During the first 6 months of life, your baby needs only breastmilk, or if not breastfeeding, infant formula.
Introducing any solid food before 6 months does not benefit your baby. Some people think their baby will sleep longer at night if they have solid foods before the age of 6 months. This isn’t true. Babies fed solid foods early continue to wake at night. Waking at night is a normal part of a baby’s development.
If you feed your baby solid foods before they are 6 months old, they are at risk of undernutrition and choking. Breastmilk or infant formula will provide all the nutrition a baby needs in the first 6 months of life. Solid foods are not as easily digested as breastmilk and infant formula. Babies fed solid foods early may not get all the protein, fat, and other nutrients they need to grow and develop.
Before 6 months of age, babies are still developing the skills needed to eat solid foods. These skills include holding their head up and sitting up on their own. Without these skills, babies are at risk of choking when eating solid foods. Most healthy, term babies will show signs of being ready for solid foods at 6 months of age.