Oats

Oats can be offered once baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. Wild oat grasses most likely originated in Southwest Asia and North Africa. The crop now grows wherever the climate is cool and damp. In South America it is called avena, and in Northern Europe havre.

Oats supply healthy carbohydrates and a special fiber called beta-glucan, which supports the gut and the immune system. Oats are also a good source of zinc. They also contain iron, magnesium, selenium, folate, and choline. Iron and zinc, and at times vitamin C, are added to many infant oat cereals.

You can cook oats in cow's milk, formula, breast milk, or water. Use cow's milk only after dairy has been introduced safely.

Do not add honey to oats before 12 months, and skip oat products that contain honey. If you share granola, pick one without honey, grind it fully fine and stir it into a soft food such as applesauce or yogurt.

Rolled and instant oats are usually heat treated. Steel-cut oats may be less heat treated, so cook them before serving. Uncooked oats are also harder for a baby to eat and digest. Keep oats sealed in a tight container somewhere cool and dry.

Arsenic levels in rice and rice products generally exceed those in oats. To limit heavy metal exposure, favor multigrain products and a varied diet.

Infant cereal does not have to be the first food. Other iron-rich foods work too.

Oat milk can go into food. Do not give it as a drink until after the first birthday.

Soft cooked oats and porridge carry a low choking risk. Granola, granola bars and other firm or hard-to-chew oat products raise the risk. Granola often has nuts and dried fruit mixed in, and those are frequent choking culprits.

Stay within arm's reach of your baby during meals.

True IgE allergy to oats is uncommon. Most reported reactions to oats came after the oats touched the skin of sensitive people. Oat-based cereals, breads, and baked goods can also include common allergens such as wheat, egg, dairy, and tree nuts. Read the label.

Oats are a frequent FPIES trigger. FPIES is a rare, delayed allergy that begins hours after eating with repeated vomiting and diarrhea. Untreated, it can cause serious dehydration. Most cases resolve fully in early childhood.

If your baby has celiac disease, pick oats certified as gluten free. The grain itself has no gluten, yet cross-contact with wheat, barley and rye is common. For celiac disease, the gluten-free diet has to be strict and last a lifetime.

Start with a small amount at the first meals and watch your baby's response.