| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | All fat, skin and bones removed before cooking; cooked through, then pureed or finely ground. |
| 9 months | Yes | Cooked through and finely chopped or ground — never in chunks. |
| 12 months | Yes | Cooked through, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. Chunks of meat are a choking hazard. |
| 18 months | Yes | Cooked through, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. Chunks of meat are a choking hazard. |
| 2 years | Yes | Cooked through, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. Chunks of meat are a choking hazard. |
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 — Chicken 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.
Chicken 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.
The CDC names chicken among the proteins to offer from around 6 months, and the AAP names well-cooked, finely chopped chicken as a suitable early finger food. Chunks of meat are a choking hazard — chop finely.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. The CDC names chicken among the proteins to offer from around 6 months, and the AAP names well-cooked, finely chopped chicken as a suitable early finger food. Chunks of meat are a choking hazard — chop finely.
From 6 months: All fat, skin and bones removed before cooking; cooked through, then pureed or finely ground. From 8 months: Cooked through and finely chopped or ground — never in chunks. From 12 months: Cooked through, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. Chunks of meat are a choking hazard. 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.
Chicken 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.