Should I give honey for my baby? Food to avoid for Babies

The Food Standards Agency say, "Don't give honey to your baby until he or she is a year old. This is because, very occasionally, honey can contain a type of bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines. This can cause serious illness (infant botulism). After a baby is a year old, the intestine has matured and the bacteria can't grow."

Link here : http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/baby/ready_or_not_guide/baby_questions2.asp#eat

Although honey seems like a wholesome, natural food to feed your infant, don't do it until after he's at least 12 months old. It isn't safe to feed your baby honey or corn syrup — or even cooked foods sweetened with either one — until after his first birthday. Both products can contain spores of a toxic bacteria calledClostridium botulinum. Cooking and pasteurization don't always kill these hardy spores.

If adults or children over 1 year old eat these spores, it's harmless, because their bodies have built up an immunity to them. But they are harmful to babies, whose digestive and immune systems aren't fully developed:

The bacteria can grow in the intestines and cause infant botulism, a food-borne illness that is rare but can be fatal, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The symptoms of infant botulism include constipation followed by weakness, loss of appetite, irritability, and a weak cry. If you notice these symptoms in your baby, call his doctor right away.

http://www.babycenter.com/408_when-can-my-baby-eat-honey_1368490.bc

Honey is as harmful to teeth and gums as other types of sugar and should be viewed no differently.

Stick to Safer Alternatives

In relation to the avoidance of honey coated cereals, giving a baby is also best avoided due to the potential choking risks of babies eating small food items such as this.

If parents really want to offer something sweet but safe, the following foods are problem-free:

 Bananas
 Fruit purees (e.g. mango, apple, peach)
 Mashed sweet potato
 Baby rice
 Baby porridge (some are flavored with natural fruit)

Never take risks when introducing unfamiliar foods to a baby. If you are ever unsure, the safest thing to do is consult a pediatrician to be extra safe. Fortunately, food labelling is improving all the time, and foods that carry even the slightest degree of risk tend to be labelled with clear warnings.

http://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Can_a_Baby_Eat_Honey

Foods that can be unsafe for your baby

Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board

Highlights
Foods to avoid: Newborn to 4 to 6 months
Foods to avoid: 4 to 12 months
Foods to avoid: 12 to 36 months

Warning signs of an allergic reaction

As your baby grows, he'll become eager to sample food from your plate — and you'll be eager to introduce some variety to his diet. But not all foods are safe for your child. Some pose a choking hazard, a few aren't good for your baby's still-developing digestive system, and others are potential allergens. (Some families are more prone to allergies than others. If yours is one, read on for suggestions on how to approach certain foods.)

Here's an age-by-age look at which foods to avoid:

Foods to avoid: Newborn to 4 to 6 months

All solid food: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you feed your baby only breast milk or formula for the first four to six months.

Foods to avoid: 4 to 12 months

Citrus:
Introducing citrus fruits and juices before age 1 may provoke an allergic reaction, especially if allergies run in your family.

Egg whites:
Your baby can eat egg yolks now, but wait a year on the protein-rich whites because he may be allergic to them. In fact, if you think your baby is at high risk for allergies, you may want to delay giving him egg whites until he's 2.

Honey:
Honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism. An adult's intestinal tract is able to prevent the growth of these spores, but in a baby the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.

Peanut butter:
Peanuts are highly allergenic. Rather than risk a violent allergic reaction, wait until your child is at least a year old before introducing peanut butter. (If you or your mate has peanut allergies, wait until your child is at least 3.) Another reason to hold off on peanut butter is its sticky consistency, which can make it tough for a young child to swallow safely.

Wheat or wheat products:
Most babies can handle wheat — found in many cereals and breads — when they're about 6 to 8 months old. Wheat is the most common grain allergen, though, so if you're concerned about allergies, it might be a good idea to wait until your baby is 1.

Shellfish:
Because it can be highly allergenic, experts recommend excluding shellfish from your baby's diet until his first birthday. (If you suspect he's susceptible to allergies, wait until he's between 3 and 4 years old.)

Tree nuts (like pecans and walnuts):
If you think your baby is at risk for allergies, you might want to wait until he's 3 or 4 before giving him nuts. Otherwise he can probably handle them when he's 1, as long as they're pureed in food or in nut butters. (Whole nuts and pieces of nuts pose a choking hazard.)

Other potential allergens:
If you're concerned that your baby may be prone to allergies because of your own allergies or your mate's, you might choose to delay the introduction of other commonly allergenic foods — like corn, soy, chocolate, or anything else you're allergic to — until your baby's at least 1. Depending on the severity of your allergy and other factors, you may want to wait even longer. For help making this decision, talk to your child's doctor.

If you're breastfeeding, avoiding all nuts and possibly eggs and milk in your own diet may help in delaying or preventing allergies in your baby.

Cow's milk:
Stick with breast milk or formula until your child's first birthday. Why? Your baby can't digest the protein in cow's milk for the first year, it doesn't have all the nutrients he needs, and it contains minerals in amounts that can damage his kidneys.

Large chunks:
Pea-size pieces of food are safest — they won't get stuck in your child's throat. Vegetables like carrots, celery, and green beans should be diced, shredded, or cooked and cut up. Fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes, and melon balls should be cut into quarters before serving, and meats and cheeses should be cut into very small pieces or shredded.

Small, hard foods:
Nuts, popcorn, cough drops, hard candies, raisins, and other small dried fruit and seeds are potential choking hazards. Also avoid chewing gum and soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies that might get lodged in your child's throat.

More choking prevention:


• Avoid letting your child eat in the car since it's hard to supervise while driving.

• If you're using a rub-on teething medication, keep an even closer eye on your baby as it can numb his throat and interfere with swallowing.

Foods to avoid: 12 to 36 months

Low-fat milk:
Your toddler needs the fat and calories of whole milk for growth and development. Once he turns 2 (and if he doesn't have any growth problems), you can start giving him lower-fat milk if you like.

Choking hazards:
Continue to avoid all the choking hazards listed above, as your child might still have trouble getting them down safely. Also be careful not to give him large dollops of peanut butter. Instead, spread it thinly on bread or crackers. You might want to try thinning it with some applesauce before spreading it.

Highly allergenic foods:
Most kids can handle common allergens by their first birthday. If you're concerned about allergies, experts suggest delaying the introduction of egg whites until age 2, and holding off on shellfish, tree nuts, and peanuts (including peanut butter) until your child is at least 3.

Warning signs of an allergic reaction

Signs of an allergic or bad reaction to food include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, swelling, abdominal pain, cough, crankiness, excessive gas, hives, itching, runny nose, shortness of breath, stomach bloating, and wheezing. Symptoms most often show up within a few hours of eating. Call your doctor right away if you think your child may be reacting badly to something he ate.

This article was reviewed by Stephen R. Daniels, chief of pediatrics at The Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_foods-that-can-be-unsafe-for-your-baby_9195.bc

Solid Food for Baby, Beware of Allergies

Please let us not be ignorant and be an educated parents

I am posting this to share my collection and studies from the net with all learning parents like myself.

Food Allergies

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/infant/startingsolids.html

Preventing food allergies may be possible, especially if your child is at high risk of having a food allergy, including already having an allergy to aother food or formula, having other family members with food allergies, or having other 'allergic' type conditions or family members with these conditions, such as eczema, allergic rhinitis (hayfever) and/or asthma.

If your child is at high risk of having food allergies, you should also delay offering solids until he is at least six months old (and continue breastfeeding), and begin with an iron fortified infant cereal. It is best to start with rice and oat cereals and introduce wheat cereals later. Next you can introduce vegetables, but avoid legumes (foods in the bean and pea family) at first, and then non-citrus fruits and fruit juices. Meat and protein foods can be added once your child is 8-9 months old.

Foods to avoid until your infant is at least a year old include cow's milk, citrus fruits and juices, and wheat and egg whites until he is two. Also, avoid giving peanuts (as smooth peanut butter), fish and shellfish until your child is at least three years old. Whole peanuts and tree nuts should be avoided until your child is four because of the choke hazard.

When you do introduce new foods, do so slowly and only give one new food every four to five days. This way, if your child does have a reaction or allergy, then you will know which food caused it and you will be able to avoid giving it again.

Six to Seven Months

While continuing to give 4-5 feedings of breast milk or formula (24-32 ounces) and 4 or more tablespoons of cereal each day, you can now start to give well-cooked, strained, or mashed vegetables or commercially prepared baby foods. Start with one tablespoon of a mild tasting vegetable, such as green beans, peas, squash or carrots and gradually increase to 4-5 tablespoons one or two times each day.

Start fruits about a month after starting vegetables and again, gradually increase to 4-5 tablespoons one or two times each day. You can use peeled, cooked, or canned fruits (but only those packed in light syrup or water) that have been blenderized or strained

You can also begin to offer 2-4 ounces of 100% fruit juices. Start by mixing one part juice with two parts of water and offer it in a cup.

Solid Food : Best Delayed

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/solidfood.html

The younger the baby, the more likely it is that any foods other than human milk will cause food allergies.

At about six months of age, the baby begins producing enough antibodies to prevent such allergic reactions. This benefit is especially important for a baby whose family has a history of allergies.

Because a young baby's digestive system is immature, he may not be able to digest other foods as well, perhaps making spitting up, constipation, and diarrhea more common.

Early introduction of solids puts the baby at risk for premature weaning.

Introducing Solid Foods To Your Baby

http://www.modernstork.com/content/002460.shtml

Cereals First
Stage 1 foods begin with rice cereal, which contains the highest levels of iron, a basic necessity for fast-growing infants.

Mix one teaspoon of rice cereal for every 4 to 5 teaspoons breastmilk to make it easier to digest. Do not place food in the bottle - learning to eat from a spoon is just as important in baby's development as eating the food itself.

Since rice cereal is constipating, if your infant is already having constipation problems, try oatmeal instead.

Introduce Solid Food in This Order:

• Rice cereal/oatmeal
• Other cereals
• Fruits, one at a time
• Yellow vegetables
• Green vegetables

Avoid

• Foods easy to choke on, like raisins, nuts, popcorn, berries, and grapes.
• Hot dogs, unless you split them in half lengthwise before cutting them up
• Honey (wait until after baby's first year), because it may develop into botulism.

What Should Babies Eat?

http://www.indianchild.com/parenting/babies/what_should_babies_eat.htm

• What is good for adults is not always good for babies.
• For the first two years babies need full cream milk and cheese otherwise their bodies cannot absorb important vitamins and minerals.
• Cow's milk can cause allergies so try goat's milk. Other foods can cause allergies too such as egg whites, peanut butter, soybeans, fish, pears, beans and some spices.
• Introduce one food at a time so you know which, if any, food is causing an allergy.
• Baby's stomachs are not big so if they are filled with fibre the baby won't get all the vitamins and minerals needed.
• Babies can be vegetarian but they must have eggs and milk as well.
• If your baby is eating fruit and vegetables, it should not need juice as well to get Vitamin C. Too much juice can cause diarrhoea.
• Babies should not be given nuts (especially peanuts) as they can choke.
• You can make your family meal suit your baby by:
• pureeing and mashing vegetables and meats you are eating - remember introduce only one food at a time
• mashing food less finely as baby gets older
• giving cubes of fruit, cheese, tofu, bread, toast, crackers and squares of cooked potatoes once a baby is over a year old.
• Don't give your baby sugary and salty snacks.

When Should My Baby Eat Solids?

http://www.babyslumber.com/articles/feeding/when-should-my-baby-eat-solids/

The best things to try to feed a young baby are vegetables and fruits, which are easy to digest and have pleasant flavors while not containing additives. Mashed potato is an excellent starter, as is mashed banana and cooked apple and pear. Pureed soup, the consistency of thick cream, also usually goes down well.

When first feeding your baby solids, his tongue-thrusting reflex may have him spitting food out as quickly as you can spoon it in. This doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t like the food; it’s just an instinctive reaction. If he screws his nose up, however, that might be a sign that he’s not too thrilled, but again, don’t be perturbed. Tastes are new sensations to little babies. Keep food bland. Babies have a much higher sense of taste than adults so a great deal of flavor is not needed.

Always introduce one kind of food at a time, to gauge for reactions. You might find that a particular food causes tummy ache or a rash, in which case, your child might have an allergy to it. If so, discontinue it and try again in a few weeks time. Otherwise, once you’re confident that a food is ok, you can try something new.

Some foods should be avoided until after a child’s first birthday. They include honey, eggs, nuts, dairy and citrus fruits. Honey contains a bacteria that can be detrimental in a baby’s diet, eggs and nuts can cause allergic reactions, dairy products are not able to be processed by underdeveloped digestive systems and citrus fruits are too acidic to be included in a high milk diet.

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,206158,00.html

The ACAAI food allergy committee also specifically recommends that -- when there is evidence of an increased risk for food allergies -- cow’s milk and other dairy products should be avoided for the first year of life; eggs should not be given until at least age 2; and peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and other seafood should be avoided until at least age 3.

Staple foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, soy, and cereal be introduced “individually and gradually” to lessen allergy risk. Mixed foods containing a variety of potentially allergenic foods should be avoided until the baby’s tolerance to each ingredient is known. Beef, vegetables, and fruits should initially be given in the form of prepared baby foods that are cooked and homogenized. Studies suggest these processed foods are less likely to cause allergies than their fresh counterparts.

Top 8 Allergenic Foods that account for 90% of all Food Allergies

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens.html

· Milk

· Egg

· Peanut

· Tree nut (walnut, cashew, etc.)

· Fish

· Shellfish

· Soy

· Wheat

How to Spot a Potential Allergic Reaction

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/allergy.htm

Here are several things you might note that may indicate baby has a potential allergic reaction or intolerance to a food.

· Sudden loose, diarrhea stools and/or vomiting

· Sudden rashes on the skin and 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

The "4 Day Wait Rule and Allergies:

It is very important to follow the "four day wait" rule when introducing your baby to new solid foods. When you introduce a new food over the course of several days, you are better able to determine exactly how your baby is reacting to that food. This is most important if you and/or your family members have a history of food allergies.

Following the four day wait rule and introducing new foods one at a time will also enable you to easily begin an "elimination diet". If you suspect your infant has had an adverse reaction to a new food, you will have just a few foods to look to as the culprit.

Introduce new foods during the morning or early afternoon. This will enable you to deal with any adverse reactions when your pediatrician is in office. Should an adverse reaction occur during the morning/early afternoon, it will cause the least amount of disruption in baby's fragile routine.

Many commercial baby foods as well as foods targeted to babies and toddlers contain allergenic ingredients!

If your baby has a food allergy or your family has a serious history of food allergies - read the labels when purchasing commercial baby food!

A few examples:

• Cheerios (wheat, soy protein)
• Instant Infant Cereals (soy)
• Stage "2", "3" and Toddler Meals (wheat, soy, casein (milk protein), albumin (egg)
• Gerber "Puffs" (wheat, soy)

Baby Feeding Schedule for 6-8 Month Old

http://www.easybabylife.com/feeding-schedule.html

Baby Feeding Schedule For The 8-12-Month Old Baby

http://www.easybabylife.com/baby-feeding-schedule.html

Eight to Nine Months

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/infant/startingsolids.html

While continuing to give 3-4 feedings of breast milk or formula (24-32 ounces) and 4 or more tablespoons of cereal, vegetables and fruit one or two times each day, you can now start to give more protein containing foods. These include well-cooked, strained or ground plain meats (chicken, beef, turkey, veal, lamb, boneless fish, or liver), mild cheese, peanutbutter (this is controversial though), or egg yolks (no egg whites as there is a high chance of allergic reactions in infants less than 12 months old). If using commercially prepared jars of baby food, do not use vegetables with meat as they have little meat and less protein and iron than jars with plain meat.

Start with 1-2 tablespoons and increase to 3-4 tablespoons once each day. If your baby doesn't seem to like to eat plain meat, then you can mix it with a vegetable that they already like as you offer it.

You can also start to offer soft table foods and finger foods at this age. Give soft, bite-size pieces of food, such as soft fruit and vegetable pieces, pastas, graham or saltine crackers, and dry cheerios, but do not give these foods if the child is going to be unattended in case of choking.

You can also begin to offer 3-4 ounces of formula or 100% fruit juice in a cup at this time.

Ten to Twelve Months

Your baby's diet will begin to resemble that of the rest of the families, with 3 meals and 2 snacks each day and will include 3-4 feedings of breast milk or formula, iron fortified cereal (1/4 – 1/2 cup at breakfast), vegetables and fruits (1/2 cup/jar at lunch and dinner), protein foods (2-4 tablespoons each day), 100% fruit juice (2-6 ounces in a cup each day), and some finger foods.

It is important to offer a variety of foods to encourage good eating habits later.

Weaning

There is no set age at which you should wean your baby. The current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics is to continue to breast feed until your child is at least age one. It is also an age when most children can successfully drink from a cup and is therefore a good time to wean. You can gradually wean your child from breast feeding by stopping one feeding every four or five days and then gradually reducing the amount of nursing when you are down to one feeding each day.

If you wean before the age of one, then you should introduce an infant formula and not cow's milk.

Twelve Months and Beyond

You may now give your baby homogenized whole cow's milk. Do not use 2%, low fat, or skim milk until your child is 2-3 years old.

If using soy milk after your child is a year old, keep in mind that it is low fat. A toddler soy formula may be a better alternative, or try to make up for the reduced fat intake from milk in other areas of your child's diet.

Your child should now want to feed himself with his fingers and a spoon or fork and should be able to drink out of a cup. The next few months will be time to stop using a bottle. As with weaning from breastfeeding, you can wean from a bottle by stopping one bottle feeding every four or five days and then gradually reducing the amount in the bottle when you are down to one each day.

Remember that your baby's appetite may decrease and become pickier over the next few years as his growth rate slows.

Until your child is at least 4 years old, you should avoid foods that can cause choking, including chewing gum, nuts, raisins, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter, hard candy, or hard, round foods (such as chunks of raw carrots, celery, grapes, or hot dogs).

Large amounts of sweet desserts, soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, sugarcoated cereals, chips or candy, should be avoided, as they have little nutritional value.

Also avoid overfeeding. Do not encourage your child to eat after he is full, as this can lead to a habit of overeating.

Following these guidelines will help you give your baby the good nutrition he or she needs to grow up to his or her full potential and a healthy life.