What is considered the first food that should be given to an infant?

The first food that should be given to an infant is iron-fortified rice cereal. This choice is recommended because it is typically well tolerated, easy to digest, and fortified with iron, which is essential for an infant's growth and development. Infants are born with a natural iron reserve that diminishes by around six months of age, making it critical to introduce iron-rich foods at that point. Rice cereal is also less likely to cause allergies and is a neutral taste, which helps infants adjust to solid foods.

Other options such as pureed fruits and vegetable puree can be introduced later, but they do not provide the necessary iron that is crucial during an infant's early months. Whole milk is not suitable for infants under one year of age because it does not offer the complete nutrition that a growing infant needs and may also cause intestinal irritation. Therefore, iron-fortified rice cereal is the best initial choice when starting an infant on solid foods.