Q:My three-month-old baby is being entirely breast-fed by me. At what age should I introduce foods other than milk? What kind of food would be best for him during the weaning period?

DS, Calcutta

The time to move on to foods other than breast milk (or formula milk) is between four to six months. The indication generally comes from the baby himself as he shows increased signs of hunger. Foods other than breast or formula milk must not be introduced before four months as this could provoke food allergies.

Importance of weaning: At this age the baby?s digestive system is still immature to handle all kinds of food. More importantly, his immune system, as also his detoxifying system, are still not well-formed and many food items and food additives could provoke food intolerance and allergy.

Choosing the weaning foods: The two requirements while choosing foods are easy digestibility and avoiding foods likely to provoke allergic reactions. Food items must be introduced gradually into the baby?s diet, adding one new item every four to six days. And keep a food diary to record the food given. This would help identify the culprit food in case of an adverse reaction. It is important to remember that despite the introduction of other foods, breast or formula-milk still supplies the main nourishment to the baby. Here are some general guidelines:

Age four to six months: Start with plain soft-cooked white rice. This is easily digested and is unlikely to provoke allergic reactions. This may be followed by pureed vegetables and fruits that must be sieved before feeding. Use any vegetable but avoid beetroot, spinach and turnips till the baby is well over six months as these contain nitrate, which in a rare case can cause anaemia. Potatoes must also be avoided. Similarly all sieved, pureed fruits can be introduced gradually except citrus fruits (oranges and sweet lime) which may provoke allergic reaction at this age. You can also choose a prepared baby food that does not contain wheat, cow?s milk, added sugar, glucose, fructose, maltose dextrose or artificial additives.

Age six to 10 months: Food items that can be gradually introduced at this age include cooked and sieved lentils and soyabeans, cooked cereals like oats, barley and rye but not wheat products, cooked fish, cooked and ground chicken and mutton, nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachio (but not peanuts) ground into a paste, peeled fruits and all vegetables except potatoes. Avoid adding salt (causes dehydration), spices (cause diarrhoea) and sugar to food.

Age 10 to 12 months: eggs, potatoes, citrus fruits, wheat-based products and goat or sheep milk can be introduced one at a time. Cow?s milk should preferably be avoided till the child is two years old as it can sometimes cause allergic reaction leading to childhood diabetes. Discourage cakes and biscuits and avoid all processed foods.