Babies below 1yr: Foods To Avoid

Most babies can eat anything if you start slowly, but there are some foods to avoid during your baby's first year.


Wrote this post to let mummies know more about what food baby should avoid and why should they avoid it. A faster way for you to refer if you forgot also, haha..


However, please remember and take note that if there is any case of allergies in your family or if you suspect that your baby may be allergic to some foods, its best to talk to you doctor about what food your baby should avoid.

_______________________________________________________________________


SYMPTOMS OF AN ALLERGY/INTOLERANCE OF FOOD

- Sudden loose, diarrhoea stools and/or vomiting

- Sudden rashes on the skin or bottom

- Runny nose

- Hives

- Irritability and/or gassiness after a new food/meal

- Breathing or other respiratory troubles after a new food/meal

- Swelling of the face, lips and/or tongue

- Closure or tightening of the throat

______________________________________________________________________

A GENTLE REMINDER!
If there's any history of allergies in your family, its advisable to start weaning your baby at 6 months, cause the younger they are, the more prone to allergies.

_______________________________________________________________________


Important Foods To Avoid For Your Baby

Salt

Honey

Nuts

Cow's Milk

Unpasteurized Milk

Egg

Citrus Fruits

Fish & Shellfish

Berries

Chocolate

________________________________________________________________________


Why Should I Avoid Giving It To Baby?


- SALT -

Don't use any salt in your baby's food until he is 1 year old. The salt that is already in the breastmilk or formula is enough. Also don't offer food that contains a lot of salt, such as some sausages, broths and potato chips. Even breakfast cereals can contain a lot of salt, so do remember to check the table of contents.

Baby's kidney is NOT developed enough to handle too much salt, so the salt can cause damage. Too much salt for children may also lead to diabetes in later life.

----------------------------------------

- HONEY -

Honey is one of the most important foods to avoid during your baby's first year. This includes corn syrup and maple syrup.

Honey can contain bacterial spores that can lead to infant botulism, a rare but very serious disease that can be fatal. The most common and earliest symptom is constipation. Other symptoms include generalized weakness, a weak cry, poor sucking reflex, irritability, lack of facial expressions and loss of head control. If you are worried, contact your doctor.

----------------------------------------

- NUTS -

Avoid giving various kinds of nuts to your baby during the first year.

Nuts should be avoided because children may develop allergy, especially peanuts are very allergenic. Plus they are a potential choking hazard.

----------------------------------------

- COW'S MILK -

Many babies can handle some dairy products when they are around 6 months old. However, most countries recommend avoiding cow's milk as a drink during the baby's first year. The general recommendation is to start with small servings of dairy products when the baby is 9 months old and to wait with cow's milk as a drink until baby is 1 year old. Skim milk and low fat milk products are to be avoid COMPLETELY as they supply too much protein, potassium and sodium and not enough calories for the growing infant. Children also need the fat for proper growth and development including brain development.

Infant fed whole cow's milk receive inadequate amounts of Vitamin E, iron and essential fatty acids. They also receive excessive amounts of protein, sodium and potassium. These levels may be too high for a baby's system to handle. Additionally, whole cow's milk protein and fat are difficult for an infant to digest and absorb. If your baby throws up or has a stomach pain after consuming dairy products, do consult your doctor to schedule an investigation.

----------------------------------------

- UNPASTEURIZED MILK -

Don't give unpasteurized milk to your baby, or even your toddler.

When milk is pasteurized, heated, bacteria that may be in the milk dies. Some bacteria, for example, like E.coli, are known to give young babies and children severe diarrhoea.

----------------------------------------

- EGG -

Egg yolks are typically fine to be introduced to babies around 8 months old, egg whites on the other hand, should not be fed to babies below 1 year.

Egg whites contain 4 proteins that are potential allergens, where egg yolk contains proteins that are seldom allergens.

----------------------------------------

- CITRUS FRUITS -

Citrus fruits may cause a reaction or an intolerance in infants due to the high acidity of the fruit.

Often times infants who are fed oranges prior to the age of 1 year will break out in rashes around the mouth or bottom and possibly have tummy cramps.

----------------------------------------

- FISH & SHELLFISH -

Make sure the fish you choose to serve is not known to have high mercury levels. Cod fish would be a safe option to start with. Consult your doctor before introducing fish to your children, especially shellfish.

They are allergenic and shellfish are generally worse than fish. Allergic reaction can be anything from mild to deadly.

----------------------------------------

- BERRIES -

Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are a potential high allergen food and as such, they should really be avoided until 1 year of age. Avoid them longer if there's any history of allergies in your family.

So why do many commercial baby foods contain strawberries? It is possible that commercial baby food processing may have destroyed the allergen but whether or not home cooking of strawberries would reach temperatures high enough to destroy any allergen is UNCERTAIN so its best to wait on strawberry introduction especially if there is a family history of strawberry allergies.

----------------------------------------

- CHOCOLATE -

Ingredients in chocolates may cause allergy in babies, so its best to wait till after 1 year.


______________________________________________________________________


Foods To Avoid For Your Baby (Not Critical)

• Fried & Smoked Food


• Whole-Grain Products


• Sugar


• Artificial Sweeteners

______________________________________________________________________


Why Should I Avoid Giving To Baby?


- FRIED & SMOKED FOOD -

Avoid giving your baby deep-fried or smoked food or at least take away the crust if the food is deep-fried or fried. It is much harder for baby to digest than cooked food.

----------------------------------------

- WHOLE-GRAIN PRODUCTS -

Start slowly. Whole-grain products are harder for babies and toddlers to digest.

Whole-grain products are often marketed to desperate parents as a way to make their baby sleep better. The reason is that whole-grain makes your baby stay full for a longer period. While this may or may not be true for your child, this may cause diarrhoea for them. If your baby's stomach seems upset but he is not ill, try excluding all whole-grain products from his diet.

----------------------------------------

- SUGAR -

Avoid sugar as long as you can, particularly white sugar.

Sugar causes tooth decay and obesity and may be harmful in other ways too. Avoid giving your baby sugar for as long as possible including foods, snacks and drinks that contains a lot of sugar. Excessive sugar in children may also cause them to be more active.

----------------------------------------

- ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS -

Avoid artificial sweeteners for as long as you can.

These substances are quite new and the health effects of using them is not all that clear. So why risk it?

_______________________________________________________________________


Every baby is different, so do exercise the 4-day rule by letting your baby try a new food for 4 continuous days to observe whether your baby is allergic or intolerant to any food. If you find that baby has a possible allergy, bring him to a doctor or to the hospital immediately as some allergies may be fatal if let untreated for long.


Hope this article has helped you to understand more, hand tired from all the typing liao, bye!