| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | Not in stick form. Pull it into fine shreds, or grate ordinary pasteurized cheese instead. |
| 9 months | Yes | Not in stick form. Pull it into fine shreds, or grate ordinary pasteurized cheese instead. |
| 12 months | Yes | Cut into short thin strips, never rounds or whole sticks — the CDC singles out large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, as a choking hazard, and says round pieces can get stuck in a child's airway. |
| 18 months | Yes | Cut into short thin strips, never rounds or whole sticks — the CDC singles out large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, as a choking hazard, and says round pieces can get stuck in a child's airway. |
| 2 years | Yes | Cut into short thin strips, never rounds or whole sticks — the CDC singles out large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, as a choking hazard, and says round pieces can get stuck in a child's airway. |
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.
Yes — String cheese is one of the foods the AAP and CDC name on their choking-hazard lists. The danger is almost always the shape rather than the food itself, which is why the serving form above is the whole answer. Cut everything to no larger than half an inch, cut cylindrical foods into short thin strips rather than rounds, and quarter anything round.
String cheese is one of the common allergens (cow's milk). The current AAP guidance is to introduce it EARLY rather than delay it: newer research found no benefit to waiting, and for peanut, waiting can increase the chance of an allergy. Offer a small amount in an infant-safe form, watch for a reaction, and then keep it in the diet regularly. If your baby has severe or persistent eczema, or has already had an immediate allergic reaction to a food, especially egg, talk to your pediatrician first about how and when to introduce it.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
The cheese is fine; the cylinder is the problem. The CDC's instruction is explicit: cut cylindrical foods like string cheese into short thin strips.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. The cheese is fine; the cylinder is the problem. The CDC's instruction is explicit: cut cylindrical foods like string cheese into short thin strips.
From 6 months: Not in stick form. Pull it into fine shreds, or grate ordinary pasteurized cheese instead. From 12 months: Cut into short thin strips, never rounds or whole sticks — the CDC singles out large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, as a choking hazard, and says round pieces can get stuck in a child's airway. 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.
String cheese is on the AAP and CDC choking-hazard lists. Cut food into pieces no larger than half an inch, cut cylindrical foods into short thin strips rather than rounds, and cut small round foods into small pieces. Keep the highest-risk foods away until at least 4 years, judged on your own child.
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.