Chikoo (Sapota) For Babies – When to Introduce, Benefits And Precautions

As sapota contains antioxidants, it is very beneficial and healthy for skin and hair. It glows the skin and helps in maintaining great hair.

Chikoo also helps maintain healthy bones by providing necessary vitamins, iron, and calcium. To sum up, chikoo for babies has all the essential nutrients to keep them healthy and nourished.

When Can You Introduce Chikoo to Your Baby?

There isn’t an ideal age to introduce Chikoo to babies. However, doctors advise parents to introduce it after their baby turns five months old. Some parents mix Chikoo paste in Cerelac or other food and feed babies. Once the baby turns five months or six months old, parents can start feeding their babies Chikoo. As Chikoo isn’t that hard, you can directly provide it to your little one under supervision.

Chikoo has a very soft texture, rich in nutrients, and is easy to digest so that it can be fed directly to babies. Chikoo can be introduced as a paste for starters of solid foods. Once babies get used to this paste, you can start introducing the fruit as small pieces. For one-year-olds and above, you can give smoothie shakes.

Nutritional Value of Chikoo For Babies

Chikoo is a great source of energy, vitamins, and other nutrients. This high nutrient property contains several health benefits like strengthening the immune system, making digestion smooth, and relieving bowel movements.

Chikoo also is loaded with niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, and minerals. It’s a significant source of dietary fiber that is vital for growing babies.

Top 5 Health Benefits of Chikoo For Babies

Sapota or Chikoo is a sumptuous host of tannins, a plant content. It is also rich in antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antiparasitic properties. Therefore, when babies consume Chikoo, it gives them immense benefits and promotes their overall health and wellness.

1. Benefits Skin

Chikoo is an excellent source of antioxidants and water. Although it has a smooth and soft texture, it is still rich in water content. Antioxidants and minerals help keep skin healthy and increase the production of White Blood Cells. White blood cells help heal tissues and skin if there are any cuts or openings.

2. High in Tannins

Chikoos are a rich source of tannin which helps regulate bowel movement, improve gut health, reduce acid secretion, and maintain overall stomach health in babies. The amount of tannin found in Chikoo is hardly found in any other fruit. Sometimes parents give artificial gripe water to babies to ease bowel issues. Instead, Chikoo can do the same work naturally.

3. Healthy Hair

This fruit is high in antioxidants, vitamins A and C. It helps maintain healthy hair, strengthens the scalp-to-root link, and decreases hair loss. Babies usually don’t grow much hair initially, and chicks can help solve this.

4. Prevents Cancer

Since it is rich in Vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibres, it reduces cancer risk. It specifically reduces the risk of bowel cancer due to the presence of antioxidants.

5. Immunity Booster

Chikoo helps in building strong immunity. Immunity helps strengthen the body and reduces the risk of diseases and infections.

Precautions to Take While Feeding Chikoo to Babies

Although Chikoo is a very safe fruit for babies, there are several factors a mother should keep in mind while including it in the baby’s diet. Consider the following precautions, especially in the case of babies:

• Chikoo can be proved hazardous and choking if it’s unripe. Babies should be fed ripe Chikoo for easy digestion.
• Ensure that the seeds are removed before feeding the fruit to the baby since the seeds are big and prove to be a choking hazard.
• Serve the fruit in the form of small pieces or paste. Start with paste and transition to pieces later on.
• Always ensure to give chikoo in limited quantities to your little one. Too much of anything can be dangerous.
• Watch out for side effects are stop feeding the fruit immediately if you observe the appearance of any side effects.

[Read : Infant Choking]

Are There Any Side Effects of Chikoo For Babies?

Here are a few side effects that eating chikoo can cause in some babies. In case these effects appear, stop giving the fruit immediately.

1. Stomach Issues

Overeating Chikoo can lead to digestion issues, putting pressure on the digestive system and causing loose motions in babies.

2. Allergic Reactions

Allergic reactions to chikoo include skin rashes and throat swelling.

3. Stomach Pain

Chikoo is a high fiber source that can cause abdominal pain in some babies, especially when eaten for the first time or in more quantities. Always start low and slow and slowly increase the intake of this fruit for your little one.

4. Increases Blood Sugar Levels

If any baby has a diabetes issue, mothers should not feed Chikoo to that baby. Due to its high calories and sugar component, Chikoo can bring adverse effects on your baby’s health.

Top 3 Healthy and Tasty Chikoo Recipes For Babies

Sapota or Chikoo itself is a very sweet and tasty fruit that you can feed to your infant directly raw. Following are some other ways to give Chikoo to a baby:

1. Chikoo Paste

Gently crush or rub the chikoo and make a fine paste. You can also mix it with other food and feed them to babies.

2. Mix With Cerelac/Baby Food

The easiest way of feeding babies and parents prefer cerelac or packaged foods. You can mix chikoo paste or chikoo pieces with cerelac to give it a new taste and feed it to babies.

3. Cereal Smoothie

If your baby is ten months or more than 1year old, you can easily make a chikoo smoothie by mixing it with milk and feeding them. It will help them quickly digest and has various health benefits when mixed with milk.

Chikoo for babies is an excellent source of rich and healthy nutrients, and parents should include them in the diet of babies. Babies can very much benefit from chikoo. Its vitamins can help build excellent eyesight and antioxidants will help maintain great skin and hair. Its other nutrients, such as iron and calcium, will help maintain strong bones.

[Read : Bananas for Babies]

FAQ’s

1. Does Chikoo Cause Coughing in Babies?

Chikoo doesn’t cause coughing, as per reports. But feeding unripe Chikoo can cause choking. Also, sometimes feeding raw chicken can cause throat infection and itching.

2. Does Chikoo Cause Constipation in Babies?

Chikoo doesn’t cause constipation. Instead, its dietary fibres help in easy constipation. Its nutrients lower bowel infections and smooth digestion.

3. Can Chikoo Cause Gas?

Chickoo sometimes can cause gasses. But since it’s excellent for digestion and releasing stomach tensions, the chances of causing gasses are significantly less.

Read Also: Pears For Babies – When to Introduce, Benefits And Precautions