Mercy Pediatrician, Dr. Ashanti Woods, Discusses Thoughts On Starting Your Baby On Solid Foods

New data has pediatricians re-examining feeding guidelines for babies.

Previously, doctors waited until six months to start children on solid foods, waiting three to five days in between introducing each new food.

According to board-certified pediatrician Ashanti Woods, M.D., FAAP, of Mercy Family Care Physicians in Baltimore, data now suggests parents may be able to introduce solids as early as four months.

Dr. Woods notes that children need food diversity and variety. When giving them that early, doctors typically see fewer food allergies.

“We encourage parents to ask their pediatrician at the four-month wellness visit for tips on starting food. Starting solids, 10 years ago, the recommendation was 12 months of age to expose them to some of those allergic foods, such as peanuts, fish and shellfish. That's not the case anymore. We can safely do that starting as early as five or six months. However, children should be closely monitored,” Dr. Woods said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the most common food allergies are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy.

To view Mercy pediatrician Dr. Ashanti Woods’ interview regarding starting your infant on solid foods, and children’s food allergies, click here.