Starting Solids: When to Begin, What Comes First, and the New Rules on Allergens

Starting solids is many parents' first real information-overload moment: rice cereal or egg yolk first? What about allergies? On the three questions that matter, mainstream paediatric guidance largely agrees.

When: readiness signs, not just the calendar

Around six months is the common starting point, but these three developmental signs matter more than the date:

Sits stably with support, with good head control
Shows real interest in food — watching you eat, reaching out
The tongue-thrust reflex has faded, so food isn't pushed straight back out

Wait for all three; before four months is a no in any case.

What first: iron is the priority

A baby's iron stores from pregnancy start running low around six months, and breast milk is low in iron. So the first job of solids is iron:

Iron-fortified infant cereal (easy to accept, easy to observe)
Puréed red meat; liver once or twice a week
Egg yolk, legumes and dark leafy greens, paired with vitamin-C-rich fruit to boost absorption

The traditional ordering rules matter less than you'd think — there's no solid evidence that fruit-before-vegetables creates a sweet tooth. Variety and iron content are the point.

Allergens: introduce early, don't avoid

This is the biggest science update of the past decade: delaying allergens does not prevent allergy — it may increase the risk. Once your baby handles basic solids, common allergens like peanut (thinned peanut butter) and well-cooked egg can be introduced in small amounts — and then offered regularly and consistently.

Practical rules:

One new food at a time; watch for 2–3 days
Introduce new allergens at home, during the day
If your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy, talk to your doctor before introducing peanut

One hard line

No added salt or sugar before one year, and no honey (botulism risk). Whole nuts, whole grapes and other choking-hazard shapes need modifying first.

Compiled with reference to WHO complementary feeding guidance, the LEAP study and mainstream allergy-prevention guidelines. Not medical advice.