Cow & Gate Baby Rice Cereal, 4-6+ Months, 100 g, Pack of 5

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Soft finger foods (such as cooked vegetables or fruit) are good for starting out, as they'll help to develop motor skills. Best and worst baby products : parents reveal the accessories they can't live without, and which were a waste of money When your baby is 1 year old, they can start to drink whole cows' milk or sheep's or goats' milk (as long as these milks are pasteurised). Ways to keep your family living costs down, and kids of all ages happy Get our Family newsletter – it's free monthly If your baby is diagnosed as being allergic to cows' milk, a GP will prescribe an appropriate hypoallergenic infant formula with fully hydrolysed (broken down) proteins.

In our latest baby food survey, we asked 268 parents with children up to five years old to rate each baby food brand they've tried. Less expensive than jarred products, especially those that are simply puréed fruit or vegetables - you can make these combinations far more cheaply at home with a hand blender. Not all milk is suitable for feeding babies. You should never give the following types of milk to a baby under 1 year:The chemical structure of phytoestrogens is similar to the female hormone oestrogen. Because of this, there are concerns that they could affect a baby's reproductive development, especially in babies who drink only soya-based infant formula.

Allow your baby to go at their own pace and explore new foods and textures (even if it's a little messy). Research shows that switching to follow-on formula at 6 months has no benefits for your baby. Your baby can continue to have first infant formula as their main drink until they are 1 year old.Although it's available in pharmacies and supermarkets, it's recommended you only use it on the advice of a health professional. Growing-up and toddler milks are marketed as an alternative to whole cows' milk for toddlers and children over 1 year old. There's no evidence to suggest that these products provide extra nutritional benefits for young children. Partially hydrolysed formula (comfort formula) is not suitable for babies who have cows' milk allergy. Lactose-free formula

Soya formula is made from soya beans, not cows' milk. It's occasionally used as an alternative to cows' milk formula for babies who have cows' milk allergy.

We asked what they thought of the baby food according to the following criteria: whether it looks appealing, smells good, is value for money, is convenient to transport and use, and if the brand offers a good range of options.