How many months does it take for babies to start adding complementary foods?

When the baby reaches a certain age, you can gradually add complementary foods, but it should be noted that the baby's absorption and digestion system is imperfect after all. Therefore, it is not easy to add too many types of complementary foods. What is confusing now is the age at which the baby should start adding complementary foods. Because many people think that if complementary foods are added too early, it will cause gastrointestinal diseases in babies. At what age should babies start to eat complementary foods?

The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the UK Department of Health all recommend that exclusive breastfeeding should be continued for at least 6 months, and only after 6 months should complementary foods be added to the baby. Because breast milk can meet all nutritional needs before 6 months, including water. Formula milk, which is an imitation and substitute of breast milk, can also meet all the nutritional needs of babies before 6 months old.

Six months is when babies begin to adapt to different foods, and it is also the best time for different food structures and feeding methods. Authoritative experts take into account the baby's digestive system and the nutritional issues of breast milk, so mothers who have the conditions should still exclusively breastfeed their babies until they are 6 months old, and then gradually add complementary foods.

If some babies or mothers cannot continue to exclusively breastfeed for some reasons, they can also start adding complementary foods when the baby is 4 months old, but no earlier than 4 months and no later than 6 months.

In addition, adding complementary foods to your baby also needs to be decided based on the baby's growth and development. Generally, the following criteria apply: the baby's head and neck muscles have developed fully, and the baby can straighten his neck on his own to facilitate the intake of solid food; the baby's swallowing function has gradually become coordinated and mature, and the baby no longer spits out food on the tongue; the digestive enzymes in the digestive system are already able to digest different types of food.