| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Yes | Breast milk or infant formula is all a baby needs until around 6 months. |
| 6 months | Yes | Continues alongside solid foods; the CDC lists breast milk or infant formula plus 4–8 oz of water as the drinks for 6–12 months. |
| 9 months | Yes | Continues alongside solid foods; the CDC lists breast milk or infant formula plus 4–8 oz of water as the drinks for 6–12 months. |
| 12 months | Yes | Continues alongside solid foods; the CDC lists breast milk or infant formula plus 4–8 oz of water as the drinks for 6–12 months. |
| 18 months | Yes | Continues alongside solid foods; the CDC lists breast milk or infant formula plus 4–8 oz of water as the drinks for 6–12 months. |
| 2 years | Yes | Continues alongside solid foods; the CDC lists breast milk or infant formula plus 4–8 oz of water as the drinks for 6–12 months. |
Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Infant formula is not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists. That is not the same as no risk: any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big or the wrong shape. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up in a high chair, keep mealtimes calm, and watch them the whole time they are eating.
Infant formula is not one of the common allergens. Introduce it on its own anyway and wait 3 to 5 days before the next new food, so if your baby does react to something you know what it was.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
Do not put baby cereal in a bottle — the AAP says a baby could choke, unless your doctor recommends it for reflux. Cow's-milk-based formula is also one of the infant-appropriate dairy forms the AAP notes has a protective effect against milk allergy.
Nothing here changes the answer above. A soft-tipped spoon and a catch-all bib are the two things that actually get used at this stage.
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Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never appears on a “not yet” answer, on an allergen, or on a choking hazard, and it never changes an answer.
From birth — this is what a baby lives on before solids. Do not put baby cereal in a bottle — the AAP says a baby could choke, unless your doctor recommends it for reflux. Cow's-milk-based formula is also one of the infant-appropriate dairy forms the AAP notes has a protective effect against milk allergy.
From birth: Breast milk or infant formula is all a baby needs until around 6 months. From 6 months: Continues alongside solid foods; the CDC lists breast milk or infant formula plus 4–8 oz of water as the drinks for 6–12 months. Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Infant formula is not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists, but any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up while they eat, and watch them the whole time.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue. Offer one single-ingredient new food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next one, so a reaction is easy to trace. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.