking cereal out of the bottle has been shown to increase a baby's tendency toward obesity and diabetes. It also can pose a choking hazard.