Food is delicious, and babies love trying almost anything they can get their hands on and put in their mouth, even pet fur! However, there are foods that you should keep away from your baby at different ages. Maybe you have just stopped breastfeeding or have been feeding your baby the baby food products and are ready to move on to more options. No matter the stage you are at with your child, here are some things to avoid.
Foods to Avoid
There are certain ages to consider when you begin trying new foods out on your child. If your child is between 0 and one years old, then you typically want to avoid all these options.
If they are over one year old, it is best to speak to your pediatrician first.
#1: Honey
Honey can contain some bacteria that can cause infant botulism. Although this rarely happens in babies over the age of one, it is best to avoid honey until your child is over the age of one and you have talked to your pediatrician.
#2: Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is a fantastic way to get your vitamins and minerals. However, the stickiness and the sediment found in peanut butter can result in cavities and tooth decay in babies. It is best to avoid peanut butter until they begin brushing their teeth, or you do.
#3: Round Fruits
Round fruits are a choking hazard to babies. While they might be able to be mashed, and gummed, if one falls to the back of a babies’ throat, it could be fatal. Cut the fruit into small pieces and give your baby the opportunity to eat one piece at a time.
#4: Hard Veggies
Babies, or toddlers with minimal teeth, cannot chew hard vegetables. These hard veggies can be boiled and cooked to make them soft and mushy, however, do not feed babies or small children hard vegetables that can injure their mouth, damage their little teeth, and could be a choking hazard.
#5: Whole Nuts
Whole nuts might not be that big, but they can be a choking hazard. Avoid giving your baby any types of nuts since they can damage their teeth and injure their mouths. Once they are old enough to eat slowly and chew properly, you can begin giving your child nuts. Spreads and butter are okay to give young children, but the stickiness can cause dental problems.
#6: Caffeinated Products
While caffeine is bad for sleeping, it also dehydrates young children and babies who do not understand that they need to drink water as well. Caffeine will keep your child awake and can cause anxiety and jitteriness. Caffeine can also result in poor dental health and cause digestive problems.
Since children’s’ bodies are always developing, the caffeine can cause issues with the lining of their stomach. With caffeine, you would also want to avoid chocolate as well. It is best to avoid harsh substances in your babies’ diet.
Source: caffeineincoffee.net
#7: Canned Foods
Canned foods have direct contact with aluminum. The bacteria in the food can transfer into the aluminum and multiply. In adults, it can cause diarrhea and, in extreme cases, food poisoning; however, in babies and young children, it can cause more severe symptoms of foodborne illnesses and infant botulism.
#8: Cow’s Milk
Cow’s milk should never be used to replace breast milk or formula. If you need to substitute a milk product, try something that is gentler on a baby’s digestive system, because they cannot digest animal milk very well.
Talk to your pediatrician about other options that you can try for your baby, such as almond milk, soy milk, and milk along those lines. Non-animal milk contains less harsh enzymes that your baby can digest and handle in their body.
#9: Citrus Fruits
Lemons and limes (being the most common) are very hard on your little ones’ mouth, throat, and stomach. The acid is strong for a baby to handle, which can cause itching in the mouth, mouth irritation, throat irritation, digestive problems, holes in the stomach lining, and issues with their intestines.
While most parents do find that giving a baby a lemon is funny (and it is), it also isn’t going to hurt your baby. When it is repeated and frequent, is when it becomes a problem and a hazard to your baby’s health.
#10: Fruit Juices
With all the preservatives and additives in fruit juices nowadays, you cannot be sure exactly what is going into your child’s body that they can and can’t digest. Fruit juices are also very acidic and can cause irritation in the mouth and throat, upset stomachs, diarrhea, and heartburn.
Natural fruit juices are okay to drink if the drink is a half/half mixture of juice and water, but only sparingly. Natural fruit juices can still cause diarrhea and upset stomachs.
Feeding Your Baby
Trying new foods out with your baby can be an amazing experience. Remember always to check the ages they should be trying new foods, and talk to your pediatrician.
What types of new foods have you been trying to get your baby to eat? Would you add anything to the foods to avoid list? Let me know!
- Disclaimer
Article by Alanta Lowe
DISCLAIMER
The information provided on Optiderma.com is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified practitioner.
If you are allergic to the foods, herbs, essential oils, any remedies listed here, you must of course avoid them. For example, consuming food that you’re sensitive to will only cause more (not reduce!) inflammation.
Please consult a practitioner (such as Naturopath, Homeopath, Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Dermatologist, ...) to follow the most appropriate treatment to heal your skin. All legal mentions »
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