As your baby gets older and they keep developing. It may be ok to start feeding them more than just breast milk and formula after 9 months or so. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a minimum of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. If later as a mom you would like to start introducing new foods, here are foods NOT to feed your baby.
What NOT to Feed Your Baby under 1 year of age:
Honey! Honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum. In a baby’s digestive tract isn’t quite developed enough to prevent botulism which produces spores which produce grow life-threatening toxins. It is a rare serious illness of about 110 cases of it, usually from infants, in the U.S. per year.
Nuts: Especially peanuts are a huge one to NOT feed to a baby. First of all makes common sense due to baby being able to choke and lack of fully developed teeth to break it down but mostly the teeth part. The scary part with peanuts is peanut allergies. Could be life threatening. Doctors suggest holding off on anything you are allergic to until about 3 years of age or older.
Cow’s milk and soy milk: could cause upset stomach and eczema. Some Dr.’s have said that maybe some babies could tolerate the milk at 6 months but that would just depend on a case by case basis. Cow’s milk and soy milk contain minerals that could damage a baby’s kidneys and overall do not have all the nutrients needed as breast milk does and even formula.
Small hard foods: Hard candies, popcorn, nuts, these sorts of foods are far too small and could get stuck in a child’s airway making them choking hazard.
Soft, Sticky foods: Peanut butter is a good example of soft and sticky others include marshmallows, gummy candies or like foods and jelly or jam. Even popcorn because it sticks. The soft and sticky consistency could be tough for a baby to swallow safely making it a choking hazard.
Fish: like with peanuts, there could be a sea food allergy that runs in the family so giving the baby until about 2 -3 years old before introducing seafood is best. This gives the infant time to strengthen its immune system. Another reason is mercury! Which could cause toxicity even in adults.
Raw veggies and Raw fruits: like grapes, carrots, that are not easily able to be mashed up could cause choking hazards. Canned fruit are also choking hazards since they are typically in big chunks.
Unpasteurized cheeses: there is a small poisoning risk with cheese. However, most cheeses sold here in the U.S. are pasteurized but check the label to confirm.
Most of these foods listed here are a must not for baby due to choking hazards so think about that when feeding your baby. A good rule of thumb is to have solid foods completely OFF LIMITS from birth to about 4-6 months. Keep in mind any family food allergies if unsure about a food for baby to wait on feeding that to the baby. Good luck in your baby feeding journey!
Resources:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_foods-that-can-be-unsafe-for-your-baby_9195.bc
http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1193593/what-foods-should-you-absolutely-not
http://www.parents.com/baby/health/allergy/foods-not-to-give-baby/
