baby food

How early can a baby start eating table food?

[Forum-M.D.-DT]

Thank you for your question and for visiting the Family Practice Forum.
Depending on what type of "table food" you are referring to, a baby can begin to be introduced to these foods as early as 6-7 months. Table food is fine as long as it is mashed, blended, or crushed into small enough portions so the baby will not choke. From 7-12 months, you may continue to introduce your baby to a wider variety of small mashed foods on a daily basis. Many babes will have only 2-4 teeth by age 1, so you need to realize that he/she may not effectively be able to "chew". Some good guidelines to follow regarding feeding of babies are outlined below:
Birth - 4 months
Breast milk or iron fortified infant milk only. Small amounts of water are fine to give but are not necessary.

4-months - 7 months
1. Continue to breastfeed or give formula
2. Try one new food every 4-5 days using a spoon
3. First introduce iron-fortified rice, oatmeal, and barley infant cereals. Then try vegetable and fruit baby foods.

7 months - 12 months
1. Begin weaning from a bottle to a sip cup
2. Add meat baby food to your child