SAFE FROM
6 months
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age.
CDCAAPFDA/EPA
| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | Cooked through, shell removed, pureed or finely ground and completely smooth. |
| 9 months | Yes | Cooked through and finely chopped — shellfish is firm, so chop it small. |
| 12 months | Yes | Cooked, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. |
| 18 months | Yes | Cooked, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. |
| 2 years | Yes | Cooked, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch. |
FROM 6 MONTHS
Cooked through, shell removed, pureed or finely ground and completely smooth.
FROM 9 MONTHS
Cooked through and finely chopped — shellfish is firm, so chop it small.
FROM 12 MONTHS
Cooked, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch.
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.
Shellfish (shrimp, crab, clams) is not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists. That is not the same as no risk: any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big or the wrong shape. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up in a high chair, keep mealtimes calm, and watch them the whole time they are eating.
Shellfish (shrimp, crab, clams) is one of the common allergens (shellfish). 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.
Shellfish is one of the potentially allergenic foods the CDC says to introduce when you introduce other foods. Shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, scallops and lobster are all on the FDA/EPA 'Best Choices' list for mercury.
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If you are working through the Common allergens group, the same serving and allergen questions come up for yogurt, soy and tofu and tuna. Each one has its own introduction age and choking guidance — they are not interchangeable.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. Shellfish is one of the potentially allergenic foods the CDC says to introduce when you introduce other foods. Shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, scallops and lobster are all on the FDA/EPA 'Best Choices' list for mercury.
From 6 months: Cooked through, shell removed, pureed or finely ground and completely smooth. From 9 months: Cooked through and finely chopped — shellfish is firm, so chop it small. From 12 months: Cooked, finely chopped, pieces no larger than half an inch.
Shellfish (shrimp, crab, clams) is not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists, but any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up while they eat, and watch them the whole time.
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.