| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | Only soft, low-salt wafer-type crackers that dissolve with saliva — the AAP names wafer-type cookies or crackers among suitable early finger foods. |
| 9 months | Yes | Only soft, low-salt wafer-type crackers that dissolve with saliva — the AAP names wafer-type cookies or crackers among suitable early finger foods. |
| 12 months | Yes | Still choose ones that dissolve. The CDC names crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces or whole grain kernels, and hard cookies or granola bars, as choking hazards. |
| 18 months | Yes | Still choose ones that dissolve. The CDC names crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces or whole grain kernels, and hard cookies or granola bars, as choking hazards. |
| 2 years | Yes | Still choose ones that dissolve. The CDC names crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces or whole grain kernels, and hard cookies or granola bars, as choking hazards. |
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 — Crackers 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.
Crackers are one of the common allergens (wheat). 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 dividing line is whether it dissolves. A soft wafer cracker melts; a hard cracker, cookie or granola bar breaks into sharp pieces and is on the choking-hazard list.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. The dividing line is whether it dissolves. A soft wafer cracker melts; a hard cracker, cookie or granola bar breaks into sharp pieces and is on the choking-hazard list.
From 6 months: Only soft, low-salt wafer-type crackers that dissolve with saliva — the AAP names wafer-type cookies or crackers among suitable early finger foods. From 12 months: Still choose ones that dissolve. The CDC names crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces or whole grain kernels, and hard cookies or granola bars, as choking hazards. 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.
Crackers 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. 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.