Tilapia

Tilapia can be offered once your baby seems ready for solids, usually at 6 months. Like most fish it holds trace amounts of methylmercury. It is lower in mercury than many fish, and 1 or 2 servings a week are considered safe.

Tilapia is the name of a large group of white fish living in freshwater lakes, rivers and brackish coasts in warm regions. It is among the most farmed fish in the world.

Nutrition and mercury

It is low in mercury and high in protein. Vitamin B12 matters for brain growth and healthy blood. Selenium supports immunity. It can also provide vitamin D, which is hard to get from food. Farmed tilapia lacks omega-3 fats, but its mercury load is smaller than that of many sea fish. The metal is a lasting toxin and babies are sensitive to it. Choose the lowest-mercury fish and keep higher-mercury fish rare.

Every baby develops at their own pace. These tips are general guidance.

Serve boneless, freshly cooked fish. At 6 months, finger-thick pieces or flaked fish stirred into yogurt work. At 12 months, offer fish cakes, flaked fish on toast, or flaked fish on a plate for fork practice.

Fish can be baked, boiled, pan-fried, deep-fried, dried, fermented or salted. Cooked flesh firms up but stays flaky, with a mild, slightly sweet taste. For babies, choose baking, boiling or pan-cooking.

Tilapia is not a common choking hazard. Bones in fresh fish can be a risk. Pick out remaining bones before serving. Stay close during meals and set up a safe space.

Finned fish is a Global Priority Allergen according to the World Health Organization. Finned fish allergy is estimated to affect around 0.2 percent of the world's population. It is even less common in children than in adults. Around 40 percent of those affected first react as adults, and the allergy usually stays for life.

Some people react to proteins that float in the air while fish cooks. If this applies to your baby, you may want to avoid cooking fish at home.

About half of people with one finned fish allergy react to other fish too. The cause is beta-parvalbumin, a protein found in most fish. If your baby is allergic to one fish, talk to your allergist before serving other fish.

Finned fish is a known trigger of FPIES, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Hours after a meal, it causes abrupt repeated vomiting and diarrhea. Untreated, it can cause serious dehydration. Fish FPIES can also start later in life and often lasts a lifetime.

Scombroid poisoning can be mistaken for fish allergy. Fish that was not kept cold builds up histamine, which causes allergy-like symptoms. Keeping fish cold enough lowers this risk.

If you suspect fish allergy in your baby, see an allergist before serving tilapia. Start with a small amount, watch closely, and raise the portion if all goes well. Once introduced, keep it in the diet twice a week if possible. Rotating fish species is fine, since finned fish share the same main proteins.