Benefits of Honey For Babies – Risks, Benefits and Tips

One of the most exciting aspects of your baby’s first year is introducing your baby to a variety of foods and textures. Honey is sweet and light, so it can appeal to parents and caregivers as a natural way to sweeten toast spreads or other foods. Experts recommend that you delay the introduction of honey into your baby’s diet until his or her first birthday. Local honey, raw and unsweetened honey, and widely produced honey are all examples. This diet guide also applies to all honey foods and baked goods.

Continue reading to learn more about the risks, benefits, and how to give honey to your infant like some tips.

Risks

Baby illness is the main danger of introducing honey too soon. Babes under the period of 6 months are the most vulnerable. Although this illness is uncommon, the majority of instances are diagnosed in the United States.

Clostridium botulinum spores present in the soil, honey, and honey products can cause sickness in a baby. In the intestines, these spores convert into bacteria and create deadly neurotoxins.

Botulism is a dangerous disease. Foodborne illness can cause 70 per cent of neonates to require artificial ventilation for an average of 23 days. Botulism requires a 44-day hospital stay on average. There could be numerous tiny gains followed by reverses. Treatment helps the majority of newborns recover. There are fewer than 2% fatalities.

Other liquid sweeteners, such as molasses and corn syrup, may also be botulism-prone. Because maple syrup comes from within a tree and cannot be polluted by soil, it is widely thought to be harmless. Even yet, some doctors advise waiting until after a baby’s first birthday to give them sweets. Before introducing sweets into your child’s diet, consult with your paediatrician.

Symptoms

The following are the most common disses symptoms:

• Floppiness, Frailty
• Poor Nutrition
• Constipation
• Lethargy

Your infant may be cranky, have respiratory difficulties, or have a faint scream. A few babies may have seizures as well.

Constipation is commonly the first symptom, which appears 12 to 36 hours after ingesting infected foods. Some newborns with botulism, however, may not display symptoms for up to 14 days following exposure.

Some botulism symptoms, such as lethargy and irritability, might lead to a mistaken diagnosis of other disorders, such as sepsis or aseptic meningitis, so tell your baby’s doctor if they’ve eaten honey. An accurate diagnosis helps ensure that your kid receives the proper treatment.

Benefits of Honey

Honey is said to have a variety of nutritional benefits that your kid can enjoy after they reach the age of 12 months. Honey contains trace levels of the following:

• Enzymes, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants.
• B vitamins and vitamin C are also present in little concentrations. Because there are over 320 different types of honey, the nutritional content varies.
• Honey has a higher sugar content than regular sugar. That means you can use a fraction of the sugar while still getting the fantastic flavour.

Other Possible Benefits Include:

It may work as a cough suppressant, but it should not be given to children under the age of 12 months.
When administered topically, it may aid wound healing. Because the disease can enter the body through broken skin, this approach should not be utilized in children less than 12 months.

If you want to reap the nutritional benefits of honey, stick to unprocessed forms. Even then, you’d have to consume a substantial amount of food to obtain nutritional value. In truth, a tablespoon of honey provides little value to your body other than calories. As a result, this substance is best used in moderation. Also, read the labels carefully because some ordinary varieties may have added sugars and other substances.

Is Raw Honey Better than Other Types of Honey?

Honey that has not been filtered or treated in any manner is known as raw honey. It comes straight from the hive and retains all of the natural vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial ingredients that filtered and processed honey lacks. Raw honey may have a slightly greater pollen concentration than processed honey, so if you’re trying to relieve seasonal allergies, raw honey may be more beneficial.

When raw honey is taken by babies under the age of one year, it can still induce botulism. Raw honey may also be more valuable than honey that has been filtered or treated.

How to Introduce Honey?

Honey, like all additional sweeteners, can be given to your infant whenever you want. If you wish to introduce honey to your children, you can do so by adding a small amount to their favourite foods. Honey, like any new food, should be introduced gradually. The “four-day wait” strategy is one way to see if your child develops a reaction. Give your youngster honey (if they’re older than one year) and wait four days before adding it to another completely different food. Contact your paediatrician if you see a response.

Try any of the following to incorporate honey into your baby’s diet:

• Combine honey and oats.
• On toast, spread honey.
• Honey should be added to yoghurt.
• Honey can be squeezed into a handmade smoothie.

On waffles or pancakes, use honey rather than maple syrup. Consult your paediatrician if your youngster is too young to try honey. Maple syrup can be used as a replacement in recipes. Another option is agave nectar, which is comparable to honey but does not carry the danger of newborn botulism.

Baking Substitution

Honey can also be substituted for sugar in baking recipes. Substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey for every 1 cup of sugar called for in a recipe. It’s entirely up to you how much you use. Honey has a sweeter flavour than sugar, so start with a small amount and add more as needed. Here are some more suggestions for using honey instead of sugar:

• Reduce the other liquids in a recipe by 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of honey used.
• To help lower acidity, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to each cup of honey.
•  Reduce the oven temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit and watch for browning.

Read Also,

• How to Get Rid of Honey Bees from Home?
• Honey vs Sugar – Which is Better For Your Health?
• Benefits of Honey for the Skin
• Effects on Natural Honey Consumption in Diabetic Patients

Conclusion

Honey can be a tasty addition to your baby’s diet, but it’s best to wait until he or she is at least 12 months old. Avoid liquid honey, whether mass-produced or raw, as well as any baked or processed honey-containing items. Check labels to check if honey is present in processed foods. We are sure that honey will be healthy for your child.