ABSTRACT
Current guidelines on complementary feeding relate to the recommendation to introduce solids at 4–6 months. Plain yoghurt and custard were also recommended as good first foods, while cheese sauce and meat were recommended as good early foods that could be introduced after 4 months when an infant was used to eating from a spoon. The introduction of solids was traditionally divided into three stages: 4–6 months, 6–9 months and 9–12 months plus. Developmentally, infants usually put foods into their mouths from 6 months, and hence finger foods are advised from 6 months. Food groups, and guidelines based on these groups, help ensure the inclusion of different types of food in the diet, in the correct proportions to meet nutritional needs. There is currently a lack of data regarding the most appropriate time to introduce solid foods into the infant diet, in terms of minimising the risk of developing allergies.
