Why you should not feed honey to infants

Why you should not feed honey to infants

01/ Honey can be harmful for your child

Exposing your child to new food items in the first year is a major milestone. Every parent makes sure that their child gets enough nutrients and vitamins necessary for their growth and development. But one food item that you should absolutely avoid giving to your child before his or her first birthday is HONEY.

02/ Why you should avoid honey?

There isn't any doubt that honey is nutritious and healthy, but this natural sweetener on a very rare occasion can lead to bloating in infants. This happens because the golden liquid contains a spore of a bacterium called clostridium botulinum. When this bacteria is consumed by babies, it causes a rare form of food poisoning, which is a potentially fatal illness. You might not see the symptoms of bloating immediately after feeding honey to your little one. The symptoms may appear around 8 to 36 hours after consuming honey.

Another reason why you should avoid giving sweeteners like honey or sugar to your child as they can damage your child's emerging teeth. Even liquid sweeteners, like molasses and corn syrup, are not considered safe for the first year. You can add maple syrup to your child's food as it comes from inside a tree and is not contaminated by soil.

03/ When should you call a doctor

If by mistake your baby has eaten honey and shows symptoms of constipation, fatigue or lack of appetite then immediately call your doctor.

04/ The right age to feed honey

Avoid giving honey to your baby until he or she does not turn 12 months old. The spores found in honey are usually harmless to adults and children over 1-year-old. This is because the microorganisms found in our intestine keep the spores from growing.

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from LifeStyle