How to Know When a Baby is Ready for Cheese

Trying to gauge when a baby is ready for foods is difficult because of all the different foods, and so many hidden risks. Cheese is a great way to introduce a low-lactose food into the baby's diet. It also contains calcium, which is necessary for healthy development of a baby's bones. Read on to learn how to know when a baby is ready for cheese.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Note whether there is a family history of allergies. These include hay fever, asthma or food allergies. If any of these exist, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology recommends waiting until the child is a year old.
2. Start thinking about introducing cheese at nine months of age. As long as there are no family allergy history or other medical problems, nine months is the age when most children are ready to try cheese.
3. Make sure the baby can at least gum food. Cheese is fairly soft, so it's not necessary that the child have teeth. The baby is ready to eat cheese when it can be gummed into small enough pieces to be easily swallowed.
4. Watch for any signs of a food allergy or intolerance. These include vomiting, diarrhea, swelling in the face, mouth or lips, wheezing and rash. Report any of these symptoms to the doctor as soon as possible.
5. Hold off on soft cheeses. Unpasteurized varieties pose an even greater risk to infants. These include cheeses such as feta, blue-veined, brie and any other soft cheeses. They are at a higher risk of carrying listeria, a fatal blood-borne virus that can be fatal to a child.
6. Start with mild cheese. Mozzarella or cream cheese spread on a bagel or cracker are great cheeses to start with. These cheeses are less bitter than regular cheese, so they are less likely to be rejected by the baby.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of spending tons of time cutting up cheese into tiny pieces, grate it using the biggest hole. Then just check to make sure none of the pieces are too long.