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. It also sometimes 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 babies. And also we will find out from what age babies are given this delicacy.

Beneficial features

Honey is a natural product that contains a large amount of iron, magnesium and copper, vitamins of group B. It is an excellent prophylaxis 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 health benefits than sugar.

Honey has 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 vigor and energy;
• The newborn grows up calm and stress-resistant;
• Strengthens bones, gums and teeth, hair and nails;
• Improves the structure of the skin;
• Cleans the body, removes harmful carbon dioxide and toxins;
• Normalizes the work of digestion and material metabolism;
• Helps relieve constipation.

By the way, honey is good 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, even in this situation, the delicacy is not recommended to be eaten by nurses in the first six months due to its strong allergenicity. For more information on the benefits and use of this product during lactation, read. And then we will consider whether it is possible to give honey to a baby.

Harmful impact

Honey contains a strong allergen, therefore, when eating a sweet product, infants may experience rash or itching, swelling and other negative consequences. In addition, honey can cause indigestion and upset stools, and severe poisoning.

However, experts point out that allergies to pure honey are extremely rare. Therefore, it is important to choose a natural product and not a fake. A real treat does not delaminate, and no liquid forms on the surface. The taste should be free of extraneous shades, and the color should be transparent. The natural product flows from a spoon or stick slowly in a continuous thread.

The cloudy color of the product indicates 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 emergence and development of botulism. It is a toxic infectious disease that affects the nervous system and spinal cord, resulting in acute respiratory failure. To avoid potential problems, it is important to follow a number of important rules.

Rules for the use of honey for children

• Do not give honey to newborns and lubricate the nipple with it, 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 artificially or mixed feeding. Some pediatricians do not allow honey to be given;
• Observe the dosage. The introduction begins with a ¼-teaspoon and then gradually increase the rate to one teaspoon. Do not give the product more than once every two days. By the way, the benefit of the product lies not in the volume, but in the regularity of its use;
• Choose only a natural product;
• After the first injection, carefully observe the baby's reaction and well-being. If within two days a negative reaction does not appear, honey can be eaten in compliance with the dosage and recommendations;
• If manifested, do not give more product to the child and contact the pediatrician! You can try the introduction again no earlier than after 1-1.5 months. However, in the case of such an allergenic product, it is better not to give honey until the age of three.

Complementary feeding and the transition to adult food is a very important stage in the life of every baby. It is important to correctly and gradually introduce new products, carefully monitor the well-being and condition of the child. In this article, we examined whether babies can use honey. And the details of how to correctly introduce complementary foods to an infant can be found at the link.

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

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

Honey is an amazing product for its taste and priceless for its medicinal properties. Not surprisingly, many parents choose to give it to their little ones. Answering the question, can children be given honey for food, say - it is possible, but be careful!

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 baby's immune system has not yet been formed.

The opinions of doctors about the first intake of honey in a child's food are somewhat different. Some say that it should be administered from 1.5-2 years, others - only after 3-6 years. Doctor Komarovsky believes that if a child does not have signs of allergies, and his parents tolerate beekeeping products without consequences, then with a high degree of probability honey will be well absorbed by the baby.

Anyway, a little test is recommended before the first dose. Spread a little 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 to 30 grams (1 tablespoon) per day. It is advisable to eat this amount not at one time, but in portions.

Teenagers from 9 to 15 years old can consume almost an 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 comb 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, juices or jelly. There are also many recipes for making treats with or with honey.

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

And most importantly, never force a child to eat honey. With good intentions, you can easily cause aversion to 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 is the use of honey for children?

The beneficial properties of honey for children have been confirmed by scientific research and the experience of many parents. Let's highlight the main thing.

• Development. Honey helps the active development of the child.
• Strengthening the immune system. The carotene and ascorbic acid found in honey help fight infections and are less likely to get sick.
• Strengthening bones and teeth. Thanks to honey, the growing body absorbs magnesium and calcium better and gets prophylaxis against scoliosis. Honey does not destroy tooth enamel. However, due to the fructose in the composition, 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 relieve 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 an elevated body temperature.
• Improving blood composition. Honey promotes the fastest recovery from anemia. The level of hemoglobin rises in the child's blood.
• Improving digestion. Honey stimulates active digestion of proteins and fats. They do not stay in the intestines and do not form putrefactive processes.
• Improved vision. Carotene, ascorbic acid and thiamine improve visual acuity and prevent further wearing of glasses.
• Treatment of the genitourinary system. Honey helps in the treatment of urinary incontinence in children.
• Depressant. Honey has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. Children fall asleep faster, they have a healthy full sleep.
• Antifungal effect. Honey is effective for pediatric candidiasis in the mouth and for angina on the background of a fungal infection.

Traditional medicine offers many medicinal recipes for children based on honey with the addition of milk, oats, lemon, aloe, mustard, ginger, nuts, radish, herbs, etc. With the use of honey, baby massage and various compresses are prepared. But remember, it is impossible to cure severe diseases with the use of honey alone. In such cases, it does not replace medicine and can only be used as an additional agent.

Contraindications to honey

Contraindications for taking honey exist and require attention. If the child is prone to allergies, when diagnosed with exudative diathesis, individual intolerance to the components of the product, diabetes mellitus, scrofula and obesity, it is better to coordinate the use of honey with the attending pediatrician.

We all know perfectly well that honey is a very useful natural product. Besides being tasty, it perfectly strengthens the immune system, increases hemoglobin, improves appetite and is very effective in treating enuresis. Even newborns can do a light honey massage, which is a great help to get rid of a cough after a cold. Despite all its positive qualities, this delicacy for children can be dangerous. Let's figure it out with you, when can you start giving honey to a child?

Is honey possible for a one-year-old child?

Some parents are of the opinion that if honey is so useful, then it should be given to the child almost from birth. In fact, scientists have proven that this delicacy is categorically not recommended to be introduced into the diet of babies under one year old: in the child's digestive system, it creates a favorable environment for the development of botulism. This is due to the fact that honey contains the spore-forming bacillus Clostridium botulinum, which causes severe toxic poisoning in the human body. An adult tolerates such toxicosis normally, but the children's digestive system will not be able to cope with it. So, can honey be given to young children? In many European countries, it is written on jars with this delicacy that it is strictly forbidden for babies under one year old!

At what age can honey be given to children?

The opinions of experts on this matter differ greatly: some argue that it can be given a little almost from the second year of life, while others recommend waiting, if possible, for preschool age. The only thing they agree on is that the baby should certainly inject honey only in small doses - no more than half a teaspoon. So you can control the reaction of the child's body and prevent the onset of allergies in the child. If the baby does not have any redness and digestive upset, then gradually you can start to increase the dose. It is best to give honey not in pure form, but add it to milk, curd, kefir, tea or porridge as a natural sweetener. The approximate age dosages for the use of honey by children should be as follows:

• up to 1 year - strongly not recommended;
• 1-3 years - not recommended, but sometimes half a teaspoon per day is allowed in several doses;
• 3-5 years - 10 grams of honey a day, in several doses;
• 6-9 years - 30 grams per day is recommended to strengthen health and immunity;
• 9–15 years old, you can safely give an almost adult dose - up to 70 grams of honey per day.

Why shouldn't honey be given to children?

Despite all the benefits described above, this product should not be given to a child too early, as the following may appear:

In conclusion, I would like to answer the question of whether it is possible for children to have honey and emphasize that the most optimal time for introducing it into a child's diet is 6 years. If the parents do not imagine how they can do without this product, then you can try giving the baby a treat in small doses, starting from 3 years old. But those adults who take risks and introduce honey to babies at an earlier age take full responsibility for this complementary food, because it is completely impossible to predict the consequences. So that nothing bad happens, observe not only the age-specific dosages of honey for children, but also take into account all the contraindications before use, so as not to harm the baby.

Quite a long time ago, our ancestors turned their attention to the magical healing properties of honey, which have a beneficial effect on the body of children. It improves immunity, helps to cope with respiratory diseases in the cold season. In addition, it is used not only for colds, but also for a number of other diseases. But, of course, all parents are very tormented by the question, because it is a rather strong allergen. Compared to sugar, it still has a number of advantages. It has a low sucrose content, which is beneficial for the body, and a large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates, represented by glucose and fructose.

The opinion of pediatricians is quite categorical about how much honey can be given to children. Being an allergen, it can be dangerous for a small child's body. Therefore, until the age of one year, it is recommended not to take risks. This is especially true if the baby is allergic in itself.

Adherents of treatment with this useful substance, with all due respect to this product, will also answer your question about how old you can give honey to children with a recommendation not to rush. The best age is about two years.
High quality honey, when used correctly, can have a beneficial effect on the children's nervous system. It is worth remembering the correct dosage for children. The amount of the daily value for a child is half a teaspoon.

It contains some zinc, copper, iodine, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium. It should be noted that the ratio of fresh product is equal to the composition of human blood. It also contains some useful organic acids and B vitamins for the body. The opinion of many parents about whether it is possible to give honey to a child, after familiarizing themselves with its composition, will probably be positive. The most important thing is to approach it responsibly.

Our grandmothers and grandfathers did not particularly ask the question of at what age honey can be given to children, they just dipped the pacifier a little and gave it to the baby. The quantity of the product, of course, is not that great. And the nutrients received by the child's body are undeniable. Before going to bed, children always drank, especially if the child has a restless sleep.

First of all, it should be understood that it is very difficult to find the best and healthiest honey on store shelves. The amount of various impurities, sometimes even very dangerous, is, to put it mildly, large. Therefore, for your baby and for yourself, try to purchase honey directly from beekeepers who have proven themselves positively. After making sure of the high quality of the product and that the baby does not show an allergic reaction, you can introduce this wonderful natural product as a complementary food.

We hope that after reading this article, you understand at what age you can give honey to children. Only a specialist can suggest the optimal dosage in each individual case!

Everyone, even children, knows that honey is very useful. But the question arises - is it possible to give it to these very children? And if so, when, what and how much? The first question can be answered with confidence - yes, you can. But how much honey to give, what quality and when - it is necessary to dwell on these issues in more detail.

The benefits of honey for children

Honey is very useful, no one can argue here. It is used both for prophylaxis and for the direct treatment of many diseases. Any kindergarten student will tell you with confidence that. But all this is true only in relation to a natural product.

When making a purchase, remember that honey is one of the most frequently counterfeited food items. And it's also good if sugar syrup, flour or starch are added to the honey. There are cases when glue, gypsum and various minerals were found in the composition of a fake. So choose honey very carefully, or even better buy it from a well-known, trusted beekeeper.

Can babies get honey?

Our grandmothers advised mix honey into mixture or milk and give it to children starting from three months. But recent research suggests that this view is fundamentally wrong. Scientists have found that before the age of one year, the use of honey creates ideal conditions in the intestines for the development of Clostridium botulism.

The thing is that spores of this most dangerous bacteria can be present in the honeycomb. And if an older child or an adult can "digest" without any problems the scanty amount of botulinum toxin that may be present in honey, then for a baby such a dose in some cases may even become fatal. Therefore, be patient for up to a year, and then feel free to treat your child with honey, of course, in small quantities. Although some experts recommend postponing the use of this product for up to three years.

How to give honey to a child?

Remember that honey is a fairly allergenic food, just like citrus fruits. Therefore, when starting to give a child honey, or other beekeeping products, carefully monitor, but whether he will develop any side reactions. In addition, remember that even if your child does not, you should not give too much of it, as this can provoke allergies in the future.

If after drinking honey your the child's health worsened, there was weakness, dizziness, or he even lost consciousness, this may indicate that you have purchased "drunk honey". It is absolutely natural, just bees collected nectar from poisonous plants - henbane, aconite, tobacco. In this case, urgently call a doctor and dispose of the honey.

It is best to give honey at night., with warm milk or herbal tea. This combination will make your child sleep much better. In addition, it is known that drinking honey at night helps to cope with urinary incontinence.

How much honey can a child need?

Dosing honey is very simple, you only need to remember one simple rule: children under two years old can use no more than half a teaspoon of honey a day, and children over two years old can use a whole teaspoon.

How much honey can a one-year-old child have per day?

Some doctors recommend not giving honey to children under 3 years old, but it's up to you to decide. Still, before giving your child honey, consult your doctor. And check for an allergic reaction before the first use. To do this, dissolve 1-2 drops of honey in a glass of water and let the child drink. If no reaction has occurred, then you can safely give the baby honey.

As you know, the daily portion of honey for an adult is 50-100 grams. For a one-year-old child, this dose should be halved (0.5 tsp).

Young children will be better off eating honey if you add it to porridge, mashed potatoes, or let the child eat fruit with honey. Or you can add honey droplets to tea, water. In this form, honey is better absorbed by the baby's body. Do not overuse honey so that the child does not have disgust in the future.

Eat honey and be healthy!