Don t feed honey to babies

Honey for children | Medovkrym.ru

It is difficult to overestimate the useful properties of one of the most valuable natural products. Since ancient times, it has been used as a medicinal and prophylactic agent. Honey is actively used in medicine, cosmetology and cooking. Of course, we all think about how to give honey to children: is it possible, when and how to start introducing this magical product and how much will be useful for our children.

The opinions of doctors about the age at which honey can be given to children differ somewhat. Some say that honey should be introduced to children from 1.5-2 years of age, others recommend starting after 3 years.

We advise you to follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), which categorically prohibits giving honey to a child under the age of 12-18 months. Dr. Komarovsky also holds a similar opinion and believes that you can wait up to 2 years to start giving honey to children.

Why shouldn't honey be given to children under 1 year old?

British scientists have found that it is dangerous to give honey to children under one year old: at this age, a treat can create a very favorable environment for the development of botulism in the baby's digestive system. This is due to the content in the honeycombs of the spore-forming bacillus Clostridium botulinum.
Botulism spores are not bacteria, so they cannot harm a child from 1-1.5 years old and an adult, as they die already in the stomach under the influence of hydrochloric acid. In children of the first year of life, the gastrointestinal tract is still being formed, and its acidity is not high enough to fight pathogens. Spores, getting into the immature intestines of an infant, begin to produce a toxin that disrupts neuromuscular connections. Infant botulism is quite rare and is usually completely curable, but there is sometimes a risk of disability or death.

If your baby is already in the second year of life, you can gradually introduce our wonderful product. Before giving honey to children for the first time, dissolve a couple of drops of it in a glass of water and let the baby drink (in the morning). If during the day there are no negative reactions, then start giving 1/3 teaspoon per day. Children under 3 years old can be given 1-2 teaspoons per day, 3-6 years old - 2-3 teaspoons, 7-12 years old - 3-4 teaspoons, over 12 years old - 1-2 tablespoons.

Do not forget that honey is a strong allergen, along with citrus fruits. An allergic reaction to honey is not common, but the immune system of young children is not fully formed, which is why when giving honey to children, care should be taken. The reason for the allergy is in the complex multicomponent composition of the product, that is, the reaction does not occur on the honey itself, but on its individual components.

If you have made sure that the baby responds well to the new product, feel free to use it as a restorative, prophylactic or auxiliary remedy. If your child is sick, and you want to help him with something else, in addition to the medicines recommended by the doctor, you can give honey to children for medicinal purposes in small quantities from the age of one. As well as when introducing a bee product into the menu, caution is required here. Start with small doses, and if the baby's reaction is normal, feel free to take the treatment.

Honey treatment.

Remember not to add this valuable product to hot drinks. Heating it over 45 degrees reduces the enzymatic activity of the product, that is, the absorption of carbohydrates worsens, and poorly soluble salts are formed.

Light sedative at night. If your "shilopop" does not want to go to bed after an active day, give him a spoonful of honey with warm milk at night. Honey has a positive effect on the nervous system of the child and has a calming effect.

Vitamin blend. Grind with a meat grinder or blender and mix dried apricots, prunes, pitted raisins, figs, walnuts and honey. Give your child a mixture of a teaspoon per day as an additional source of vitamins (this is especially true in winter and spring). The whole family can take our signature preparation of ginger, lemon and honey.

Rubbing for respiratory infections. If you have a runny nose and cough, you can spread honey on the chest, neck and back of the child, and then wrap him up warmly. But you should not do this procedure at elevated temperatures, otherwise the heat transfer from the skin will be impaired.

First aid for cooling. If your "explorer" has come home from a deep study of cold puddles, make tea for him and offer him honey. This combination will increase blood circulation and allow you to warm up faster.

For bedwetting. Brew one teaspoon of horsetail and yarrow in a glass of boiling water, add one spoonful of honey and infuse for 2 hours. Give your child this tea an hour before bedtime.

When coughing. The fact is that honey contains substances that promote the activation of the synthesis of compounds that suppress the cough center. Due to this, the frequency and intensity of the obsessive, dry cough, which does not bring the slightest relief, is reduced. In addition, due to its enveloping action, the use of this bee product helps to soften an irritated throat and eliminate tickling in it. At the same time, it contains components that contribute to thinning, swelling and, therefore, facilitating the release of mucus from the bronchi. Thus, cough treatment with honey is effective in all cases, that is, with both dry and wet coughs.

At elevated body temperature. Honey is a good diaphoretic, that is, when ARVI begins, it is worth giving honey to children regularly until complete recovery, it will serve as a good helper for your baby's immune system.

Summing up, we repeat the main idea: honey can be given to children with such precautions as the minimum age of the child and monitoring the reaction. Take care of the quality of the product, as this will be the key to the beneficial effects of the product on your baby.

Is it possible to give honey to children? From what age? Benefits and contraindications.

It is known that very young Zeus was fed with the milk of the divine goat and honey nectar. Is honey suitable for today's little sweet tooth? Will he give them strength and health, like the supreme Greek deity?

At what age can honey be given to children? age dosages.

Honey is an amazing product in terms of its taste qualities and invaluable in terms of its medicinal properties. No wonder so many parents want to give it to their kids. Answering the question whether it is possible to give honey to children for food, let's say - it is possible, but carefully!

Most doctors are inclined to believe that it is better to introduce honey into a child's diet after he is 1 year old. The delicacy is classified as a highly allergenic product, and up to a year the immune system of the baby has not yet been formed.

Doctors' opinions about the first intake of honey in a child's food vary somewhat. Some say that it should be introduced from 1.5-2 years, others - only after 3-6 years. Dr. Komarovsky believes that if a child has no signs of allergy, and his parents tolerate bee products without consequences, then with a high degree of probability honey will be well absorbed by the baby.

In any case, a small test is recommended before the first dose. Spread a small amount of honey on the inside of the baby's wrist. If within 1 day itching does not begin at this place and redness does not appear, then you can give a few drops of a sweet treat. After making sure that the child does not have allergies, parents can increase the dosage of honey up to 30 grams (1 tablespoon) per day. It is advisable to eat this amount not at one time, but in portions.

Schoolchildren from 6 to 9 years old are recommended to take honey for food, in the absence of contraindications. To improve health and immunity, you can give 50 g (1.5 tablespoons) of honey per day in several doses.

Adolescents from 9 to 15 years old can already consume an almost adult dose - up to 80 g of honey per day (3 tablespoons).

Which honey is suitable for a child and how to give it?

Give liquid honey to children. Honey in combs is not entirely suitable for baby food, although it is considered more useful.

Dilute honey in warm tea or milk, add to cottage cheese, compote, juice or jelly. There are also many recipes for making treats based on honey or with its addition.

You should know that honey diluted in a liquid with a temperature above 45C loses its beneficial properties!

And most importantly, never force a child to eat honey. With good intentions, you can easily cause disgust for this tasty and healthy gift of nature for life. To interest the baby, you can come up with a fascinating story about how bees make honey.

What are the benefits of honey for children?

The benefits of honey for children are confirmed by scientific research and the experience of many parents. Let's highlight the main one.

• Development. Honey helps the active development of the child.
• Strengthening the immune system. Carotene and ascorbic acid contained in honey help fight infections and get sick less often.
• Strengthening bones and teeth. Thanks to honey, a growing body absorbs magnesium and calcium better and receives prophylaxis against scoliosis. Honey does not destroy tooth enamel. However, due to the fructose content, the child should be taught to rinse his mouth after eating it.
• Anti-inflammatory effect. Honey is useful for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, digestion, kidneys and biliary tract.
• Treatment of diseases of the lungs and upper respiratory tract. Honey is able to ease coughing attacks and promote recovery from bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, whooping cough, pneumonia, etc.
• Antipyretic effect. Honey has strong diaphoretic properties, so it is given to children at elevated body temperature.
• Improvement of blood composition. Honey contributes to the fastest recovery from anemia. The level of hemoglobin in the child's blood rises.
• Improved digestion. Honey stimulates the active digestion of proteins and fats. They do not linger in the intestines and do not form putrefactive processes.
• Vision improvement. Carotene, ascorbic acid and thiamine increase visual acuity and prevent wearing glasses in the future.
• Treatment of the genitourinary system. Honey helps in the treatment of urinary incontinence in children.
• Sedative. Honey has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. Children fall asleep faster, they have a healthy full sleep.
• Antifungal effect. Honey is effective in children's candidiasis in the mouth and in angina on the background of a fungal infection.