You should feed your baby only breast milk or baby formula until it is 5 to 6 months old. Once it crosses this age bar, you need to start feeding it other foods along with breast milk. Your baby is very delicate until it is a year old, so you need to be careful about what you feed it. Its digestive system and immune system are not as strong as yours due to which it can easily fall sick with the wrong kind of foods. As a mother, you should provide optimum nutrition to your baby, but there are certain foods that you should keep off your baby’s plate at all costs.
1. Honey
Feeding your baby honey can be detrimental. Honey can contain spores of a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum that causes botulism. An adult’s digestive system can digest these spores, whereas the spores can germinate in a baby’s digestive system. The bacteria produces toxins that can be fatal to your baby.
2. Cow’s Milk
You should not replace breast milk or baby formula with cow’s milk until your baby is a year old. Cow’s milk contains proteins that can be difficult for your baby to digest. It also causes iron deficiency and increases the risk of dehydration in your baby. Milk in baked goods and yogurt is acceptable.
3. Peanuts
Apart from being a choking hazard, peanuts can cause allergies in babies. The symptoms of a peanut allergy include rashes around the mouth and mild swelling of the face. In case of severe allergy, your baby’s respiratory tract can get obstructed, making it difficult it to breathe. Avoid peanut butter too as the consistency of the butter makes it difficult for your baby to swallow it.
4. Salt
Until your baby is a year old, its taste buds will not be fully developed, so bland food will not be an issue. Its daily requirement of sodium (0.4 g) is met by breast milk or baby formula. Any extra salt can burden its kidneys, leading to kidney damage.
5. Sugar
You should not give your baby refined sugar as it can lead to tooth decay and also lower its immunity. If your baby consumes excess sugar, it can lead to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Sugar from fruits juices are acceptable but should not exceed 4 oz per day.
6. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits have a high acidic content, so they are not recommended for babies less than a year old. Your baby can suffer from acidity and rashes because of the high acid content.
7. Shellfish
If your family has a history of allergies to certain foods, you should be careful when feeding your baby shellfish such as crab, prawns, lobster, and shrimp. Shellfish is considered an allergenic food and can cause life-threatening allergies in your baby.
8. Strawberries
Strawberries are considered one of the top allergenic foods and should not be given to your baby until it is a year old. Feeding your baby strawberries can be fatal, especially if your family has a history of food allergies. You should consult the pediatrician if you want to introduce berries into your baby’s diet even if it is older than a year.
9. Beans
Beans are known to cause gas in many people. Offering your infant beans might cause bloating and gas that can be painful.
10. Caffeine
Babies have a hard time metabolizing caffeine, therefore, beverages like tea and coffee should not be given to your baby. It can experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, and sleeplessness.
Your baby is constantly developing mentally and physically. You need to feed it nutrient-dense foods and should keep it well hydrated. Stay away from processed foods as the chemicals used in processing foods can damage your baby’s health. Since your baby cannot chew properly, always make sure to mash foods that are choking hazards before you feed them to it.
