| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | Mashed or pureed. Small round foods are a choking hazard whole — never serve them uncut. |
| 9 months | Yes | Cut into small pieces — quartered lengthwise for anything round or firm. Never whole. |
| 12 months | Yes | Still cut: quartered lengthwise, pieces no larger than half an inch. Whole is a choking hazard until at least 4 years. |
| 18 months | Yes | Still cut: quartered lengthwise, pieces no larger than half an inch. Whole is a choking hazard until at least 4 years. |
| 2 years | Yes | Still cut: quartered lengthwise, pieces no larger than half an inch. Whole is a choking hazard until at least 4 years. |
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 — Watermelon 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.
Watermelon 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 melons among the fruits to offer from around 6 months, and names uncut melon balls as a choking hazard. Remove every seed and cut into small thin pieces — never balls or cubes with a round face.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. The CDC names melons among the fruits to offer from around 6 months, and names uncut melon balls as a choking hazard. Remove every seed and cut into small thin pieces — never balls or cubes with a round face.
From 6 months: Mashed or pureed. Small round foods are a choking hazard whole — never serve them uncut. From 8 months: Cut into small pieces — quartered lengthwise for anything round or firm. Never whole. From 12 months: Still cut: quartered lengthwise, pieces no larger than half an inch. Whole is a choking hazard until at least 4 years. 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.
Watermelon 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.