When can babies start eating porridge?

Babies can start drinking porridge at around 7 to 9 months. When introducing complementary foods to children, certain principles must be followed, and it is recommended to start around 4 to 6 months. Early on, rice powder can be added, and it is recommended to add iron-containing rice powder and mashed food, such as meat paste and vegetable paste. As the baby grows and their digestive function improves, porridge can be added in moderation. The time when babies can drink porridge is generally around 6-7 months. Porridge is a good choice for babies to increase their complementary foods. For example, when a baby's digestive function is strong at this time and the milk content is not as good as before, complementary foods should be added to ensure growth. The process of adding complementary foods should be gradual, starting from less to more, from thin to thick, from fine to coarse, and from one type to multiple types. The first food to introduce should be egg yolk, starting with 1/4, then increasing to 1/2 after three days, and finally becoming one whole egg yolk after half a month. Porridge should be gradually thickened, from thin to semi-liquid to solid, and finally solidified, from thin porridge to thick porridge and then to soft rice. A baby's chewing and digestive functions develop simultaneously. Vegetables should start with soup, then mashed, and finally coarsely chopped. The types of food should be gradually introduced, adding one type after the baby gets accustomed to it before adding another. Avoid adding 2-3 types at the same time. Generally, the principles of introducing complementary foods include the following aspects: 1. From thin to thick: Babies can start with rice paste at 4-6 months, progress to rice porridge at 6-9 months, thicker rice porridge at 9-11 months, and finally soft rice around 1 year old. 2. From one type to multiple types: It is important to avoid introducing several types of complementary foods simultaneously, as the baby's gastrointestinal function may not be fully developed and may not be able to adapt. Instead, foods should be added one by one. If there are no adverse reactions after adding one type, the second type can be introduced after 1-2 days. 3. From small to large quantities: When introducing fruit puree initially, start with a small spoonful. If the baby has no problem with it, you can gradually increase the amount, such as half a spoonful the next day and a full spoonful on the third day. This is a gradual process.