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A new mom will try her best to keep the baby safe and fit in the process of bringing him up. She will sanitize her hands, ensure that the baby’s surroundings are clean, do regular nappy changes. All just to ensure that the baby is in the pink of health and is happy and gay. Next in this series comes various food options which you will start to feed your little one, once he is 6-months-old. But do your know the list of foods to avoid for babies
90% of women start giving foods apart from breast milk when their kids touch the six-month mark. While this is probably the best time to introduce solids to your growing baby and start on the process of baby-led weaning, one should also keep in mind, that there are certain foods that should not be fed to the baby unless he is one year old. Also, since it is the beginning of the teething phase, the baby might want to try everything which he sees on your dinner plate, so you need to watch out for that as well.
Most health experts and paediatricians agree to the fact that not all foods are meant for babies until they reach to touch their first birthday. The primary reason for this is that the digestive system is not developed enough for such kind of foods.
List of 5 foods to avoid feeding your babies:
1. Nuts family:
No wonder nuts are loaded with the goodness of vitamins and minerals. They are a powerhouse of magnesium, phosphorus, and fiber. But nuts are not part of a baby’s diet because there are high chances of getting an allergy from it. While some studies try to say that it is not always like this, but it is always said ‘prevention is better than cure’. Same is the case with peanut butter, which can result in severe reactions if the baby develops an allergy. Since the consistency and texture of peanut butter is very thick, there are high chances it might get stuck in the throat while gulping it down, hence posing a potential choking hazard for the little ones.
2. Honey:
No doubt honey is the best cure for a sore throat or a very good replacement for white sugar. But when it comes to babies under one year of age, all doctors suggest a strict no here. The prime reason for this is the risk of getting botulism poisoning. There are high chances that honey might contain botulism spores, which can reproduce inside intestines and cause poisoning which in turn can lead to greater domino effects in babies. While adults and older kids have the immune system well developed to fight these bacteria, it is not in the cases of kids under one year of age. Try to add fruit purees in the little one’s food instead of honey. Also, note that botulism is the rare case and might occur in only 1 out of 9 children, but it’s extremely fatal.
3. Milk:
Anything apart from breast milk or formula feeds might not always go down well with your little one. While some others are better off at digesting cow’s milk, it is not the case with every child. Cow’s milk is heavy and thus it becomes a tad bit difficult for the developing intestines to absorb it in and provide nutrition. Also in certain cases, your kid might be lactose intolerant, which might cause further troubles. So, for the first year, its always advised by pediatricians to go for breast milk or formula feed.
4. Fish:
If you are a fish lover, and have fish at least twice or thrice a week and are planning to introduce to your kid who hasn’t yet turned one- it’s time to think again. A certain family of fish like mackerel contain high levels of mercury and can be dangerous for a kid if consumed. If you still want to go ahead and give fish, you can try for fish which are lower in the food web chain like haddock or cod. Most of the white fishes are light and can be easily digested by your baby.
5. Packaged/Canned/Processed food:
While working moms would swear by packaged foods, but it’s not always a good idea. Packaged foods contain high sodium levels which are not good for growing baby. Same goes for food which comes in canned form. There is a high risk of catching botulism which might affect your kid due to old or probably expired shelf life canned foods. While using canned foods, there is a sure shot probability of repetitive cooking and heating which decreases the nutritional values of the meal. Hence, it’s not advised to always pick that canned food next time you go to the supermarket. This is one of the prominent foods to avoid for babies
