Can I Feed My Young Child Yogurt? – Being Parents
Some pediatricians say that from 6 months, others from 9 months. There are also those who say this from the first year of life. Giving your baby yogurt is a good idea, as it is a food rich in calcium, vitamins and protein.
Aside from the taste buds, giving a baby yogurt is the best option after 6 months, when he begins to eat more solid food.
Certainly, natural yogurt, which is known as white or Greek yogurt – and which is made with whole milk and active ferments, is the best option for your baby, especially because it contains the calories and fat of whole milk. which he needs.
Why yogurts and not milk?
You may find it contradictory that you can feed your baby yogurt but not milk. However, there are pediatricians who recommend giving the baby yogurt when it has reached the age of 9 months, as they consider it difficult to digest in the baby’s stomach, as it could irritate the mucous membranes. of the stomach.
Pediatricians say the irritation occurs less frequently after 9 months, although if you eat it after 6 months, nothing will happen to the baby.
Certainly, the influence of the amount of milk that one serving of yogurt contains is so low that it would not harm the baby. This serving has a very different effect than the amounts involved in replacing breast milk or cooking preparation with whole cow’s milk. Yogurt, being fermented milk, is easier to digest than whole cow’s milk.
Basically the problem with cow’s milk is that it doesn’t have the right amount of fats and nutrients that your baby needs for healthy development, which they get when they drink breast milk or formula.
The best yogurt is the healthiest
If you have already decided to give your baby yogurt (consult your pediatrician on this) then it is time to decide what type of yogurt you are going to give him. The best option, even when there are yogurts made especially for babies, is to choose natural yogurt. This will prevent you from eating all the sugar in virtually all the yoghurts that have processed the fruit.
If you want to give your baby’s natural yogurt more flavor (and avoid the consequences of giving the baby sugar when he is still so small) you can add natural fruits or vegetables.
If your baby is just starting to eat solid foods, we recommend that you try to give her mashed cooked fruits or vegetables in addition to yogurt first.
It is very important to avoid sweetening the yogurt with honey, as it is not recommended to give honey to the baby before the age of 12 months, knowing that this product – although it is natural – could contain bacteria. causing botulism in children.
Beware of intolerance
It is also advised that each time you introduce a new ingredient in your baby’s diet, you observe his reaction for about three days, to see if he develops an intolerance or an allergic reaction. It is good to follow the diet to be able to more easily distinguish which food caused the reaction.
If your baby is lactose intolerant, we’ve got some great news for you. Even intolerant children can eat yogurt because much of the lactose in yogurt is broken down, making the body more tolerant of yogurt than other dairy products.
