Foods to avoid giving babies and young children

SUGAR

Research shows that nearly half of all 7- to 8-month-olds have already had some type of dessert or sweetened drink. Although you might think a little sugar doesn’t hurt, introducing sweets this early can shape your little one’s. Now is the perfect time to expose your baby to a variety of healthy foods to help her develop a taste preference for them. If sweet drinks and foods are readily available to your little one, she’s going to prefer eating those, and there won’t be any room left in her little stomach for the nutritious foods you want her to eat. Your baby doesn't need suger.

Instead of sugary drinks, stick to water or plain milk.
Instead of sugary cereal, offer plain toasted oats.
Instead of a packaged toddler meal (which are surprisingly loaded with added sugar), offer whole-wheat pasta with a little sauce, ground meat and veggies.
Instead of ice cream, offer a whole-milk yogurt parfait with fruit.

SALT

Adding Salt to your Baby Food can actually very harmful for his Baby Health, as well it can affect its Growth and Development. Many Mothers get Confused and Search about whether to add Sugar and Salt in Baby’s Food during the First Year. They are not clear about its side effect on babies health. The doctor also not recommend giving Salt to babies too earlier.

Below are the Recommended intake for Sodium-

Age Per Day Consumption

0 – 6 Month 0.14 – 0.28 gram per day

7 – 12 Month 0.32 – 0.58 gram per day

1 – 3 Year 0.46 – 1.73 gram per day

Source: National Health and Medical Research Council.

Babies shouldn't eat much salt, as it isn't good for their kidneys. Avoid salty foods like (bacon, sausages, chips with added salt, crackers, crisps, ready meals, takeaways).

Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don't do it until after she's at least 12 months old. Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.

HONEY

To give your baby any honey before she's a year old, even if it's to treat a cough. Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don't do it until after she's at least 12 months old. Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.

Sometimes, honey contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines, leading to infant botulism, which is a very serious illness. Honey is a sugar, so avoiding it will also help prevent tooth decay. To be on the safe side, don't cook with honey (in baked bread or pudding, for example) if your baby is going to be eating the finished dish. While the toxin is heat sensitive, the spores are difficult to kill. Commercial foods that contain honey, like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and baby food, are safe for your baby because they've been heated enough to kill the spores.

Source: UpToDate. 2016. Patient education: Starting solid foods during infancy (beyond the basics). http://www.uptodate.com/contents/starting-solid-foods-during-infancy-beyond-the-basics [Accessed December 2016]

SOME CHEESES

Cheese made with unpasteurized (or raw) cow/goat milk is off-limits to babies because it could be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, a form of bacteria that can cause fatal foodborne illness, especially in infants. Cream Cheese is not considered a “soft” cheese that you need to avoid because it is pasteurized.

Most pediatricians recommend offering cheese to babies with no family history of food allergies between 8 to 10 months or 18 months.

Source:American Academy of Family Physicians. 2006. Giving your child the best nutrition. American Family Physician 74(9):1533-34. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/1101/p1533.html [Accessed December 2016].

COW/GOAT MILK

Young infants cannot digest cow's or goat milk as completely. Also, cow's milk contains high concentrations of protein and minerals, which can stress a newborn's immature kidneys and cause severe illness at times of heat stress, fever, or diarrhea. Wait until your baby is a year old before giving her cow's milk as a main drink.

But, research shows that it's safe to give it until after she's at least 18 months old. If a toddler is overweight or there is a family history of obesity, high cholesterol, or heart problems, your doctor might recommend switching to reduced fat (2%) milk.

When your child is 2, you can make the switch to low-fat or nonfat milk.

Between 12 and 18 months of age is a good time for transition to a cup. Instead of cutting out bottles all at once, slowly eliminate them from the feeding schedule, starting with mealtime. Offer whole milk in a cup after your child has begun the meal.

Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUf_fnHjtKw

RICE DRINKS

Advice on safe levels of arsenic in rice and rice milk. Children under 5 years old shouldn't have rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula (or cows' milk after 1 year old) as they may contain too much arsenic. Children over five years old and adults can drink rice milk as part of their balanced diet.

Source:https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/arsenic-in-rice

RAW OR LIGHTLY COOKED (Eggs, Shellfish, Shark, Swordfish and Marlin, Jelly cubes)

Babies can have eggs from around 6 or 7 months. If the eggs are hens' eggs and they have a red lion stamped on them, or you see a red lion with the words "British Lion Quality" on the box, it's fine for your baby to have them raw (for example, in homemade mayonnaise) or lightly cooked. Hens' eggs that don't have the red lion mark should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid. So should duck, goose or quail eggs.

Avoid raw eggs, including uncooked cake mixture, homemade ice creams, homemade mayonnaise, or desserts that contain uncooked egg that you can't confirm are red lion stamped.

Raw or lightly cooked shellfish, such as mussels, clams and oysters, can increase the risk of food poisoning, so it's best not to give it to babies. Don't give your baby shark, swordfish or marlin. The amount of mercury in these fish can affect the development of a baby's nervous system.

Raw jelly cubes can be a choking hazard for babies and young children. If you're making jelly from raw jelly cubes, make sure you always follow the manufacturers' instructions.