Procedure/Treatment/Home Care
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Feeding Your Infant
#887
The following table is a general feeding guide for your infant. Always talk to your infant’s doctor when starting solids with your infant. The best time to
start solids is when your infant is developmentally ready. Pay attention to your infant’s developmental stage rather than your child’s actual age. If your
infant was premature, a general guide to introduce solids would be according to your infant’s corrected age. For example, if your infant is 4 months old
(16 weeks) but born 2 months early (8 weeks), the corrected age is 2 months (8 weeks) (16 - 8 = 8 weeks, which is 2 months). For more information about
corrected age, ask your doctor or nurse for the handout: Corrected Age #1643.
When introducing solids to your infant, start slowly. Begin with just a tablespoon of food and do not worry if your infant does not finish a meal. If your
infant does not seem to like a food the first time, try that same food in a week or two.
Age
0-4 months
Developmental Stages
and Feeding Skills
• Pushes spoon out with
tongue. Infant is not
ready to start solids.
• Milk may leak from sides
of mouth.
4-6 months
Foods
• Breastmilk or formula
only.
• Baby does not need extra
water or any solids.
• Sits with support and
good head control.
• Add single grain baby
cereal that includes iron.
• Hungry after 8-10
breastfeedings or drinks
32 ounces of breastmilk
or formula.
• Start with thinned cereal.
Add 1 tablespoon of
cereal to 4 tablespoons
of breastmilk or formula.
Feed small amounts with
a spoon.
• Can sit in a highchair.
Daily Intake Amounts
• 8-12 breastfeedings or
12-24 ounces of expressed
breastmilk or formula.
• 2-3 ounces of expressed
breastmilk or formula for
each pound of weight.
• Breastfeeding or 2432 ounces of expressed
breastmilk or formula.
• 2 tablespoons of cereal,
twice a day.
Feeding Tips
• Breastfeed or bottle feed baby as
baby asks for it (on demand).
• Wake baby for feedings if the
doctor says to wake.
• Start with single grain cereal and
feed only one new baby cereal
each week:
— rice
— oatmeal
— barley
• Can provide mixed cereal after the
baby has tried each cereal alone
for one week.
Age
6-8 months
Developmental Stages
and Feeding Skills
• Points and reaches for
food when hungry.
• Picks up and holds small
objects in hand.
Foods
Daily Intake Amounts
Feeding Tips
• Add pureed and strained
fruits and vegetables.
• Breastfeeding or 1624 ounces of expressed
breastmilk or formula.
• Can offer 1 ounce of 100% juice a
day. Give no more than 4 ounces
a day.
• Offer 100% fruit juice
in a cup only (not in a
bottle). Give no more
than 4 ounces a day.
• 3 tablespoons of cereal, 3
times a day and offer fruits
and vegetables each day,
too.
• If child has loose stools with juice,
mix 1 ounce of juice with 1 ounce
of water. Give only 4 ounces a
day of this juice and water mix.
• Start with half a jar every
day. By 8 months, may
have up to 2-3 jars each
day.
8-12 months
• Tries to feed self.
• Grabs for and may use
spoon to feed self.
• Add bread, crackers,
strained and finely
chopped meats, and
yogurt
• Continue to offer
breastfeeding, breastmilk,
or formula several times a
day.
• Shakes head to say “no”
when full or does not
want that food.
• Ask your infant’s doctor
about when to give nuts,
fish, and eggs.
• Try new foods.
August 3, 2016 • DRAFT to family review
#887 • Written by Melissa Doggett, MS, RD
© 2006, 2014, 2016 Phoenix Children’s Hospital
• Offer bite-sized portions of peeled
fresh fruits and cooked vegetables.
• Does not need infant cereal as
long as eating breads and crackers
that have iron added.
Why or why not?
q Yes If yes, what?
After reading this handout, do you have any
questions about the subject?
q Yes Would you do anything differently after reading
this handout?
q Yes If yes, what?
Would you say this handout is interesting to read?
Please circle the parts of the handout that were hard to understand.
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q Yes easy to read? q No
q Yes Would you say this handout is hard to read? Health care providers: Please teach families with this handout.
Families: Please let us know what you think of this handout.
Family Review of Handout
Name of Health Care Provider: _______________________________
Date returned: ____________ q db
Feeding Your Infant
#887
Si usted desea esta información en español,
por favor pídasela a su enfermero o doctor.
If yes, what?
q Yes Thank you for helping us!
The Emily Center602-933-1395
Health Education Specialist
Phoenix Children’s Hospital
1919 East Thomas Road
Phoenix, AZ 85016-7710
Please return your review of this handout to your nurse or doctor
or send it to the address below.
What changes would you make in this handout to make it better or
easier to understand?
Is there anything you don’t like about the drawings?
q No