10 Foods To Definitely Avoid In Baby’s First Year

It is advised to stick with breast milk or formula milk until your child turns one. This is because cow’s milk is not “natural” to the human baby and hence can create digestive problems. The minerals and proteins that comprise cow’s milk are too complex to be broken by your baby’s yet-developing digestive system.

Furthermore, it does not contain enough iron and hence can lead to anemia unless iron supplements are given. And lastly, cow’s milk is known to cause allergies in the first year. Read more here.

2. Honey

In some cultures, elders ask you to put honey into the newborn’s mouth even before colostrum. This is an absolute no-no, not just on the first day, but for the whole of the first year. Honey is a source of Clostridium botulinum which can cause infant botulism as babies’ intestines can’t prevent the growth of these spores. By the time baby turns one, his intestines will become more mature and resist the growth of spores. Read more here.

3. Peanut Butter

There are two potential problems with peanut butter. For one, it is widely known to cause allergies. And for other, it is too dense and sticky in consistency, making it difficult for your baby to swallow, hence being a potential choking hazard. If anyone in the family has or had a peanut allergy, caution is best to be exercised.

4. Nuts

Nuts are small and hard, hence they are a choking hazard for your child as their airways are quite narrow. Many varieties of nuts, like peanuts mentioned above, are also potential allergens as well. Nuts can also be a potential choking hazard Read more about this here.

5. Salt

Your breast milk or formula milk takes care of the daily requirement of salt in the baby’s diet. He does not require more salt. This is because his still-developing kidneys cannot cope with the large amounts of sodium. Make sure you do not season the baby’s food with salt. Also, make sure you read the label of any store-brought or processed food you give your child. Read more here.

6. Caffeine

You wouldn’t give your baby coffee, would you? So why should you give him chocolate, which is loaded with caffeine, sugar, and dairy? All of these three components would tax your child’s digestive system (not to mention make them hyper!).

7. Egg Whites

Again, egg whites are known allergens. You can however give fully cooked egg yolk to your child without worry – but introduce the white only after a year. Here is how to introduce eggs to your baby.

8. Some Fish

Some fish – like tuna, mackerel, and swordfish – have high amounts of mercury, which is dangerous for your baby. Also, some shellfishes (crabs, lobsters, etc.) are highly allergenic foods. You can however give other fishes – like white tuna, pomfret, and trout. Avoid oysters and lobsters in particular as they can be highly and deadly allergic.

9. Some Veggies

These include spinach, lettuce, fennel, and beets – all of which contain higher amounts of nitrates than the baby’s body can process. Babies under a year old don’t have strong enough stomach acids to break down the nitrates, which block the blood’s ability to transport oxygen. Too many nitrates in the body cause Blue Baby Syndrome, due to low levels of oxygen in the blood.

10. All Small Hard Foods

This can include candies, toffees, popcorn, some raw vegetables like carrots, grapes, and so on. All of them are choking hazards, and some of them (like candies) are bad for teeth as well as the babies are too small to brush their teeth every day

If you are tempted to give any of these items before your baby is one – or are pressurized by family to throw away these rules – always remember that you are not saying no to these food groups forever. You are only delaying introducing them into the baby diet until a year. It is best to err on the side of caution.

For more information, please also read Top 10 Potential Allergenic Foods For Your Baby here.