Can a Baby Eat Honey

Apply Caution When Weaning

If anything, parents tend to be slightly over-cautious when it comes to making the important choice of what foods are suitable when weaning a baby. There is a lot of literature and websites out there offering all manner of advice; sometimes too much to take in. These easy-to-access sources of information often discuss in detail common foods and food groups and are less likely to address questions such as "can a baby eat honey" or other similarly less problematic food, or so it is assumed.

If considering introducing a slightly 'unusual' new food or food group which has never been tried by the baby before, parents ought to familiarize themselves with potential risks such as allergic reactions or intolerances. If ever unsure and information is limited, it is best to refrain from using the food until the baby has reached a year old.

Can a Baby Eat Honey: The Sensible Approach

As a natural food, honey is enjoyed by many adults and is fast becoming a popular food particularly when it comes to its apparent healing properties. Honey has also been associated with its benefits relating to allergies. Because of its small pollen content, it has been suggested that eating honey can dampen down potential allergies to pollen as it enables the system to become familiar with pollen before it meets a greater form of it.

Surprisingly raw honey is believed to have the capability to cause a potentially serious problem in babies less than 12 months. Honey sometimes contains spores of the Clostridium Botulinum bacteria which when a child is affected can induce an unpleasant form of food poisoning-like symptoms including constipation, lethargy and loss of appetite. Cases of this illness are rare, however. Due to the potential risk, parents are advised to keep honey from a babies' diets until they reach a year. Ideally this rule should apply to any food product associated with honey, including particular cereals that are coated in it, which parents commonly buy for young children. The risk is likely to be even less than that of eating a pure form of honey. However if there is any risk at all, it is best not to take any chances.

Many parents chose to avoid giving their babies any form of candy or confectionary in the early months of life and plan weaning regimes accordingly. In a deliberate effort to guide children away from developing too much of a sweet tooth, the intentions are certainly honorable. Unfortunately, some parents choose to replace chocolate and other forms of more obvious confectionary with 'natural' products such as those containing honey. Honey is as harmful to teeth and gums as other types of sugar and should be viewed no differently.

Stick to Safer Alternatives

In relation to the avoidance of honey coated cereals, giving a baby is also best avoided due to the potential choking risks of babies eating small food items such as this.

If parents really want to offer something sweet but safe, the following foods are problem-free:

• Bananas
• Fruit purees (e.g. mango, apple, peach)
• Mashed sweet potato
• Baby rice
• Baby porridge (some are flavored with natural fruit)

Never take risks when introducing unfamiliar foods to a baby. If you are ever unsure, the safest thing to do is consult a pediatrician to be extra safe. Fortunately, food labelling is improving all the time, and foods that carry even the slightest degree of risk tend to be labelled with clear warnings.