Written by Editorial Team
Watermelon, tropical fruit is considered the champion of all the fruits available during the summer season. Watermelon for babies is a real treat during a really hot summer day. It has a soft, watery texture that’s easy to bite into and swallow. Your baby is young and still discovering how to eat different types of foods.
A baby’s diet changes according to his age and also according to the different seasons. Here are some amazing benefits of watermelon for babies. But just remember that when new food is introduced to your baby for the first time it is important to observe how well the baby is able to handle it and how his body reacts to it.
In This Article
Watermelon can be introduced to babies once they turn 6 months and can be a part of your baby’s regular diet when your baby is around 8-10 months old. Due to its high water content, watermelon is considered one of the best summer fruits for your baby. It is full of nutrients and minerals and can be extremely hydrating for your baby during hot summer months or when they are sick. For babies who do not like to drink water, watermelon can be an excellent way to keep them hydrated.
“Watermelon For Babies” | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nutrients | Value per 100 g | ||||||
Water | 91.45 g | ||||||
Energy | 30 kcal | ||||||
Protein | 0.61 g | ||||||
Total lipid | 0.15 g | ||||||
Carbohydrates | 7.55 g | ||||||
Fiber | 0.4 g | ||||||
Sugars | 6.2 g | ||||||
Calcium | 7 mg | ||||||
Iron | 0.24 mg | ||||||
Magnesium | 11 mg | ||||||
Phosphorous | 112 mg | ||||||
Sodium | 1 mg | ||||||
Zinc | 0.1 mg | ||||||
Vitamin C | 8.1 mg | ||||||
Thiamin | 0.033 mg | ||||||
Niacin | 0.178 mg | ||||||
Vitamin B-6 | 0.045 mg | ||||||
Folate | 3 ug | ||||||
Vitamin A | 569 IU | ||||||
Vitamin E | 0.05 mg | ||||||
Vitamin K | 0.1 ug |
Following are 6 amazing health benefits of watermelon for babies:
The Vitamin A content that is present in watermelon helps in developing healthy and glowing skin in babies. It is also good for developing good eyesight. The presence of this vitamin helps in developing soft tissues and the mucous membrane.
The abundance of Vitamin C present in abundance in watermelon helps in strengthening the immune system and maintaining blood cell count and hemoglobin through the absorption of iron. It also prevents the occurrence of diseases like scurvy, which occurs due to its deficiency.
Watermelon is a rich source of dietary fiber. This helps to keep the digestive tract healthy, relieves any signs of constipation, and regularizes bowel movement.
Due to its large water content, watermelon helps to keep your baby hydrated by maintaining water balance in the body. When there is a hot scorching sun during the summer season, there are chances of heat stroke occurring in babies. Watermelon maintains hydration levels during those hot, tiring days.
Calcium and magnesium that are present in watermelon are essential for bone development and also for the secretion of hormones in the body. Magnesium helps in building strong and healthy muscles and promotes the smooth functioning of nerves in babies.
Vitamin B complex includes a number of vitamins providing different benefits. The overall development of the nervous system strengthens the protein content and carbohydrate metabolism in babies.
Though we find from the above points discussed that watermelon is indeed a fruit with amazing benefits, there are certain precautions to be taken before feeding it to your baby.
Here are some precautions to take when feeding watermelon to your munchkin.
The following are some of watermelon’s adverse effects on infants:
Watermelon is an excellent source of water and nutritional fiber. However, excessive watermelon consumption might result in bloating, gas, flatulence, diarrhea, and other similar digestive issues in infants. This is mostly due to the presence of sorbitol, a sugar molecule, and lycopene, the pigment responsible for the fruit’s brilliant red color. Both drugs cause flatulence and diarrhea.
Due to its strong acidity, watermelon may cause skin irritation in infants. When watermelon comes into touch with the skin, allergic responses may include a rash or urticaria, often known as hives.
If your infant displays indications of an allergic response to watermelon, you should call your doctor immediately for assistance in treating the allergy.
Although watermelon is not normally considered a choking hazard, it may be a difficult food for infants, and its seeds can represent an aspiration danger.
Watermelon has a “mixed consistency,” meaning it has both solid portions that need chewing and a substantial amount of liquid that flows differently than the solids as a baby eats. This causes a significant amount of coughing and choking as the infant learns to manage both a solid and liquid consistency simultaneously.
Select a fully grown watermelon that is heavier, looks smooth, and is a little dull on the top. Also,
Following are some pointers when it comes to storing watermelon at home:
Watermelon has great benefits for your baby, but it is better to consult your baby’s doctor before you start including it in your baby’s diet. Serve your baby watermelon in different ways as it helps in the overall health of your baby. But be careful about the choking hazards and any signs of allergic reactions.
Sure, you can give watermelon to babies, even if they have a cold or cough. Cold/cough is caused by a virus and eating watermelon has nothing to do with it. However, make sure the fruit is at room temperature before giving it to the baby.
No. Eating watermelon will not aggravate cold in babies. On the other hand, Watermelon’s vitamin C content can help your infant fight off ailments like the common cold and ear infections. The water content present in the fruit gives your baby the much-needed hydration as they recover from illness.
Lycopene may be found in abundance in watermelon, which may cause reddish feces. However, for red hues to show up in the baby’s feces, he or she would have to eat a lot of watermelons.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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