Is Honey safe for your Babies?
A commonly asked question to me when it
comes to foods for infants is about –
“Is honey safe for my baby?”
No!
Honey should not be given to small babies below age of 12 months.
You may feel that honey is really not a
danger to your babies because
it is natural and thus, better than other
sweeteners like sugar. A very logical
thought, but let us take a look at
few facts about honey and possible risk to babies-
What will happen?
If you give honey in any form to your baby-
Babies can get symptoms like:
- Constipation
- Lethargy
- Week cry
- Lack of appetite
- Facial weakness.
These are very common symptoms seen in babies but
you are unaware that it could be due to
honey. So, now let us understand the reason-
Why does it happen?
This is because sometimes honey can contain
spore of bacteria called clostridium botulinum. The
contamination of honey with botulism spores is
higher due to soil. Honey is mostly consumed in
raw form and is typically not pasteurized, sterilized or
radiated. Even pasteurized honey can contain botulism spores and
should not be given to children under 12 months.
It causes rare form of food poisoning.
When can the babies have honey?
Babies are prone to illness caused by spores of bacteria especially
between the ages of 3—6 months which affects them due to
their underdeveloped immune system. Therefore,
it is better to give honey after
12 month’s age, as by that time your
baby’s immunity will be developed. Infants should
exclusively be breast fed for first
6 months of age. After that, complementary foods
should be started to meet iron, energy and
growth needs of your child.
That’s all for today,
See you next Tuesday with another Tuesday Tip.
Till then,
Take care
Providing simple solutions for the complexities of life-
Dr. Bhumita Makwana
Your dietitian & cosmetic clinician.
