NEVER BEFORE
48 months
Not before 4 years. Not for a baby. The CDC names potato or corn chips, pretzels, popcorn and similar snack foods as choking hazards for young children.
CDCCDC
| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | No — not yet | — |
| 6 months | No — not yet | — |
| 9 months | No — not yet | — |
| 12 months | No — not yet | — |
| 18 months | No — not yet | — |
| 2 years | No — not yet | — |
Yes — Chips and pretzels are 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.
Chips and pretzels are 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.
They are also high in salt, which the CDC says to avoid for young children.
If you are working through the Grains group, the same serving and allergen questions come up for oatmeal / oat cereal, pasta and barley and whole grains. Each one has its own introduction age and choking guidance — they are not interchangeable.
Not before 4 years. Not for a baby. The CDC names potato or corn chips, pretzels, popcorn and similar snack foods as choking hazards for young children. They are also high in salt, which the CDC says to avoid for young children.
There is no infant serving form for this one — see the answer above.
Chips and pretzels are 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. 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. The emergency signs are at the top of this page.