American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendations for Complementary Feeding

Recommendations for complementary feedings of infants and young children have not varied significantly over the past 40 years.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the introduction of solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4 to 6 months of age, continued breastfeeding to the first birthday and beyond if possible, and the use of infant formula for the first year of life for those infants who are not breastfed.1The Academy cautions against the feeding of hard, small particulate foods during the first 2 to 3 years of life and recommends introducing single-ingredient complementary foods one at a time for a several day trial. The guidelines suggest that fruit juice is not a necessary part of an infant's diet and that, in any event, fruit juice intake be limited to 8 ounces per day after its initial introduction at 6 months of age.