The current WHO guidelines state that complementary foods should be introduced when your baby is six months old [1].
Your baby may have already started reaching for your food, and it's great that they are showing interest in food. However, it is better to wait to introduce complementary foods for now. Experts believe before six months of age, babies get everything they need from breast milk or formula and do not need solid food, water, or juice [2].
A child younger than six months will find it difficult to chew or swallow, as these skills develop around the six-month mark [3]. Also, complementary foods require the baby to eat independently [4], and most children can’t do this before they are six months old.
It is also worth noting that by continuing to breastfeed, you help reduce the risk of your baby developing gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. Contrary to some beliefs, babies have no difficulty gaining healthy weight with breastmilk alone [5], and those fed with formula also do not need supplementation [2].
So for now, the gameplan remains the same: keep breastfeeding or feeding your baby with formula. This is exactly what they need at this stage for healthy growth and development.
