4.5 month old's teeth are coming in, does this mean I should start solids?

[hippymama25]

I just felt in 4.5 month old's mouth and her 2 bottom teeth are coming in. This totally shocked me! For some reason I thought that you should start solids sometime around when teeth come in, is this correct or there is no connection? I felt like I wanted to wait closer to 6 months to start.

[Bokonon]

Teeth have nothing to do with when solids should be introduced.  They don't use their first teeth for eating anyway - chewing is done with molars, which won't be in until much later, and first foods should be able to be gummed instead of chewed.

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/delay-solids/

[artekah]

There's sort of a loose connection, but not really. There are other factors to gauge food-readiness that are WAY more important. Interest in food, good pincer grasp (picking things up with thumb & forefinger) and sitting up on their own. I wouldn't start solids before 6 months regardless (maybe a teensy bit earlier if the baby was super ready, and even then I'd start slow with a few tastes of avocado/banana.)

My DS and DD both were early teethers, around 4-5 months, and both started easing into solids very slowly around 6 months.

[alegna]

No connection  :)

[Flopsy]

Don't worry too much about it. My son started teething at 3 months and by 6 months had 7 teeth. He showed next to no interest in food until 6 months, though and we're just starting him on solids now at 7 months.