Is it possible to give honey to a child? Can children have honey? Is it possible for a one-year-old baby to have honey

• 1. Benefits of honey
• 2. What is the danger?
• 3. The need for honey in childhood
• 3.1. How to enter into the diet?
• 4. Contraindications
• 5. Honey treatment
• 5.1. Cough
• 5.2. Stomatitis
• 5.3. Colds

Sometimes sugary foods are helpful. For example, honey has a lot of positive qualities. It is used in food, in folk medicines. But is it safe for children? At what age can it be given to a child and when is it allowed to do so?

Benefits of honey

The main advantage of honey is that it consists of easily digestible carbohydrates (glucose and fructose). Sucrose is contained in it in small quantities. Honey has a high nutritional value and has medicinal properties.

Honey is rich in iodine, iron, zinc, mineral salts, potassium, manganese, fluorine, B vitamins and multiple organic acids.
Recently, scientists have discovered that it contains some hormone-like substances with the action of antibiotics.

Due to its composition, honey has many useful properties:

• improves appetite;
• strengthens the immune system due to the fact that ascorbic acid and carotene help to resist infections;
• has a curative effect on colds;
• improves digestion, prevents the formation of putrefactive processes;
• has a calming effect;
• strengthens the skeleton, promoting the absorption of calcium and magnesium;
• improves vision due to ascorbic acid, carotene and thiamine;
• increases hemoglobin;
• relieves cough by acting as an expectorant.

Looking at the impressive list of positive properties, the question arises, where does the fly in the ointment come from in this honey barrel? Why is this useful product should not be given to children, and if possible, from what year? The fact is that some active substances can adversely affect the growth and formation of organs and systems. Therefore, it is important to know at what age you can give honey to a child.

What is the danger?

Parents are at great risk by giving honey to children under one year old. Bees, producing it, come into contact with various biological materials, including spores.

Once in a favorable environment, they can cause the development of botulism. The immunity of a baby who is only a few months old is unlikely to cope with the disease.

Despite the digestibility of carbohydrates, excessive consumption of the product can cause caries, a set excess weight and even obesity. Therefore, you can not give it to children who are prone to fullness.

Honey is the strongest allergen. If there is an allergy, the reaction of a small organism can be instantaneous, ranging from a rash to angioedema. It can manifest itself in different ways:

1. Skin - redness, itching, rashes, blisters.
2. Lungs - cough, shortness of breath.
3. Face - swelling of the eyelids, cheeks, tongue.
4. Nose - runny nose.
5. Eyes - redness, tearfulness, irritation.
6. Stomach and intestines - pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.
7. Headache.

The need for honey in childhood

Pediatrician Komarovsky does not deny the benefits of honey, but recalls that the product is biologically active, so it is impossible to predict the body's reaction to it. It is important at what age to start giving it to a child.

The doctor believes that it makes no sense to give honey to children of the first year of life. When breastfeeding, children during the first months receive all the necessary substances with milk, and with artificial feeding - with specially adapted mixtures. It is not worth overloading the body of a small child.

Komarovsky does not believe that honey should be completely abandoned. If parents calmly consume bee products, then the likelihood of an allergy in a baby is low. It is necessary to accustom him to delicacy not earlier than one year of age. But still, if there is no need, then it is better to start teaching when the baby is 2-3 years old, because at an older age, negative reactions are not so pronounced.

Here is an approximate scheme for introducing honey into the diet of a child:

How to enter into the diet?

Before the child begins to eat honey, you need to make sure that there is no allergy. For this, a small amount is applied to the wrist. If redness or itching does not appear during the day, then you can dissolve a few drops of honey in a glass of water and give it a try. After making sure that there is no allergy, you can start giving half a teaspoon a day.

Children are allowed only liquid honey. But when diluted in a liquid whose temperature is above 45 ° C, it loses its beneficial properties and releases carcinogens.
The delicacy can be diluted in warm tea or milk, and also added to jelly or compote.

Contraindications

Before offering honey to a child, you need to check if there are any contraindications. Sometimes eating it is not recommended and even prohibited.

1. Allergy and exudative diathesis. Has a hereditary predisposition.
2. Scrofula. It is rare, it incorporates signs of exudative diathesis and childhood external tuberculosis.
3. Idiosyncrasy - intolerance to individual components of honey.
4. Diabetes mellitus - not allowed to use in the diet.
5. Obesity and a tendency to be overweight.

Having one of the listed diagnoses, you need to think carefully before arranging a “honey” self-treatment. Otherwise, you may run into serious trouble.

Watch the video

honey treatment

The main property of the main product of beekeeping is medicinal. When, why and how much can you eat honey as a medicine?

Cough

1. Put the radish in a glass and cut off the top of it. Put 2 tablespoons of honey into this recess. Wait 2 hours. The resulting juice should be given in a teaspoon at intervals of 3 times a day.
2. Squeeze juice from aloe leaves. Honey is added to it (1 g per 5 ml of juice). Helps with severe coughs. Give a teaspoon three times a day.
3. Warm milk to room temperature. A teaspoon of honey can be dissolved in milk, or you can drink it. It will not be superfluous to add cocoa butter to the milky-honey solution. Drink 3-4 times a day.

Stomatitis

Honey has a healing effect. By treating them with sores of stomatitis, you can quickly get rid of them. But this method is not suitable for children, because children's enamel is still too thin and easily exposed to caries. Rinsing with honey solution is a good remedy for stomatitis. You need to brew a teaspoon of chamomile flowers and leave for 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of honey to the cooled and filtered solution. Rinse your mouth several times a day. Improvements will be on the second day. To completely get rid of stomatitis, rinsing should be continued for at least 5 days.

There are restrictions on how many years you can use such a remedy for stomatitis. Not to be used by children under 6 years of age.

Some parents lubricate their baby's gums when teething to relieve pain. Why can't you do that? A child is only a few months old, and bee products up to one year of age can be dangerous for him.

You should not accustom the baby to a dummy, lubricating it with honey. Be patient. It will take a couple of months, and he himself will learn to take a pacifier, if necessary.

Colds

At the beginning of the disease, at a temperature slightly above 37 ° C, honey can have a positive effect. It will increase perspiration, bring relief.

Despite the antipyretic property, it can only be treated folk remedies at temperatures above 38 ° C there is no point. Medicines prescribed by a doctor are required. But some methods can act as concomitants.

1. Honey herbal tea. Brew a collection of mint, chamomile, raspberries, sea buckthorn, strawberries. Add a teaspoon of honey to the cooled broth. Give throughout the illness to babies older than 4 years.
2. Oat milk. Rinse 200 g of oats and pour a liter of milk. Boil on low heat for an hour. Cool, strain and add a teaspoon of butter and honey. Drink before bed every day as long as the temperature persists. The next day you will feel better.

These are examples of methods against the most common diseases. There are recipes for honey inhalations, remedies for adenoids, anemia and other serious diseases. But you can not completely rely on them without consulting a doctor.

Parents decide for themselves how old their baby will eat honey. Each child is individual. Someone even at 6 months will perceive honey without consequences, and someone will not be able to eat it years later due to allergies. But it is better to consult a pediatrician when to introduce such complex foods into the child's diet, and wait until he is 3 years old.

Good day, dear parents. Today we will talk about whether it is possible to give honey to children. You will find out what its valuable qualities and possible harm are. Find out which product to choose. Let's talk about the entry rules and the age that is considered optimal for a first acquaintance.

Valuable qualities

1. Affects general development organism, active growth.
2. Valuable for the immune system, as it contains carotene and ascorbic acid. Children who regularly consume honey are much less likely to get sick, their body is resistant to viruses. especially valuable medicine is a combination of honey with lemon and ginger.
3. It has a beneficial effect on the blood, increases hemoglobin.
4. Relaxes, has a sedative effect, promotes falling asleep as soon as possible, normalizes sleep.
5. It has a positive effect on the digestive system, improves the process of assimilation of food, digestion, and prevents rotting in the intestines.
6. It is used for stomatitis, as it has an antiseptic and analgesic effect.
7. It helps to lower the temperature, is a diaphoretic. Therefore, it can be used in diseases of the respiratory tract.
8. Affects better absorption of magnesium and calcium. Therefore, it affects the normal condition of teeth and bones.
9. Favorably affects vision, increases its sharpness.
10. Promotes better assimilation of the material, improves memory and concentration.
11. If sugar is replaced with honey, then such a product will do much less harm to the teeth, reduce the percentage likelihood of developing caries.
12. It is believed that with regular use of honey, you can get rid of enuresisif there is one in history.

Possible harm

Caries - a possible problem with frequent use of honey

If acquaintance with honey is too early or the baby tastes a low-quality product, then the following consequences are not excluded:

• manifestations of an allergic reaction;
• excessive consumption of the product can lead to obesity.

Optimal age

Parents often ask when exactly to start introducing their baby to honey. Previously, when it was not known about possible harm of this product, people without hesitation gave honey to children at any age, in particular in the treatment of colds. Modern experts recommend not to rush to introduce the baby to this product, up to a year it is considered contraindicated, from a year to three it can be administered with caution, only after three - be more calm.

When solving the issue with honey, it is also necessary to take into account that in different age periods different volumes of the consumed product are acceptable:

• honey for children under one year old - prohibited for use;
• from one to three years - no more than 5 grams per day a maximum of three times a week;
• from three years to five years - 16 grams per day;
• from 6 to ten years - up to 45 grams;
• children over 10 years old - a maximum of 75 grams.

Parents should understand that even without a predisposition to allergies, if this product is abused, it can develop.

Contraindications

Honey is contraindicated in obesity

Despite its benefits, honey may not be allowed for everyone. So the use of this product is unacceptable if:

• persistent allergy to the product or its components;
• idiosyncrasy;
• Availability ;
• the baby suffers from scrofula;
• or a genetic predisposition to it.

Features of choice

1. You need to make sure the quality. To date, honey bought in a store may contain flavors, dyes, can be diluted with sugar, there are known cases of paraffin. Such a product can be quite dangerous for a small child. However, you need to understand that for a toddler, a natural product can be no less harmful than a surrogate one. It should be borne in mind that you do not know exactly where the apiary is located, because it can even be next to a busy highway.
2. No allergic reaction to honey. According to the latest data, the number of allergy sufferers is constantly increasing, in particular among children. In many ways, environmental problems are to blame, a large percentage of chemical components in products. Honey is a strong allergen. This must be taken into account, since serious consequences are not ruled out.
3. Seek advice from your pediatrician and allergist if you have had an allergic reaction before. Only after that, start dating.

Consider all the positive aspects, as well as the disadvantages of this product, find out at what age you can give it to your baby, consider the history of allergic reactions in response to other products.

How to give

When the first acquaintance of the baby with this product occurs, the following sequence of actions must be considered:

• you need to take a drop of liquid honey;
• apply it on the wrist of the little one;
• wait two minutes;
• rinse with water.

If immediately or within three hours after contact, neither redness nor any other signs characteristic of an allergic reaction appear in this area, then you can try to include honey in the children's diet. The first acquaintance should include a small drop of honey diluted with water. Gradually, you can increase the percentage of honey, and then start giving it in its pure form, if there were no negative reactions to it.

Parents should be aware that children under the age of 10 should only consume the liquid product. Candied is not recommended for babies under 10 years old.

I am thinking about what kind of honey to give to children, it is necessary to take into account certain selection criteria.

1. Buckwheat honey, which has a brown color, is not particularly liked by children due to the presence of a bitter taste. At the same time, it is considered that such a product fights anemia and colds as well as possible.
2. Many children like the acacia variety, because it smells good and is quite tasty. Such a product is considered not as allergenic as other varieties. It has a sedative effect, is a good expectorant.
3. Linden honey is also liked by many kids. It has bactericidal properties that help fight colds.

1. Observing age dosages, make sure that honey remains in the diet of the little one for no longer than one month without a break. It will be possible to resume it in the child's diet two to three months after stopping the use.
2. It is not necessary to start acquaintance with honey with a pure product. It is important to dilute it with water. It can also be added to tea or milk.
3. It should be borne in mind that honey can replace sugar, so it can be added to porridge or cottage cheese.
4. You can not force the baby to taste honey. If he resists this product, you do not need to force him.
5. Postpone acquaintance with honey until a later period. Do not rush to introduce it into the diet of the little one.

Parents should know that you need to dilute honey with a liquid whose temperature does not exceed 45 degrees. This is the only way to preserve its valuable qualities. Otherwise, he will not only lose them, but also acquire harmful substances.

Now you know at what age honey can be given to a child. You know what value this product has. Do not forget about a possible allergic reaction to honey, individual features every child. Remember that there are contraindications to the use of honey.

Honey is a unique natural product containing a huge amount of components and trace elements necessary for a person: folic acid, vitamin complexes, carbohydrates, carotenes, etc. There is no need to argue about the benefits of this sweet, viscous substance, but questions about at what age honey can be given to a child still remain relevant. We will try to answer them in this article.

Although honey has many useful properties, regarding its inclusion in the children's diet, serious passions still flare up. Some actively defend the point of view according to which this product is mandatory for use almost from the cradle, others hold a diametrically opposite opinion. Who is right? At what age can honey be given to a child?

The most famous pediatrician in Russia, Dr. Komarovsky, does not deny the benefits of natural honey delicacy, but strongly recommends treating it with extreme caution. Honey is a biologically active product, and therefore it is almost impossible to predict the body's reaction to it. That is why the pediatric community has set clear age limits for the use of this sweet.

When can honey be given to a child?

• for small infants (up to twelve months) the consumption of honey delicacies is categorically contraindicated;
• in some cases, honey can be used by one-year-old babies as a biologically active food supplement, but before that, consultation with the local pediatrician is necessary;
• bee nectar is included in the children's diet after the child reaches the age of three, moreover, no more than one tablespoon can be consumed per day;
• children 6-10 years old can consume no more than 45 grams or three tablespoons of bee nectar per day;
• children who have reached the age of ten are allowed to eat up to 75 grams of honey per day.

The modern pediatric community is convinced that feeding honey in the first year of a child's life is fraught with serious consequences, even death. As a rule, the child's body does not need additional vitamin and dietary supplements, since it receives everything it needs with mother's milk.

Daily intake

Now that we have learned at what age children can have honey, we should decide on the dosage. It was noted above that in some cases, bee nectar can be prescribed to babies under three years of age.

In what form and quantity should they consume this delicacy? As a rule, the daily dose should be no more than a third of a dessert spoon or 5 grams. Honey is diluted with warm milk, and the resulting sweet mixture is poured into a pacifier and presented to the baby in this form.

How much honey can children eat?

• from 0 to 12 months - the consumption of the product is strictly prohibited;
• from 12 months to three years - no more than 5 grams of the product per day and no more than 3 times a week;
• from three to five years - the daily norm is 16 grams;
• from six to ten years - up to 45 grams per day;
• from ten years - up to 75 grams.

Parents need to strictly observe the daily intake, otherwise their child may develop an allergy.

Features of introducing the product into the diet

When we figured out how old you can give honey to children, let's talk about the features of introducing this product into the diet. Before you start giving honey, you must make sure that it does not have allergic reactions.

Step-by-step instructions on how to check if a child is allergic to honey:

1. Take a small amount of honey.
2. Apply it on your wrist.
3. Leave for a couple of minutes.
4. Wash off with water.

If within the next two to three hours redness does not appear on the treated area, and the temperature does not rise, then there is no allergic reaction, you can begin to include the product in the diet.

To begin with, the baby will simply need a few drops of honey dissolved in a glass of water. After a couple of days, when the body gets used to the sweet liquid, you can start giving a teaspoon every day.

It is worth noting that only liquid honey varieties are allowed for children under ten years of age. A thick candied product is not recommended to be included in the child's diet.

honey for babies

Is it possible to give honey to an infant? Here, the opinions of pediatricians converge - honey delicacy is strictly prohibited for use in infancy.

The fact is that this product incorporates spore-forming rods, which, penetrating the digestive system of the baby, contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for botulism. These spores can also cause intoxication and lead to death.

In addition to the circumstances listed above, honey is prohibited for consumption, as it can provoke the development of allergic reactions. It is a fairly concentrated biologically active substance, which the baby's body is not able to absorb normally.

Benefits of honey for children

Honey is a unique natural product with a whole range of useful and healing properties. The main ones are listed below:

• Promotes the accelerated development of the child.
• Strengthens immune system, normalizes its work.
• It helps to strengthen the bone skeleton, tooth enamel.
• It has an anti-inflammatory effect, helps to cope with colds.
• Produces antipyretic effect, can fight high fever.
• It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system.
• Improves blood circulation.

Also, honey can fight the hyperactivity of the child, have a calming effect on him.

Contraindications

Despite a number of advantages and benefits, honey is a rather controversial ingredient that should not always be included in the diet. Its use is prohibited in the following cases:

• In the presence of allergies, individual intolerance to the product.
• With scrofula, a rare disease, external signs and manifestations of which are similar to exudative diathesis.
• With idiosyncrasy.
• With diabetes.
• With obesity or a genetic predisposition to be overweight.

If your child has at least one of the ailments listed above, his honey intake should be reduced to zero.

Honey is a natural delicacy with a high content of vitamins and minerals. But, despite the benefits, the product is not recommended for children, at least up to a year. First of all, such a delicacy is the strongest allergen. In addition, sometimes it leads to botulism. This is a rare, but serious and dangerous disease in which harmful paralyzing toxins accumulate in the baby's body. Let's see if it is possible to give honey to a baby. And also find out at what age they give this delicacy to babies.

Beneficial features

Honey is a natural product that contains a large amount of iron, magnesium and copper, B vitamins. It is an excellent prevention and remedy for colds. Honey will be an excellent substitute for sugar, since 76% of the sugar in the product is fructose and glucose. These substances are easier to digest and provide more benefits than sugar.

Honey performs a number of important functions:

• Strengthens the immune system, effectively protects the body from harmful bacteria and viral diseases;
• Fills the body with vitamins and useful elements;
• Normalizes the work of nerve cells and stimulates the brain;
• Improves mood, gives vitality and energy;
• The newborn grows calm and resistant to stress;
• Strengthens bones, gums and teeth, hair and nails;
• Improves skin structure;
• Cleanses the body, removes harmful carbon dioxide and toxins;
• Normalizes the work of digestion and material metabolism;
• Helps with constipation.

By the way, honey is useful for a nursing mother. It improves lactation, quickly restores the body after childbirth, improves the condition of the skin, nails and hair. Improves mood and helps fight postpartum depression. However, in this situation, the delicacy is not recommended to be eaten by lactating women in the first six months due to strong allergenicity. Read more about the benefits and use of this product during lactation. And then we will consider whether it is possible to give honey to a baby.

Harmful effect

Honey contains a strong allergen, so when using a sweet product in infants, a rash or itching, swelling and other negative consequences may occur. In addition, honey can cause indigestion and stool disorders, severe poisoning.

However, experts note that an allergy to pure honey is extremely rare. Therefore, it is important to choose a natural product, not a fake. A real delicacy does not delaminate, and liquid does not form on the surface. The taste should be without extraneous shades, and the color should be transparent. The natural product flows down from the spoon or stick slowly in a continuous thread.

The cloudy color of the product speaks of a fake, and due to the large amount of sugar, honey will drain in separate drops. If the treat is of good quality, it will thicken over time.

The most dangerous effect that this delicacy can have is the occurrence and development of botulism. This is a toxic infectious disease that affects the nervous system and spinal cord, resulting in acute respiratory failure. To avoid possible problems, it is important to follow a number of important rules.

Rules for the use of honey for children

• You can not give honey to newborns and lubricate their nipple, as some midwives advise;
• The product is recommended to be introduced into the baby's diet no earlier than at the age of one, even if he is on artificial or mixed feeding. Some pediatricians do not allow honey;
• Follow the dosage. The introduction begins with ¼-⅓ teaspoon and then gradually increase the rate to one teaspoon. You can not give the product more than once every two days. By the way, the benefit of the product is not in volume, but in the regularity of use;
• Choose only a natural product;
• After the first injection, carefully observe the reaction and well-being of the baby. If a negative reaction does not appear within two days, honey can be eaten in compliance with the dosage and recommendations;
• If appeared

Honey is an extremely useful product. Scientists, doctors and just lovers of natural sweetness talk about this tirelessly, but how useful or harmful is this product for children? Many mothers, trying to give their child all the best and most useful, often ask - is honey possible for children, when can honey be given to a child and how much?

Honey for children - only quality, only nature

Honey is a product, no doubt, useful, in addition, it is often used both in pharmacology and in folk medicine. Everyone has probably heard that honey is the best cough medicine? But these statements are true only in relation to a quality product, and today there are a lot of fakes of honey. On the shelves of stores you can easily find honey, which is mixed with sugar or starch molasses, flour and even various very unhealthy materials - gypsum, minerals, glue. Therefore, you should always be careful about the choice of goodies, buy only a quality product, preferably natural, from trusted beekeepers.

Many parents believe that the benefits of honey are so great that it is fashionable to use this product at any age, almost from the cradle. Grandmothers recommend mixing a teaspoon of honey into milk or dry formula for babies aged three months and older.

In fact, British scientists have found that it is very, very dangerous to give honey to children under one year old: at this age, a delicacy can create digestive system the baby is a very favorable environment for the development of botulism. This is due to the content in the honeycombs spore-forming bacillus Clostridium botulinum. The entry of these spores into the human body can cause severe toxic damage to the body, and if an adult is able to endure such a strong one more or less normally, then for children under one year old it can be, in rare cases, even fatal. That is why doctors strongly do not recommend giving honey to children under one year old, in some countries - up to 18 months. Think about it, and the next time you decide to ask if honey is possible for a baby, weigh all the benefits and possible risks from using this product and make the right decision.

Interestingly, in many Western countries, packages with a natural delicacy always indicate that honey is strictly forbidden for children under one year old.

Attention: It is forbidden to give honey to infants in many countries of the world, in the countries of the former CIS it is not recommended to give honey to children under 18 months old!

When can you give honey to a child?

Many pediatricians recommend giving honey to a child only after they reach the age of three. Skeptics and lovers of bee delicacy are of the opinion that it is necessary to start giving honey to a child already in the second year of life. But both sides agree on one thing: you need to start giving honey to a child in small doses in order to check the reaction of the child's body to sweetness.

Do not forget that honey is a strong allergen, along with citrus fruits. Although honey allergy is not common in a child, it is important to monitor the baby in order to be able to take action in time if any symptoms appear. In addition, it is important to understand that even if a child is not allergic to honey, excessive consumption of this product in young age can cause allergies in the future!

Is it possible to give honey to a child: a few more facts

It is important for parents who decide to pamper their child with a tasty and sweet treat, it is important to understand that we are talking about the benefits or harms of honey only against the background of a quality product and, in no case, honey analogues or fakes that are often found on supermarket shelves.

It is also important to understand that not always honey from an apiary can be completely safe. There is a so-called poisonous honey or "drunk honey". It is not made by wrong bees, as Winnie the Pooh said, but completely ordinary ones with only one difference - they collect nectar from plants containing poisonous substances (flowers of aconite, henbane, tobacco, rhododendron). After drinking poisonous honey, weakness, deterioration of health, dizziness and even fainting may occur. Fortunately, such "drunk honey" is rare.

How much honey can a child?

If you decide to introduce honey into your child's diet, you need to know the recommended doses of this product.

• Children under the age of two are advised to eat no more than half a teaspoon of honey per day.
• Children over two years old can eat a teaspoon of honey per day.

At the same time, according to doctors, honey has a beneficial effect on the nervous system of the child and has a calming effect. That is why it is recommended to take half or a whole teaspoon of honey at night, for example, dissolved in warm milk or tea. This will improve and also help to cope with bedwetting in young children.