Babies under the age of 1 year do not yet have a perfect digestive system. Therefore, providing inappropriate food intake can cause your little one to experience health problems, ranging from indigestion to poisoning which can be fatal.
Even though after passing the age of 6 months, your little one can already be given complementary foods with breast milk (MPASI), it does not mean that you can give him any type of food. The wrong food can actually affect the health and development of the baby's digestive system.
Foods That Should Not be Given to Babies
The following are foods that are not recommended to be given to children under 1 year of age:
1. Foods with a lot of salt
Giving babies foods that contain salt is actually still possible. Just don't overdo it. Add as little salt as possible to food, just to add flavor. Too much salt can damage your baby's developing kidneys.
2. Foods high in sugar
Just like salt, sugar intake in infants also needs to be limited. Give only a little, just to give flavor to the food so that the baby will eat. Too much sugar can damage baby's teeth. To add sweetness to your little one's food, you can add sweet fruits to his food.
Read Too : Can Babies Eat Ice Cream?
3. Foods that contain a lot of saturated fat
It is recommended not to give your child foods with high levels of saturated fat, such as potato chips or fried foods. To find out the levels of saturated fat in food products, you can read the nutrition labels on the packaging.
4. Seafood high in mercury
Various types of seafood, such as fish, shellfish, and lobster, do contain many nutrients that the body needs. However, you need to be careful because some seafood contains a lot of mercury, which is harmful to the developing nervous system of the baby. We recommend that you consult with your doctor first before giving seafood to your little one if he is still under 1 year old, especially if he has a history of allergies.
5. Raw or undercooked eggs
Eggs can be given to babies aged 6 months and over, but make sure the eggs are cooked thoroughly. The reason is, raw eggs or undercooked eggs may contain Salmonella bacteria which can cause infection in babies.
6. Honey
Although it is known to have many health benefits, honey is not recommended to be given to babies, because honey contains the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which can trigger botulism. For the sake of your little one, don't give honey before he is 1 year old.
7. Fruit juice
Fruit juice is not recommended to be given to children who are not yet 1 year old. The reason is that the sugar content in fruit juices tends to be higher. In addition, fruit that has been processed into juice has lost most of its fiber content, making it less healthy than whole fruit.
Read Too : Causes of Baby's Difficulty Eating and How to Overcome It
Drinking fruit juice can make children full so they don't have an appetite when mealtime arrives. Babies who consume too much fruit juice, especially packaged processed juices, are also at a higher risk of being overweight, tooth decay, and diarrhea. Therefore, it is better for Mother to give cut fruit to the Little One.
So, don't make the mistake of giving food to babies, Mom. From now on, keep the above foods away from your little one's plate. To find out more clearly what foods are recommended and prohibited for your little one according to his body condition, you can consult a nutritionist or pediatrician.
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