During which age range do infants commonly exhibit cues for both hunger and fullness?

Infants commonly begin to exhibit both hunger and fullness cues around the age of 6 to 8 months. By this developmental stage, they are more aware of their body's signals and can communicate their needs more clearly through behaviors and physical cues. Hunger cues may include increased alertness, hand-to-mouth movements, or fussiness, while fullness is often signaled by turning their head away from food, closing their mouth, or becoming distracted during feeding.

The 6 to 8-month age range marks a time when infants may start to explore solid foods in addition to breast milk or formula, which further enhances their ability to express when they are hungry or satisfied. Before this period, particularly from 0 to 4 months, infants primarily rely on instinctual feeding, and their cues are less developed. Between 4 to 6 months, they begin to show more variety in responses, but it is typically not until 6 to 8 months that they consistently exhibit clear signals for both hunger and fullness as they transition to a more interactive feeding experience.

By 8 to 10 months, while these cues are still present, infants are often more focused on exploring food textures and flavors, resulting in changes to how they signal their needs. Therefore,