Honey for children: beneficial properties, application. Can a child have honey from bees? Can a small child have honey?

Honey is an unusually healthy and sweet delicacy that will appeal to everyone, from young to old. But its use comes with some rules. And they are especially relevant for the child’s body. At what age can children be given honey, how much can they give it and which variety is best suited for this purpose - you will find detailed answers to these and other questions in our article.

Honey for children: benefit or harm?

Reviews about the need for honey for a child vary greatly. On the one hand, the natural product has a general strengthening, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, which will become a natural alternative medicines. On the other hand, there is a risk of allergies, especially at an early age.

Beneficial properties of bee products:

strengthens the immune system, increases body tone and vitality

prevents the growth of bacteria during colds and acute respiratory infections

relieves inflammation and sore throat

promotes the removal of phlegm and expectoration when coughing

improves appetite

normalizes intestinal microflora

speeds up metabolism

is a prevention of helminths

normalizes liver function

replenishes the lack of hemoglobin

strengthens sleep

improves concentration and performance

When used externally, the product is also effective. It relieves inflammation, has a regenerative and anesthetic effect. It can be used for a runny nose, various wounds and acne in adolescence.

So, can children have honey? The logical conclusion would be a balance between the pros and cons of using the product. The possible risk of allergies can be easily eliminated by visiting a doctor and undergoing an appropriate examination. To find natural and high-quality honey - buy it from the beekeeper directly. If the use of bee products is safe, why not improve your child’s health by including such a tasty delicacy in their diet?

Articles on the topic:

Why is honey considered so beneficial?

Treatment of the gastrointestinal tract with honey

Honey and blood pressure: how to normalize it yourself

Honey for children: at what age is it allowed?

Each parent seeks the answer to this question independently. Someone is not sure if honey can be one month old baby. Others use it as a nutritional supplement, diluting it in a bottle with breast milk or a special formula.

Interesting fact: There is a kind of “life hack” among people that helps new mothers accustom their child to a pacifier. Simply dip it lightly in bee nectar. Honey infant he simply cannot help but like it thanks to its sweet taste - and he begins to suck on the pacifier much more willingly.

It is not recommended to give honey to children under one year of age. The reason for this is possible manifestations of allergies. A one-year-old child can use honey in small quantities, but if discomfort occurs, he simply will not be able to tell you about it. Another reason is botulism spores that may be hidden in pollen. For an adult, their dose is negligibly small and harmless, but can cause harm to a baby under 1 year of age.

If you decide to give your baby a treat, start feeding by lightly coating the gums or letting him lick the spoon. Next, carefully monitor your baby’s reaction. A more reliable safety net involves a visit to the doctor and a preliminary examination.

Honey can be given to a child aged 2-3 years in larger quantities. If you are sure that your baby does not have an allergic reaction to a natural product, it will be an excellent replacement for pharmaceutical vitamins, antiviral drugs and cough suppressants. In addition, it will help strengthen the immune system, increase energy levels, speed up metabolism, etc.

You can purchase honey directly from our apiary "Sviy honey":

How much honey can you give your child?

For preventive purposes, the sweet treat provides the following doses:

honey one year old child- a few drops

honey for children under 3 years old - ½ teaspoon once a day

honey for children under 6 years old - 1 teaspoon once a day

honey for children under 12 years old - 1 teaspoon 2 times a day

This amount is quite enough for the baby to receive the required daily intake of nutrients. If a child has a cold, coughs or complains of a sore throat, at the age of 3-12 years the dose can be increased slightly, but not more than 1 tablespoon per day.

Please note that it is recommended to eat bee products before meals. Thus, it will facilitate the process of digestion of food, and not create unnecessary stress on the stomach.

As for the time of day, it is preferable to give any sweets in the first half of the day. Is it possible to use honey for a child under one year old - of course. But glucose in his body can cause increased excitability. As a result, getting your baby to sleep will be much more difficult.

After drinking honey, encourage your baby to rinse his mouth with water. This will prevent the growth of bacteria in a sweet environment and will prevent dental diseases.

Article on the topic: Calorie content of honey: counting together!

What kind of honey can be given to children?

There is a huge variety of honey varieties. You can choose any of them for your child's diet. However, some varieties are healthier and preferable to others.

Acacia honey is best suited for a month to one year old child. He contains minimal amount sucrose and glucose with a maximum of fructose. Due to this, the product is low in calories and is very quickly absorbed by the body. It is also the most hypoallergenic of all varieties, which is especially important for the little ones.

Next in the ranking is buckwheat honey. The dark shade of this variety speaks volumes about its composition - the product is one of the record holders for the content of vitamins and minerals. Give your child a treat every day. You help saturate his body with calcium, iodine, zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, as well as vitamins B, C, D, E, K and other beneficial substances.

Linden honey completes our top three - but it did not get this place because of its limited benefits. This variety will be a real salvation if your child has a cold, suffers from a sore throat, fever and cough. The sweet treat will gently relieve inflammation, relieve discomfort and improve expectoration. And at the same time, it will strengthen the body’s defense against viruses and bacteria.

Related articles:

How to give honey?

There are no special rules regarding the use of a natural product. If the child is still too small, you can let him lick a spoon or dilute the sweetness in a bottle with milk. If he is already eating solid food, make him some nice toast or offer to dip pieces of fruit in bee nectar.

Pediatricians recommend diluting honey with water for children. It is believed that this is how the product is absorbed best. An alternative to water can be milk or tea - but not too hot, as beneficial features bee nectar is destroyed at temperatures above +40 degrees.

The natural product is also successfully used externally. If children have a runny nose, honey in their nose will replace pharmaceutical medications. Just dilute it with water in equal proportions and instill 2 drops every 3-4 hours.

If you have a severe cough, you can rub your child with honey. For greater effect, it is recommended to slightly warm up the sweetness, then apply gauze to the treatment area and wrap the child tightly in a blanket. In this case, the bee product acts like mustard plaster.

In what cases should children not have honey?

The main contraindication to consuming honey is individual intolerance to bee products. But this phenomenon is very rare. It occurs in only a few percent of the world's population.

Another possible prohibition is an allergy to honey in a child. It can have quite serious consequences: from skin rashes to the risk of suffocation. Therefore, before using the product, we strongly recommend that you consult a pediatrician and undergo the appropriate tests.

It is also not recommended to give a child treats if he has an exacerbation of one of the listed diseases: gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, urolithiasis, pancreas. Parents whose children suffer from hypervitaminosis, increased excitability, or certain mental disorders should be wary of using the product.

Video "At what age can children eat honey?"

Source

Wikipedia: Bee Honey

In the autumn, when colds and viruses cause illness in your baby, you often ask me about honey.

Is it possible to give honey to a child if he has a cold? At what age can a child have honey? Let's look at these questions together.

Beneficial properties of the product and is there any harm?

Honey is a natural storehouse of vitamins. It contains 300 types of vitamins, enzymes, minerals and acids, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, glucose, fructose and many trace elements.

Since ancient times it has been used as a cure for colds. In addition, this delicacy has the following benefits:

promotes the active development of the body;
strengthens teeth, skeleton and skeletal system;
improves blood composition;
stimulates the functioning of the digestive organs;
strengthens the immune system;
improves vision;
prevents destruction of tooth enamel;
excellent antimicrobial agent;
improves mood and maintains overall tone;
accelerates wound healing$
product improves physical development baby$
also, it is an excellent pain reliever for stomatitis;
Honey calms and relaxes, helps reduce fever.

Remember! Only pure natural honey. Synthetic, artificial, which is sold in stores, is very dangerous for the baby, it can harm his health.

Despite many beneficial properties, the product can pose serious health risks. Why shouldn’t children have honey and in what situations can it be harmful?

Honey is a strong allergen;
It can cause botulism;
Honey can cause tooth decay;
Its use should be limited if you are overweight.

How and when to give honey to a child

First, let's find out at what age children can be given honey.

Can a one-month-old baby have honey? No, it is strictly prohibited (by the way, find out what a baby should be able to do at 1 month?>>>).

Previously, they smeared the pacifier with honey and gave it to the baby, but you don’t need to do this, because you are taking a big risk.

This can lead to serious consequences, including poisoning;
The method of getting used to the pacifier by smearing it with something sweet is also outdated. A child can do just fine without a pacifier (read the article on the topic: Pacifier for a newborn: Pros and cons >>>).

Here I explain in detail everything about the needs of a baby and help you successfully breastfeed.

It is better not to give honey to children under one year old, so as not to create an environment in the intestines for the development of botulism. Offer this product after 2.5-3 years;
Even if a child has a weak immune system and often suffers from colds, there is no need to give honey to the child.

You can strengthen your immune system in other ways. We discuss this topic inside and out in the online seminar Healthy Child >>>.

If the child does not have a tendency to allergies, then after 2 years you can add a little sweet treat to cottage cheese (read the article Cottage cheese in complementary foods >>>), milk and porridge, but you should not heat the honey;
The product goes well with unsweetened fruits, as well as different vegetables. If you mix it with raw pumpkin or zucchini and bake it, you can get a delicious treat;
From one and a half to two years, depending on the child’s health, he can try treats in very small doses;

When choosing an age to introduce honey, you need to consider individual characteristics baby's body:

You need to start introducing nectar into your child’s diet with a microdose. Take 1 g of the product and mix it with water or other drink;
Monitor the baby during the day, if rashes and other suspicious symptoms do not appear, then increase the amount slightly, gradually bringing it to half a teaspoon.

Are you asking if a two year old child can have honey?

At two years old, you can give no more than 20-30 grams per day;
And at three – 30-40 grams;
A four-year-old child is allowed 50 grams.

Any amount should be divided into 2-3 doses. It is better to give the product as a vitamin and mineral supplement, mixing it with other products.

Can children have milk with honey? Yes, but the milk must be warm so that the product does not dissolve in liquid whose temperature is above 45 degrees.

Let's look at the main features of introducing honey into a baby's diet:

Honey cannot be given in its pure form, only added to other dishes;
be sure to do an allergy test;
do not heat honey, tea and milk should be warm (read the article on the topic: Tea in complementary feeding for a child >>>);
You can consume honey every day for only one month, then take a short break;
children are given only natural products;
If the child refuses to try the product, he cannot be forced.

How does an allergy manifest itself?

An allergy to honey in children manifests itself in the form of a skin rash. The skin may also become red, swollen, and blistered;
In addition to the rash, the reaction is manifested by cough and shortness of breath, runny nose and sore throat, the child may feel pain in the chest;
An allergic reaction causes swelling of the lips and tongue, nausea, lacrimation and fever.

If you notice any alarming symptoms in your baby after consuming the product, be sure to show him or her to the doctor.

Before giving honey to your baby, make sure he doesn't have allergies. To do this you need to do a test:

Apply a drop of honey to the baby’s wrist and watch him for a day;
If there is no redness or rash on the skin, you can put a drop of this treat on his tongue;
After making sure that there is no allergy, you can give nectar, observing the age-specific dosage.

How to choose and store honey?

What kind of honey can a child have? Children are allowed only liquid product. At the same time, remember that you cannot heat it, but only dilute it in a warm liquid;

Also, the product must be fresh and natural.

There are different varieties, but not all are suitable for children:

Many kids like acacia honey, it is tasty and smells nice. This variety is less allergenic compared to other types;
Linden honey is soft and pleasant to the taste. It is often given to children during coughs and colds (read the article How to protect your child from colds >>>);
Many children do not like brown buckwheat nectar; it has a specific bitter taste.

It is best to buy the product from a trusted beekeeper. Many sellers mix the treat with sugar and this is already considered counterfeit;
The product must be collected locally;
Natural honey initially has a liquid consistency, and then begins to crystallize;
Real honey does not separate and, if dropped onto a sheet of paper, it spreads in different directions;

To prevent nectar from losing its beneficial properties, it is better to store it in a sealed glass container in a dry and cool room at a temperature of +5-10 degrees.

You now know whether it is possible to give honey to a child, at what age and in what quantity. And if a child over one year old has problems with nutrition, see the course

Everyone knows about the invaluable benefits of bee products. At what age can a child be given honey is a controversial issue. Grandmothers of the old school recommend getting used to it almost from the cradle. Medical workers are categorically against apiary gifts in the diet of a child under one and a half years old.

The benefits of honey for a child

Adults and children eat sweets with pleasure, replacing sugar. Honey is not only tasty, but also healthy due to its composition. This product has long been called the most valuable natural balm for all ailments. Honey is actively used in recipes traditional medicine, doctors recommend it.

Nutritional value

If we consider honey from an energy point of view, then 100 g of the product will give the body 304 kcal. This is only thanks to carbohydrates, which account for 82.4 g. The protein component is only 0.3 g, fats are completely absent. The rest is taken up by water.

Natural honey contains:

reducing sugars (up to 79%);
sucrose (7%);
proteins;
organic acids;
enzymes;
dextrins.

There are small amounts of provitamin A, some representatives of group B, ascorbic and folic acid, tocopherol, vitamin K. Among mineral salts, the bulk is potassium (52 mg), there are calcium (6 mg), phosphorus and sodium (4 mg each). The composition contains a small amount of iron, magnesium, zinc.

Beneficial features

The carbohydrates that honey is rich in are the main source of energy and allow you to quickly restore a child’s immunity after an illness. The product is important for the normal functioning of cells and helps synthesize the nucleotides necessary for development in the body. Among the beneficial properties of honey are the following:

the product has a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa and improves digestion;
a few grams of honey regulates intestinal motility;
expectorant and diaphoretic properties will help to quickly cope with a cold, eliminate a severe cough and reduce fever;
honey improves blood composition, increases hemoglobin levels, and is therefore useful for anemia;
helps strengthen teeth and bones, which is important for a growing body;
thiamine, ascorbic acid and carotene present in the product develop visual acuity;
honey has a positive effect on the urinary system;
Due to the high energy value of the balm, it contributes to the active development of the baby.

The product is also used externally: in compresses on the chest, for the treatment of burns and healing of pustules.

Important! Honey provokes an allergic reaction if there is a predisposition to it.

How to choose good honey for a child

Only natural products, without unnecessary impurities, bring benefits. On sale you can find an artificial version produced without the participation of bees. This kind of honey is contraindicated for infants and older children. The quality of a product of botanical origin is assessed according to several criteria. People sometimes make mistakes here by buying unclean honey.

Characteristics of natural honey

Index	Description
Consistency	The fresh product is a viscous liquid that easily flows off a spoon. After a few months, it thickens and crystallizes (candied). The aged product is wrapped around a spoon with a ribbon and flows off it in threads.
Smell and taste	Honey acquires the properties of those plants from which bees collected nectar. Therefore, the smell should contain characteristic floral notes. If the aroma is weak, then it is a honeydew product. Real honey should have a sour, cooling taste of sweetness.
Color	It also depends on the type of plant and can have different shades. The predominant color is yellow; it is used to determine whether the honey is linden or acacia. Buckwheat gives a brownish tint, fireweed - white. There are also other colors, but it is better not to give this product to children (especially with a green tint).

Note! If in winter they offer to buy liquid honey, we can talk about falsification. By this time, the natural balm should already be candied.

In order not to make a mistake when choosing a product, it is recommended to “take a sample” when purchasing. Having taken a portion of honey into the mouth, do not swallow it, but roll it on the tongue for several minutes, listening to the taste sensations. If the sweetness does not melt for a long time, this indicates a poor quality of the product.

You can test honey at home this way. Dissolve 1 tbsp in a glass of water. bee balm. If the product is free of impurities, the liquid will be cloudy, but nothing will precipitate.

From what months should you introduce complementary foods?

Knowing the benefits of the balm, some mothers smear cracks on their nipples with it (for quick healing). At the same time, they don’t even think about whether honey can be given to babies, because this is how grandmothers and great-grandmothers acted. Sometimes, to calm the baby, a pacifier was dipped in the product and given to the little one.

Can I give it to a child under one year old?

There are mothers who do not pay attention to WHO recommendations on the norms for complementary feeding of a newborn and act on a whim. They don’t think about at what age a child can be given honey, and they start doing it very early. Such negligence can lead to negative consequences:

In children under one year of age, the digestive system is imperfect and is just beginning to acquire its own microflora. Bee honeycombs contain botulism bacillus, the spores of which end up in the sweet product. The baby's stomach acidity is not yet high enough. Therefore, honey, even in small quantities entering the gastrointestinal tract, becomes an excellent nutrient medium for the development of bacilli. This ultimately leads to poisoning of the child.

Bee balm is a strong allergen. The reaction is provoked not by the honey itself, but by the individual components of the multicomponent product. Not yet fully formed the immune system may react with a rash, swelling and even severe suffocation.

If there have been cases of allergies to insect bites or the product itself in the family, then breastfeeding It is better for a mother not to introduce honey into her baby’s complementary foods until he is one year old.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

A pediatrician popular with all Russian mothers on the question of whether a baby can have honey, advises to refrain from this product until 1.5-2 years. If the mother is sure that there will be no harm from the bee balm, Komarovsky says that you can start experimenting no earlier than 10 months of age (but it is better to wait up to a year).

By this point, the enzymatic system will have already established its activity, and it will be easier for the baby to cope with a complex product.

Norms of complementary feeding with honey for a one-year-old child

Before introducing a new ingredient into the baby's complementary foods, the mother includes it in her diet and observes the reaction of the child's body. The same is true with honey: starting from the 10th month after giving birth, a woman gradually tastes the sweetness of bees. If the baby then adequately perceives breast milk, closer to the year, the mother is allowed to take the risk of giving the little one a little sweet product from the apiary.

How much to give

In order for the body to calmly accept honey, the first time the mother expresses a little milk and dilutes it with a small drop of the sweet product. You can also use the mixture or plain water.

The child’s condition is monitored within a day or two. If all is well, honey can be added to teas and other complementary foods according to the following scheme:

first ¼ tsp;
then 1/3 tsp;
then – ½ tsp.

This is continued until the norm reaches 1 tsp. in a day. If suddenly the baby begins to sprinkle, then the product is removed from the diet or its dose is reduced.

How often to give

Even if a baby has a normal reaction to honey, it is not advisable to include it in the menu every day. It is better to limit the use of the product to 2-3 times a week. At the same time, knowing how much sweets can be given per day, the daily norm should be divided into a couple of times.

Often a sweet product is added to warm milk and given before bedtime to help the baby fall asleep faster. This does not always work with babies - honey can cause increased excitability. Therefore, it is better to introduce sweetness into feedings in the first half of the day.

What can be combined with

A honey product should not be given to a one-year-old child separately from other food (between feedings); it is better to combine it with something. Honey is a good alternative to sugar, which is why it is added to drinks. Mom can diversify the baby’s menu if she feeds the following dishes:

the little one will like porridge seasoned with honey; You need to add sweetness to a cooled dish so that the product does not lose its value;
Honey goes well with cottage cheese and fruit and berry additives;

if you bake zucchini or pumpkin, you can pour pre-melted honey over the vegetables;
A salad of fresh fruits with the addition of nuts, seasoned with a sweet product, will be useful.

Honey goes well with most ingredients, enhancing them nutritional value. In order for feeding to benefit the baby, they adhere to the necessary norms for introducing honey into the diet.

Possible nutrition problems

Balm from the apiary is not a panacea for all ills. The product itself can cause a number of diseases. In young children, this may manifest as atopic dermatitis, diathesis, or a more severe allergic reaction, which will lead to disastrous consequences.

Signs of an allergy to honey

Important! Food allergies also affect the baby’s cardiovascular system. In combination with other symptoms, this can lead to anaphylactic shock.

Similar reactions occur to a natural product; the cause is pollen grains that get into honey with nectar. Along with these components, harmful substances also enter the product and settle on flowers growing in areas with poor ecology.

Inappropriate reaction little man on honey caused by imperfection digestive system, producing protective enzymes in small quantities. This leads to the desensitization mechanism being activated, which triggers an allergic reaction.

Before introducing a sweet product from the apiary into complementary feeding, the mother must make sure whether honey is suitable for her infant. Even a valuable balm can cause harm if you use it thoughtlessly. Allergies in young children present with serious symptoms. Therefore, it is better not to rush into adding such additives to the menu, but to wait until the little one turns 2 years old.

Video

At what age can you give honey to children - from one year, not earlier. How is it useful and why is it dangerous, and how to properly introduce this product to your baby?

About the benefits of honey

Honey is a unique invention of nature. It contains such a set of vitamins and minerals that are not found in any natural product.

Beekeeping products have been used by people to improve their health from time immemorial to the present day. No modern drug can compare with honey in its benefits for our body:

Honey strengthens the immune system: vitamins, ascorbic acid and carotene strengthen our natural defenses. Those who regularly eat honey are less susceptible to colds and seasonal infections.
For colds or acute respiratory viral infections, honey is not only a prevention, but also a cure: it is an excellent cough expectorant, diaphoretic and antipyretic. At high temperatures, honey is added to warm tea or milk. A honey drink with lemon and ginger is a great way to avoid getting sick. Be careful: the diaphoretic effect of honey is very strong. It’s not for nothing that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did not let children who ate honey go outside - they would be caught in any draft.
Thanks to its unique composition, honey increases hemoglobin and improves the absorption of calcium and magnesium, which are necessary for normal growth of bones and muscles. Constantly eating honey is useful for the prevention of various childhood and adolescent problems from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract to scoliosis.
Honey is an excellent natural antiseptic; it helps when it is necessary to treat the mucous membranes in the mouth, for example, with stomatitis. Honey is less harmful to teeth than sweets with regular sugar.
The vitamin and mineral storehouse of beekeeping products is very beneficial for the nervous system: honey soothes in the evening and invigorates in the morning, helps to absorb school material, improves vision, etc.

About the dangers of honey

Ancient wisdom says: poison differs from medicine only in dosage. This fully applies to honey. If you overfeed them, especially a small child, there will be problems.

How to properly give honey to children, at what age to do this, without fear for their health. WHO recommends introducing honey into a child's diet no earlier than one year.

Most pediatricians agree with this: after a year or two.

Why and how else is honey dangerous?

The ban on honey and bee products for infants under one year of age is associated with age-related feature their intestines: botulism spores from honeycombs can be retained in it. They cannot harm older children and adults, but in newborns, as they accumulate, they begin to release botulinum toxin, a deadly poison.
An excess of vitamins (and honey contains a huge amount of them!) is no less dangerous than their deficiency. Be careful when introducing honey into your child’s diet; consult your pediatrician.
Contains honey simple carbohydrates, they are absorbed easily and quickly. And are quickly deposited in the form excess weight. If a child is overweight and does not move much, then caution must be exercised with sweets, including honey.
Useful skill: teach your child to rinse his mouth after eating. Active and sweet honey quickly causes tooth decay.
Honey and other bee products are strong allergens. Their composition is so complex that it is impossible to identify what the body reacted to with a rash, diathesis or swelling of the mucous membranes, sneezing and runny nose.

How to find out if a child is allergic to honey? Try it on your parents - if one of them is allergic, the child’s chances of this “luck” increase.

A skin test will indicate a strong reaction. Apply a small drop of honey to inner side baby's wrists. An allergy will be indicated by redness, itching, and swelling.

When and how to give honey to children

It is important not only at what age you can give your child honey, but also what kind and in what quantity. Your baby is one year old, try giving him a little honey (literally a drop), stirring it in warm water.

If everything is ok, continue, gradually increasing the amount to 1/3 teaspoon per day.

From 2 to 3 years - half a spoon, from 3 to 6 - two, from 7 to 12 - three teaspoons per day.

Teenagers over 12 years old are allowed one to two tablespoons of honey.

If honey is present in your child's diet every day, take a break from time to time for 2-3 weeks, even if there is no allergy.

Fresh honey in its pure form is difficult for a child to swallow - it will cause a sore throat. Add a little to porridge, cottage cheese, pumpkin or apple puree, etc., prepare warm teas.

There is an opinion that honey should not be heated. Research results on this matter vary: do what works for you.

What honey should I start with?

For children and teenagers, light varieties of honey are preferred - flower, linden, etc. They are easier to tolerate.

Dark varieties, such as buckwheat, are more difficult for children's bodies to perceive.

Like other products, honey is preferable to that which is collected in its own climatic zone. Any exotic food is an extra risk of allergies.

Honey is a unique natural product with many beneficial properties. At what age can you give your child honey without harming his health? Is it possible to offer a tasty treat to a baby in the first year of life?

Beneficial features

We can talk endlessly about the benefits of this ancient delicacy. Beekeeping products have a number of useful properties:

rich in vitamins B, C, E, K;
contain a large number of important microelements (magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, chlorine and others);
have local and general antimicrobial effects;
improve digestion;
activate the body's defenses;
improve mood;
maintain general tone;
accelerate wound healing.

Only pure natural honey has beneficial properties. Synthetic products on the shelves of many stores are not only inferior in quality, but can also cause significant harm to health. Artificial honey is especially dangerous for children. This is why children should not be offered an unknown product purchased in a random place. To feed children, you can only use natural honey, collected from a well-known apiary or purchased from trusted suppliers.

Beekeeping products are used not only in their pure form, but also as part of various dishes. For example, milk and honey are a well-known remedy for colds. One mug of this drink at night will quickly alleviate the baby’s condition and speed up his recovery. Propolis, beebread and pollen also have beneficial properties.

Spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum contained in honey can cause serious health problems in babies

Harm

If honey has so many beneficial properties, why not give it to all children, regardless of age? Unfortunately, beekeeping products pose a certain danger to babies in their first years of life. The problem is that honey contains Clostridium botulinum spores. This dangerous bacterium causes botulism, a serious disease that often ends in death in young children.

Why shouldn’t honey be given to children under one year of age, while adults eat this product in any quantity without fear? Are adults immune to botulism? Clostridium botulinum spores can cause poisoning in humans of any age. But most adults will calmly digest these bacteria and not notice, while a baby will develop a severe reaction to the same portion. The digestive tract of young children is not yet ready to digest such a complex product, much less fight botulism. Even a small portion can cause serious poisoning and death of a child.

Another danger of beekeeping products is their pronounced allergenicity. In some people they cause a fairly strong reaction in the form of urticaria, Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock. Young children are more susceptible to developing allergies. Parents whose children suffer from various allergic diseases should be especially careful.

Optimal age

When can you give your baby honey without fear for his health? Experts have different opinions on this issue. You should definitely not give bee products to children in their first year of life. At this age, the baby's main diet is breast milk or formula. There is no need to add a product potentially dangerous for the development of botulism to the diet of a baby who is not yet 12 months old.

Honey should not be given to children under one year of age due to the high risk of developing allergies. At this age, many babies develop a skin rash or loose stool in response to a small amount of product. Even if the baby is not susceptible to allergies in principle, a new dish can provoke a negative reaction and trigger the disease. The benefits of honey at this age are very doubtful, while the harm can be very noticeable. The baby receives all the necessary nutrients through breast milk or formula. Is it worth risking the health of your baby and introducing him to such a controversial delicacy too early?

At what age can you give your baby honey? Many parents try to introduce a new dish into the diet of children over one year old. Grandmothers also insist on this, adding honey to milk and other products. But what do pediatricians say about such an early introduction of a tasty treat?

Doctors say honey should not be given to a child under 18 months of age. Many pediatricians advise waiting until the age of 3 years. During this time, the digestive tract matures, and the risk of getting botulism is significantly reduced. After 3 years, you can offer your baby honey in its pure form, add it to milk, tea or baked goods.

Always introduce new foods in small portions and carefully monitor your child's condition.

What should parents of little allergy sufferers do? Experts believe that children suffering from allergic diseases should not be given honey until they are 7 years old. Bee products are strong allergens, and it is impossible to predict the baby’s reaction in advance. The delicacy is prohibited for children suffering from atopic dermatitis, hay fever, bronchial asthma and many other diseases. Before introducing a new dish into your child’s diet, you should consult your doctor.

How to give honey to a child?

How much honey can a child eat at one time? The portion of the product will depend on the age of the baby. Children aged 2 to 3 years can eat no more than ½ teaspoon of treats per day. After 3 years, the portion of the product can be increased to 1 teaspoon per day.

Like any product, honey should be introduced gradually. For the first time, you can offer your baby to try a new treat on the tip of a spoon. During the day you need to observe the child’s reaction. If a rash, itching, shortness of breath appears, and even more so if a serious allergic reaction develops, you should forget about the new dish for a while. You can repeat the experiment after 6-12 months.

Children with allergies can be offered new dishes only without exacerbation of the underlying disease.

When can you start adding honey to milk, tea or baked goods? Only after the child has mastered the new product in full. If the baby does not have a negative reaction to the daily consumption of bee products, you can gradually increase the list of new dishes. It is best to add honey to warm milk or tea and offer a delicious drink before bed. This delicacy will speed up falling asleep and make your baby's sleep deep and restful throughout the night.

Many children do not like warm milk, refusing healthy drink. In this case, honey can be added to ready-made porridges and other dishes. It should be remembered that a tasty product has beneficial properties only at low temperatures. Do not add treats to hot dishes. The optimal temperature for porridge with honey is 60 degrees.

Storage method

In order for a delicious delicacy to retain all its beneficial properties, you should follow simple rules:

The product should be stored in a clean, sealed container (preferably glass);
for a long time, the treat can be stored in a kitchen cabinet or other dry and cool room;
The optimal temperature for storing honey is from +5 to +10 degrees.

The benefits of honey are enormous, but the harm from this delicacy can be very noticeable. You should not risk your child’s health and introduce him to beekeeping products too early. Let everything take its course. The grown-up baby will have time to fully enjoy the delicious treat without fear of developing unwanted reactions. Add honey to milk, tea, cereals and baked goods - and let each dish please you with its unique taste.