The pincer grasp: when babies start picking up small foods

What the pincer grasp is

The pincer grasp is the ability to pick up a small object between the thumb and pointer finger. It’s a big step for self-feeding: it means your baby can pick up a pea-sized piece of food instead of grabbing a fistful.

Babies get there in stages. At first they grab food in their whole fist, which is why first finger foods are long and stick-shaped. Then they rake: they sweep food toward themselves with their fingers. Then thumb and finger start working together, clumsily at first and then with more control.

When it usually develops

• By 9 months: most babies use their fingers to rake food toward themselves and move things from one hand to the other, according to the CDC’s milestones.
• 10–12 months: the NHS says babies should be able to pick up small pieces of food and move them to their mouth.
• By 12 months: most babies pick things up between thumb and pointer finger, like small bits of food (CDC). The CDC says that by 12 months, children should be able to feed themselves easily with their fingers.

CDC milestones describe what most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age, so many babies get there earlier. If your baby was born early, use their corrected age when you look at milestones: the AAP recommends this for the first 2 years. See starting solids with a premature baby.

Finger foods before the pincer grasp

You don’t need to wait for the pincer grasp to offer finger foods. The NHS encourages finger foods from the start of solids, around 6 months, in pieces big enough for your baby to hold in their fist with a bit sticking out: about the size of an adult finger. See safe food sizes and shapes.

Foods for pincer practice

When you see your baby raking or starting to pinch, add some small pieces to their meals. The AAP says self-feeding usually gets going around 8 or 9 months. Everything should be soft enough to squash between your fingers, in pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). The AAP’s “smaller than a dime” is a looser limit (a US dime is about 1.8 cm across), so go by the 1 cm size.

Good options, prepared safely:

• soft-cooked vegetables in small pieces, like sweet potato, carrot or butternut squash, or tiny pieces of soft-cooked broccoli floret
• small pieces of ripe, soft, peeled fruit like banana, avocado or kiwi
• blueberries squashed flat or cut into quarters
• cooked peas and soft-cooked beans like black beans, each squashed flat (the CDC lists whole beans as a choking hazard)
• small pieces of scrambled or hard-cooked egg
• flaked, boneless fish like salmon, or finely chopped, well-cooked chicken
• small cubes of soft tofu
• well-cooked, small pasta shapes
• grated or shredded cheese, not chunks

Before serving, squash a piece between your thumb and finger. If it doesn’t flatten easily, cook it longer or cut it smaller.

Keeping it safe

A baby who can pick up small things can pick up small dangerous things too.

• Cut or squash anything round. Grapes and cherry tomatoes need cutting lengthwise into quarters (NHS). Never serve them round.
• Skip hard and high-risk foods. Don’t give whole or chopped nuts and seeds, popcorn, raw carrot or raw apple, chunks of meat or cheese, hot dogs, or hard or sticky candy (CDC, AAP). Use smooth nut butters thinned into food instead.
• Watch the floor too. The AAP warns that once babies are mobile, small objects like coins, button batteries and balloon pieces are especially dangerous. Check the floor and low surfaces.
• Sit upright and stay close. Your baby should eat sitting up in a high chair, with you watching the whole time (CDC, NHS).
• Know the difference between gagging and choking, and see the full choking hazards list.

How to help your baby practice

• Offer finger foods at every meal. The NHS says this helps babies learn to feed themselves, and builds hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
• Put a few pieces down at a time. A small number is easier to pick out than a pile. Add more as they go.
• Let it be messy. The CDC encourages letting your child use their fingers, and spoons and forks, even when eating gets messy.
• Play counts too. The CDC suggests letting babies play with blocks and putting things in and out of containers. Use toys that are too big to swallow.
• Spoons come later. The CDC says babies can start to use a spoon by themselves at around 10 to 12 months.

When to talk to your doctor

Talk to your pediatrician or health visitor if:

• your baby isn’t raking food or moving things between hands by around 9 months, or isn’t picking up small things between thumb and finger by around 12 months (CDC)
• your baby isn’t sitting on their own by 9 months (AAP)
• your baby has lost a skill they used to have (CDC)
• you have any other concerns about how your baby moves or uses their hands

The CDC’s advice is not to wait: if you’re concerned, talk to your doctor and ask about developmental screening. In the US, you can also call your state’s early intervention program to find out if your child can get services. Find it at cdc.gov/FindEI.In the UK, start with your health visitor or GP.Your doctor or child health nurse can help.

Where US and UK advice differs

• When finger foods start. The NHS encourages finger foods from the start of solids at around 6 months. The AAP says finger foods can start once your baby can sit up and bring things to their mouth, and its feeding page says self-feeding usually begins around 8 or 9 months.
• The milestone itself. The CDC places the pincer grasp by 12 months. The NHS says babies can pick up small pieces of food between 10 and 12 months. These fit together well.

For what to serve at this stage, see what to feed at 9 months.