| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | Pin bones removed — check by hand — skin off, cooked through, flaked and mashed smooth. |
| 9 months | Yes | Pin bones removed — check by hand — skin off, cooked through, flaked and mashed smooth. |
| 12 months | Yes | Boneless, cooked, flaked into pieces no larger than half an inch. About 1 oz is a serving for ages 1–3. |
| 18 months | Yes | Boneless, cooked, flaked into pieces no larger than half an inch. About 1 oz is a serving for ages 1–3. |
| 2 years | Yes | Boneless, cooked, flaked into pieces no larger than half an inch. About 1 oz is a serving for ages 1–3. |
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 — Salmon 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.
Salmon is one of the common allergens (fish). 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.
Salmon is on the FDA/EPA 'Best Choices' list and is one of the fish even lower in mercury that the Dietary Guidelines single out for children. Smoked salmon is a different question — it is high in salt, which the CDC says to avoid for young children.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. Salmon is on the FDA/EPA 'Best Choices' list and is one of the fish even lower in mercury that the Dietary Guidelines single out for children. Smoked salmon is a different question — it is high in salt, which the CDC says to avoid for young children.
From 6 months: Pin bones removed — check by hand — skin off, cooked through, flaked and mashed smooth. From 12 months: Boneless, cooked, flaked into pieces no larger than half an inch. About 1 oz is a serving for ages 1–3. 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.
Salmon 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.