Question
How should a 6-month-old baby be fed?
Answer
The feeding of infants should follow the principle of going from thin to thick, and from fine to coarse. As the baby’s chewing abilities gradually improve, the nature of complementary foods should gradually transition from liquid to semi-liquid, then to paste-like, and finally to solid foods. For instance, start with rice gruel and thin porridge, and gradually progress to thick porridge and soft rice. The texture of the food should also transition from finely chopped vegetable soup and purees to trying coarse vegetable purees, chopped vegetables, and cooked soft vegetables. When the baby is between 6 to 8 months old, you can start introducing chewable foods such as biscuits, buns, or toasted bread to help exercise the baby’s jawbone and temporomandibular joints.