Unsafe Baby Foods
Babies drink breast milk and formula to ensure that they get the
nutrition that they need. But as babies grow they develop more skills.
Thus, they need food more than just the milk that they drink. However,
you can simply feed your baby any food available in the market or at
your table. You must remember that there are unsafe foods for the babies
depending on their age.
Newborn babies until four to 6 months must only have breast milk or
formula. No other kind of foods, whether it is mashed or puree, should
be fed at this stage. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics
all solid foods must be avoided since newborns babies until their sixth
month still do not know how to munch their food and swallow it properly.
By the time your baby is ready for solid foods you may now give several
soft fruits and vegetables to them. Sometimes as early as four to five
months babies are ready to dine with you at the table. However, you must
still be aware of the food that should not be fed to your babies. These
foods may not be taken by the babies from four to twelve months.
- Citrus – more often than not, citrus juices and fruits cause
allergic reaction to the baby especially if they haven’t reached
their first year yet. Citrus must also be avoided if your family is
prone to allergic reactions.
- Honey – although the sweetness of honey can entice the baby to
eat more, it is still unsafe for the babies under one year old.
Honey can trigger the growth of spores called Clostridium Botulinium.
Although the intestines of the adult can prevent growth of the said
spores, it may result to botulism among babies which can have a
life-threatening effect.
- Peanut butter – yes it is yummy, but should not be given to the
babies yet. Seven out of ten parents said that the peanut butter
causes allergic reactions to their babies. Aside from that, the
sticky consistency of the peanut butter can be tough for the baby to
swallow.
- Cow’s milk – it is recommended that no cow’s milk must be given
to the baby until he reached his first year. The protein that can be
found in cow’s milk is still not suitable for the baby’s sensitive
stomach. Aside from the fact that the cow’s milk does not have the
nutrients that can be found in breast milk or formula, the minerals
of the cow’s milk can be harmful for the baby’s kidney as well.
- Large chunks of food – you can’t still feed your baby with a
spoonful of vegetable or fruit even though it has been mashed. Start
with a pea-sized serving so that the baby can easily swallow the
food. Most of the time, they don’t chew even if they already have
teeth. Babies just swallow their food. So you have to give them a
small size of serving that would not get stuck at their throat.
- Small and hard foods – anything that is small and hard should
not be eaten by babies. Although it is small, they can’t still be
able to swallow it easily, thus, results to choking. This includes
popcorn, raisins, candies, and nuts.
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