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 William J. Klish, M.D., is Professor of Pediatrics, Head of Pediatric
Gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of the Nutrition
and Gastroenterology Department at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
Dr. Klish has served as chair of the Committee on Nutrition of the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
Q: Is it necessary to begin children who are formula fed, on solid foods at six months, or can you postpone giving them solids for a year?
A: All infants should be offered solid foods at six months of age, whether they are bottle-fed or breast-fed. There are many reasons for this. First, many infants may not be able to maintain normal growth rates on milk alone because the calorie density of milk is relatively low at 20 calories per ounce. Solids offer a greater number of calories in a smaller volume, allowing for more efficient feeding as the infant grows and demands more calories.
Second, solids that are fed from a spoon as they should be, induce tongue coordination and oral skills which will ultimately help the infant develop speech. Finally, the limiting nutrient in many forms of milk is iron. The only exception is iron fortified infant formula. Solids provide this very important nutrient during the second six months of life when iron stores provided during gestation are exhausted.
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