Can honey be given to young children? Honey for children: useful properties, application. Useful properties of honey

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Modern children are often sick, and the state of their immunity leaves much to be desired. Grandmothers unanimously say that it is necessary to replace the usual medicines and syrups with honey, especially if the child is coughing without interruption. When can honey be given to children and is it possible at all? Today I will try to answer this question with all the details.

Any parent should know a few nuances, otherwise treatment with a beekeeping product may turn into a serious disease or a strong one. So read it carefully. I will tell you about the benefits of the product and possible contraindications.

You will learn from what age you can give honey to a child and how to determine this age. And at the end of the article, you will find a small bonus - several recipes that are useful for fever, runny nose, treatment for and other ailments.

We have already talked about the benefits of honey, and we are convinced that this is a unique product. Remember, as a child, our parents gave us tea or milk with honey, hoping to get us back on our feet after a bad cold. Healing nectar really helps to cope with illness, boosts immunity, and soothes a sore throat.

The body becomes stronger, and the hateful cough, which does not allow to fall asleep, also goes away. More recently, scientists have found that a dessert created by bees saves from a chronic cold, because it kills the bacteria that cause it.

The product soothes nervous system, promotes sound sleep. It is often mixed with children who have restless sleep. The product is useful for the prevention of many serious diseases, stabilizes brain function, normalizes hemoglobin levels, has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, and heals wounds. Shown at diabetes mellitus... Just imagine that you are a child, and you are not allowed sweets. In this case, medoc is a great option.

Honey should not be given in case of individual intolerance to the product, take this very seriously. In addition, it contains sugar, after the delicacy, it is necessary to brush the teeth so that caries does not appear.

At what age can honey be given to children?

There is a lot of controversy on this subject. Someone says that honey should be given more infant, and someone says that not earlier than 6-7 years. One thing is clear that this is very useful product... The question is, is it of high quality?

There is a lot of surrogate on the market, unscrupulous manufacturers add flour, gelatin, dyes to a natural product, just to increase sales. Sometimes a natural product is heat-treated and loses all its properties, and some beekeepers stuff bees with antibiotics to increase the volume of raw materials obtained. Therefore, you need to find an honest, conscientious beekeeper who is hygienic in his production.

High-quality honey can be given to a child from about six months, some sources advise lubricating nipples, pacifiers, bottles with a delicacy, so that it is easier to teach the baby to eat. It is recommended to add the product drop by drop to artificial mixtures at the rate of 1/100.


The daily optimal dose for a child over three years old is 40-50 grams, which is about 1.5 tablespoons. A one-year-old child can be given a teaspoon per day, provided that he has already eaten this product in small doses. Gradually increase the dose of honey from a drop and monitor the state of the child's body.

From several months, children are recommended to do honey massage for colds. Considering that this procedure is used to get rid of cellulite, it is not very pleasant, so be careful. Before you start giving your child a gooey treat or practicing honey, consult your doctor.

The beekeeping product can be used alone, or it can be mixed with other ingredients for more benefits.

With warm water and lemon

The most famous recipe, we take in the morning and evening. I can say from my own experience that it is a very effective remedy. You become calmer, sleep soundly, immunity increases. Drink the bee product with tea and milk, just be sure to monitor the temperature (the liquid should be warm, but not hot).

With radish

Of course, for colds, this is one of the most popular remedies. It is better to use black radish, cut off the tail from it, and make a hole inside with a spoon. Do not fill the depression completely with honey, because the radish will begin to exude juice, and the liquid will run out. Close the hole with the cut tail and let it brew for 4 hours. The resulting drug can be used for 2-3 days, only while the radish is not flabby. The child needs to drink 3-4 teaspoons a day. In the evening, add a new portion of honey every time.

With lemon and glycerin

There is another mixture that should be used for colds and respiratory diseases. To make it, throw the pierced lemon into boiling water for 10 minutes, and squeeze the juice after it cools down. It is necessary to add 30 ml of glycerin (purified, for oral administration) to the juice, honey until a full glass. Leave the mixture to brew for 5 hours. Store the mixture in a cool place and give your child 2.5 ml before meals (20 minutes) or a few hours after meals.

With dill

Dill and honey tea makes babies more stool and helps prevent constipation. Very little ones smear their gums with buckwheat honey when teeth are cut, this relieves pain for several hours. This procedure helps to heal wounds on the gums, tongue, and helps to get rid of stomatitis in children.

With cranberries

Stir and crush a glass of cranberries and a spoonful of bee nectar. Great for sore throat with sore throat and cough.

Treat children correctly, choose quality products for this. Children who eat honey since childhood are less sick and have strong immunity.

Of the huge number of products that nature gives to man, honey is one of the champions in the content of useful components and effectiveness in the prevention of various diseases. Even in ancient times, this product was included in the recipes of many drugs and ointments. Now there is a whole science of how to treat children and adults with honey.

Everyone knows that bee products should be included in the diet. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Individual intolerance to honey is not uncommon. In the case of children, things are not so simple. Honey is fraught with dangers and, at the same time, helps a person to grow up healthy and strong.

What is the use of the product for children?

• This product improves blood composition and quality, increases hemoglobin. A weak, sluggish and anemic child becomes much more active and strong when consuming honey. Dissolved in water, it almost completely corresponds to human blood plasma.
• Easily digestible carbohydrates are produced not from sucrose, which is harmful to the body, but from fructose. The breakdown of fats and proteins in the intestines is accelerated, which excludes the processes of fermentation and putrefaction.
• Magnesium and calcium strengthen musculoskeletal system, teeth, nails. Honey is the prevention of school scoliosis.
• Vitamin C and carotene strengthen both vision and skeleton, which is very important for a modern person who spends a lot of time at a computer.
• Honey is an expectorant. Its ability to strengthen the immune system helps to ward off any cold.
• Hyperactive babies are easier to calm down and fall asleep if they are given a spoonful of honey.
• This product contains B vitamins and minerals that children need. Interestingly, their ratio is almost identical to that of blood.

Honey dangers

Why do parents have a question about whether it is possible to give such a treat to a child? At what age is it allowed to do this? Why are doctors being careful not to let mom pamper her baby? The fact is that honey, which has been considered medicinal for a long time, is fraught with some health risks for some adults, and especially children.

• All beekeeping products are allergic. Some people react so violently that they are rushed away in an ambulance with swelling and respiratory distress. Babies, as creatures more gentle, are especially prone to allergies. Therefore, you need to start accustoming to the product carefully, starting literally with a drop. Mothers of babies prone to rashes should remember that allergens can also enter the child's body through milk.
• Children, especially under one year old, have an immature digestive system. All heavy, indigestible or allergic food can leave microtrauma on the intestinal walls. Honey contains spores of various bacteria, including those that cause botulism. People of adult age have nothing to fear: their immunity will cope, the disease will not develop. But babies of tender age (especially up to a year), who are given honey, may well become the prey of this ailment.
• No one can guarantee that the honey bought in a retail network or from private traders is natural. There are many ways to counterfeit such a product. And if your one-year-old child is offered a mixture of sugar, dyes and preservatives instead of a natural product, his body is unlikely to react adequately. If you personally know the beekeeper, you can buy a dairy treat from him, but the check will never be superfluous.
• Give children a treat, even if the doctor has allowed, should be in small quantities. The product, while being digested, puts a serious strain on the liver.

After assessing all the dangers and benefits of using honey by a child, it is worth deciding whether you are ready to treat him with a delicacy, from how many years you can do it and whether the baby will have a reaction to this product.

Infancy

Doctors unambiguously agree that it is not worth giving this natural sweetness to children until one year old. Even if there is no allergic reaction, active substances can accumulate in the body, and, for example, rashes will begin later. Honey can be used by a nursing mother when her child is feeling well. However, measure is also important here. The product will have to be excluded if the baby's condition suddenly begins to deteriorate.

Year and older

Honey is also not recommended for a one-year-old baby. Many parents are reinsured, thinking about how many years to introduce the product into the child's diet. Most pediatricians will warn mom, no matter what the quality of the delicacy, even from their own apiary. From one and a half to two years, depending on the health of the child, he can taste honey in very small doses. A safe daily serving after a year is a quarter teaspoon. However, children without allergies will benefit from, for example, a fruit or cereal dessert with honey instead of sugar.

After two

The age of 2-2.5 years is usually the borderline when the child gradually switches from the diet menu to food that the whole family eats. Of course, giving him pickles and fried potatoes is not worth it, but honey as a medicine, an additive to porridge, as part of any dessert is quite acceptable. V kindergarten at this age, the menu is quite varied, including a large assortment of products, so at home you can supplement the baby's diet with this natural dessert at two years old.

Honey and three-year-olds

From the age of three, the body of a little person gets stronger and stronger. Within this age, children usually outgrow an infant allergy that may have plagued them for several years earlier. If a child reacts poorly to a beekeeping product a year, by three or four he may well try to give honey again. In the absence of a negative reaction, sweetness is introduced into the baby's diet.

Preschool and primary school age

4-8 years is an unusually important period for the development of a child's body. This is the stage when the well-being and the correct mental and physical development of the child depend on nutrition. In the absence of allergies, it is possible and necessary to give honey, because its components are involved in metabolic processes, form the skeleton. Heavy workload and fatigue at school, frequent viral diseases - all these negative factors make you think about the support that the body needs. It is useful to give honey to children during the school year in the morning with porridge or in the evening with warm milk.

Energy support for teens

Puberty is not easy for many guys. Immunity is weakened, the nervous system is on edge, problems with study, I want to be in the center of attention of peers. A natural bee dessert will support children after 9-10 years old, will give them strength for study, and for sports, and for communication. But even after the tenth or twelfth year of life, allergies may occur, so it is necessary to monitor the child's condition.

For hundreds of years, honey has been considered a medicine. It was given to seriously ill patients to maintain strength. Today it is included in many preparations, even in cosmetics. But next to the benefits of this product is harm. Therefore, thinking parents will approach the introduction of honey into the diet of their child carefully, without experimenting and understanding that what is a medicine in small doses can become poison in large doses.

Everyone knows about the invaluable benefits of a bee product. At what age can honey be given to a child is a controversial issue. Old school grandmothers recommend accustoming to it almost from the cradle. Medical workers are categorically against the gifts of the apiary in the diet of a baby up to one and a half years old.

Benefits of honey for a child

Adults and children eat sweetness with pleasure, replacing sugar with them. Honey is not only tasty, but also useful in its composition. This product has long been called the most valuable natural balm for all ailments. Honey is actively used in recipes traditional medicine, doctors recommend it.

Nutritional value

If we consider honey from an energy point of view, then 100 g of the product will give the body 304 kcal. This is only due to carbohydrates, which account for 82.4 g. The protein component is only 0.3 g, fats are completely absent. The rest is water.

Natural honey contains:

• reducing sugars (up to 79%);
• sucrose (7%);
• proteins;
• organic acids;
• enzymes;
• dextrins.

A small amount contains provitamin A, some representatives of group B, ascorbic and folic acids, tocopherol, vitamin K. Among the mineral salts, the bulk is potassium (52 ​​mg), there are calcium (6 mg), phosphorus and sodium (4 mg each) ... The composition contains a small amount of iron, magnesium, zinc.

Beneficial features

The carbohydrates that honey is saturated with are the main source of energy and allow you to quickly restore the child's immunity after an illness. The product is important for the normal functioning of cells, it helps to synthesize the nucleotides necessary for development in the body. Among the useful properties of honey are the following:

• the product has a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa and improves digestion;
• a few grams of honey regulates intestinal motility;
• expectorant and diaphoretic properties will help to quickly cope with a cold, eliminate a severe cough and reduce the temperature;
• honey improves blood composition, increases the level of hemoglobin, therefore it is useful for anemia;
• helps to strengthen teeth and bones, which is important for a growing body;
• thiamine, ascorbic acid and carotene, present in the composition of the product, develop visual acuity;
• honey has a positive effect on the urinary system;
• due to the high energy value of the balm, it contributes to the active development of the baby.

The product is also used externally: in compresses on the chest, for the treatment of burns and the healing of pustules.

Important! Honey provokes an allergic reaction if there is a predisposition to it.

How to choose good honey for a child

Only a natural product brings benefits, without unnecessary impurities. On sale you can find an artificial version, produced without the participation of bees. Such honey is contraindicated for infants and older children. The quality of a botanical product is assessed according to several criteria. Here sometimes they make a mistake when buying unclean honey.

Characteristics of natural honey

Note! If they offer to buy liquid honey in winter, we can talk about falsification. By this time, the natural balm should already be sugar-coated.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice of the product, it is recommended to “take a sample” when buying. Taking a portion of honey in the mouth, they do not swallow it, but roll it on the tongue for several minutes, listening to the taste sensations. If the sweetness does not melt for a long time, this indicates the poor quality of the product.

At home, you can check honey in this way. Dissolve 1 tbsp in a glass of water. bee balm. If the product is free from impurities, the liquid will be cloudy, but nothing will precipitate.

From how many months to introduce into complementary foods

Knowing about the benefits of the balm, some mothers smear them with cracks on the nipples (for quick healing). At the same time, they do not even think about whether babies can get honey, because this is how grandmothers and great-grandmothers acted. Sometimes, in order to calm the baby, a nipple was dipped into the product and given to the little one.

Is it possible to give a child up to a year

There are mothers who do not pay attention to the WHO recommendations on the norms of feeding a newborn and act on a whim. They do not think at what age a child can be given honey, and they start doing it very early. Such negligence can lead to negative consequences:

1. In children under one year old, the digestive system is imperfect and is just beginning to acquire its own microflora. The honeycomb contains the botulism bacillus, the spores of which end up in the sweet product. The baby still has insufficiently high acidity of gastric juice. Therefore, honey, even in small quantities, which has entered the digestive tract, becomes an excellent breeding ground for the development of bacilli. This results in the poisoning of the child.

1. Bee balm is a strong allergen. The reaction is provoked not by the honey itself, but by the individual components of the multicomponent product. The not yet fully formed immune system can react with a rash, swelling and even severe suffocation.

If the family has had cases of allergy to insect bites or the product itself, then with breastfeeding it is better for mom not to introduce honey into the baby's complementary foods until a year.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

A pediatrician popular with all Russian mothers in the question of whether a baby can have honey, advises to refrain from this product for up to 1.5-2 years. If mom is sure that there will be no harm from bee balm, Komarovsky says that you can start experimenting no earlier than 10 months of age(but it's better to wait up to a year).

By this time, the enzymatic system will already adjust its activity, and it will be easier for the baby to cope with a complex product.

Norms of complementary feeding with honey for a one-year-old child

Before introducing a new ingredient into the baby's complementary food, the mother includes it in her diet and observes the reaction of the child's body. The same is the case with honey: starting from the 10th month after giving birth, a woman gradually tastes bee sweetness. If the baby then adequately perceives breast milk, closer to the year, the mother is allowed to take the risk of giving the little one a little sweet product from the apiary.

How much to give

In order for the body to calmly accept honey, the first time the mother decant some milk and dilutes them with a small drop of the sweet product. You can also use a mixture or plain water.

Within a day or two, the child's condition is monitored. If all is well, honey can be added to teas and other complementary foods as follows:

• first, ¼ tsp;
• then 1/3 tsp;
• then - ½ tsp each.

This continues until the rate reaches 1 tsp. in a day. If suddenly the baby begins to sprinkle, then the product is removed from the diet or its dose is reduced.

How often to give

Even if the baby has a normal reaction to honey, it is undesirable to introduce it into the menu every day. It is better to limit the use of the product to 2-3 times a week. At the same time, knowing how much sweets can be given per day, the daily rate should be divided into a couple of visits.

Often, a sweet product is added to warm milk and given before bedtime so that the baby falls asleep faster. This does not always work with babies - honey can cause increased excitability. Therefore, it is better to introduce sweetness into feedings in the first half of the day.

What can be combined with

The honey product should not be given to a one-year-old child separately from other food (between feedings), it is better to combine it with something. Honey is a good alternative to sugar, which is why it is added to drinks. Mom can diversify the baby's menu if she feeds the following dishes:

• the toddler will like porridge seasoned with honey; you need to add sweetness to a cooled dish so that the product does not lose its value;
• honey goes well with cottage cheese and fruit and berry additives;

• if you bake zucchini or pumpkin, you can pour the vegetables with pre-melted honey;
• useful will be a salad of fresh fruits with the addition of nuts, seasoned with a sweet product.

Honey works well with most ingredients, enhancing them nutritional value... In order for the baby to benefit from feeding, they adhere to the necessary norms for introducing honey into the diet.

Possible power problems

Apiary balm is not a panacea for all diseases. The product itself is capable of provoking a number of diseases. In young children, this can manifest itself as atopic dermatitis, diathesis, or a more severe allergic reaction, which will lead to disastrous consequences.

Signs of a honey allergy

Important! Food allergy affects and cardiovascular system baby. When combined with other symptoms, this can lead to anaphylactic shock.

Similar reactions occur to a natural product, the cause is pollen grains trapped in honey with nectar. Together with these components, harmful substances get into the product, which settle on flowers growing in areas with poor ecology.

The little man's inadequate response to honey is caused by imperfection digestive system, producing a small amount of protective enzymes. This leads to the fact that the desensitization mechanism is turned on, triggering an allergic reaction.

Before introducing a sweet product from an apiary into complementary foods, a mother should make sure that honey is possible for a baby. Even a valuable balm can be harmful if used thoughtlessly. Allergies in young children show severe symptoms. Therefore, it is better not to rush with such additives in the menu, but to wait until the little one is 2 years old.

Video

Fragrant and fragrant honey is a ready-made mineral and vitamin complex of natural origin, which contains the most important and useful for human body substances. It is used for preventive and recreational purposes, as an addition to all kinds of diets, instead of sugar in confectionery dishes and drinks. Is it possible for his children, and if yes, then at what age?

Composition of honey

Honey is a product formed as a result of the digestion of flower nectar by bees. It has a complex composition and high biological activity. It contains the following components:

• carbohydrates, their share in honey is: 39% fructose and 31% glucose, they are healthier than those contained in sugar, as they are classified as easily digestible;
• proteins - represented by a group of amino acids, the intensity of the development of muscle cells depends on these elements, good nutrition internal organs and the brain;
• malic and lactic acids;
• iron - supports the hematopoietic system;
• phosphorus - needed for full development;
• magnesium - important for heart function;
• calcium is an essential element that plays an important role in the development of the skeletal system.

In addition, honey contains carotene, B vitamins, as well as many other useful substances, including enzymes that normalize metabolism: amylase, invertase and others. Once in the blood, easily digestible carbohydrates do not require energy for processing; they provide the regeneration of old cells and the formation of new ones.

Depending on the type of honey, its composition may differ. So, it is believed that acacia honey is most useful for children. It differs in a special color - pale yellow, similar in appearance to saturated sugar syrup. Buckwheat honey is no less useful, it can be easily recognized by its rich dark brown hue. The properties of the product depend not only on the type of plant from which it is harvested, but also on the region, climatic conditions and many other factors.

In total, honey contains about 60 trace elements. Many of them are extremely important for the proper functioning of the human body. With proper use of honey, it becomes powerful tool, allowing not only to successfully fight various diseases, but also to prevent their occurrence.

The benefits of honey for children

Honey is valued for its pronounced antibacterial and antifungal effects. Unlike pharmaceuticals, it does not have side effects, the only possible complication is allergy. In reasonable doses, honey is used to fight viral diseases and fungi, to strengthen health and increase immunity.

Honey has been used as a remedy for many centuries. At different times, people with its help alleviated the condition of diabetes, in combination with medicinal plants, it was used to get rid of severe ailments. The benefits of honey have been scientifically proven, today it is used in many cases, achieving a significant improvement in health:

• With anemia - as a source of iron, as well as B vitamins.
• To strengthen the body - due to the minerals and vitamins contained in honey, it completely replaces the complexes, moreover, it is absorbed much better than pharmaceuticals in the form of tablets or liquids.
• To normalize sleep - just one teaspoon (for an adult - a table) provides a lasting relaxation effect.
• As a source of energy, it is enough to drink honey diluted in 200 ml of warm boiled water (in no case hot) to quickly recuperate.

Recipe for the occasion::

Honey is an irreplaceable remedy in the treatment of colds... So, it is enough to mix it in a 1: 1 ratio with butter and dissolve - this will facilitate expectoration with bronchitis and dry cough. Add a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of baking soda to a glass of slightly warmed milk for an excellent cough medicine.

In small doses, honey can be used as an alternative to vitamin and mineral complexes... It is advisable not to swallow it immediately, but slowly dissolve it - this way it is better absorbed. Honey in combs is especially useful - it contains more nutrients... Kids love it very much, and you must admit that this is a great alternative to chewing gum.

Due to its antibacterial properties, honey is beneficial with intestinal disorders... And during the period of intense intellectual stress, this product is the best tool for schoolchildren and junior and senior classes. In addition, it normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract - all thanks to the many enzymes it contains: they contribute to the normal digestion of foods.

When is honey for children?

This has been debated for many years. There are cases when parents gave honey from 2-3 months - without any consequences. However, on the territory of the CIS, it is generally accepted that it is unacceptable to use it for babies under 18 months. Honey is a powerful allergen and must be considered if you intend to introduce it into your child's diet.

When choosing the optimal time for the introduction of honey, take into account the individual characteristics of the baby and consult a pediatrician. If one of the parents is allergic to bee products, you should be more careful and more careful: it is highly likely that the child's body will not accept them.

How to introduce honey into a child's menu?

Start with a micro dose, for example add 1 g of honey to your drink. Check the reaction - if there are no skin rashes or other suspicious symptoms during the day, the amount of the product can be slightly increased. Gradually increase your daily honey intake to half a teaspoon. For two year old baby it is permissible to consume no more than 20-30 g of honey per day. From three years old you can up to 30-40 g, and from four years old - up to 50 g.

How to give honey? As a vitamin and mineral supplement - together with other products. Important! When heated, honey loses its beneficial properties, so it cannot be added to hot tea or milk. Use it as a sweetener for oatmeal or drinks, and for making sandwiches.

Precautionary measures

If you consume large amounts of honey, the likelihood of allergies increases significantly. Please note that if the baby does not perceive the pollen of any of the plants, then the honey collected from its flowers will cause hay fever. Allergy to honey in children manifests itself in different ways. Possible options: skin rashes, tearfulness, runny nose, sharp pains in the abdomen, gastrointestinal upset, in rare cases, there is a high probability of edema and, as a result, suffocation.

At an early age, honey can cause acute poisoning even in healthy children. It is dangerous and overdose during the first dose - the portion should not exceed 1-2 g. Note that due to the high content of fructose and glucose, honey provokes the formation of caries, therefore, after using it, you must make sure that the child rinses the mouth thoroughly.

The breakdown of vitamins and enzymes occurs already at a temperature of 45 ° C. Consequently, when it heats up, it ceases to be useful. Moreover, when the temperature of honey rises to 70-80 ° C, the formation of carcinogenic substances begins. And although their concentration is high, this should not be allowed. It is for this reason that it is recommended not to use honey as an ingredient in confectionery, jam or other sweets.

Any grandmother knows how to quickly calm a crying baby. It is enough to grease the pacifier with honey and give it to it. The sweet taste will quickly do its job, and the baby will fall asleep contented and calm. Since ancient times, honey was given from infancy. But today, more and more warnings are heard that the benefits of this product are greatly exaggerated, and in fact it can cause serious harm to health. Parents need to know clearly whether children can get honey, if possible, then from infancy or much later, and what the maximum dose may be.

The benefits of honey for children

Many parents do not even suspect that the answer to the question of whether it is possible to give honey to children may be negative. After all, they themselves were given it in childhood as an almost universal medicine. There is a grain of reason in this. Beneficial features honey for children are known and proven.

1. The product contributes to the full development of the child.
2. It is a catalyst for the absorption of calcium and magnesium by the child's body, and without these substances, the full development of the skeleton is impossible.
3. The product is prescribed for children with low blood hemoglobin.
4. It improves intestinal motility, promotes the digestion of food and timely bowel movement.
5. It contains carotene and vitamin C. It is these substances contained in honey that have a detrimental effect on viruses. Children who consume honey all the time have strong immunity.
6. Carotene is an element that improves visual acuity. The earlier the baby begins to consume foods with carotene, the less vision problems there will be at an older age.
7. Since this product does not contain sugar, it does not contribute to tooth decay. However, fructose in the composition of honey can cause disruption of the microflora of the mucous membrane and cause ulcers and stomatitis. Therefore, after consuming this delicacy, you need to rinse your mouth.
8. The product is used in the complex treatment of infantile enuresis.
9. It is also a natural sedative, from which the baby quickly falls asleep.
10. Also, the product has an expectorant effect, therefore, it is actively taken in case of upper respiratory tract disease.

As you can see, the list of useful properties of this product is quite voluminous, and few people have a question whether it is possible to give honey to children. However, there are also contraindications. Some substances contained in the product are strictly prohibited for young children, as they can negatively affect their development. Therefore, the question must be posed differently than at the beginning: how old is honey for children, so that undesirable consequences do not arise.

Can children be given honey? Doctor Komarovsky

This delicacy is a storehouse of biologically active substances, which undoubtedly affect the growing organism in one way or another. But this impact is difficult to predict in advance. It can be either positive or negative.

In most cases, the negative impact is manifested in the form of an allergic reaction.

The most important reason for not taking this product at an early age is the risk of botulism. Honey can be contaminated with botulism spores. The child's body is designed so that bowel movements, where these very spores, in the end, turn out to be, can occur irregularly. As a result, intoxication of the body begins, the spores release a deadly poison. That is why it is impossible to give beekeeping products for up to 2 years.

At what age should you give honey to a child?

This is a frequently asked question, and it is caused by the fact that many mothers do not know if it is possible to give honey to a baby or to wait. In the past, such a question was not raised, since no one even suspected the existence of any disputes of botulism, about biologically active ingredients beekeeping products. It was believed that honey cures colds, so they were treated with it, regardless of age. In our time, they are trying to bring a scientific basis for everything, so they conduct all kinds of biological research. But even common sense should tell you what you need to make sure of before using this product:

• In quality: our ancestors had no idea what an ecological disaster was, and were not even afraid to drink water from natural reservoirs. In Soviet times, too, all products were safe, as they passed strict GOST control. Today's products, including honey, can contain dyes, flavor enhancers, sugar, and even paraffin. Store-bought honey can be dangerous for babies. However, too many nutrients do not "eat well" either. The child's body will begin to reject them. For a child, natural honey can become as harmful as surrogate honey. In addition, it is not known where the apiary was. It is possible that a few meters from a busy highway.
• In the absence of allergies: Statistics show that the number of children with allergies has doubled over the past 25 years. It's all about the deterioration of the environment and an increase in the proportion of chemical components in the composition of food products. Honey is the strongest allergen. If the baby suffers from allergies, then from a few drops he may develop a deadly Quincke's edema. Don't you think, dear parents, that the question of whether it is possible for a nursing child to receive honey is an exhaustive answer?

According to modern pediatricians, there is no need to rush to introduce honey into the children's diet. In addition, it is necessary to observe the age-related dosages of honey consumption by children.

• For children under 1 year old, honey is contraindicated in general;
• Up to 3 years, the prohibition is not so categorical, but it is better to give beekeeping products only in exceptional cases and no more than half a teaspoon, and this dose is given in 2-3 doses;
• At 3-5 years old, you can give your child a little more than a tablespoon of this delicacy per day, divided into 3-4 doses;
• At 6-9 years old, the introduction of honey into the diet is encouraged, as it stimulates mental activity and strengthens the immune system. The exception is children who are allergic to bee products. The dose for this age category is 3 with a "slide" of tablespoons per day;
• Children over 9 years old can be given up to 5 tablespoons per day.

No less important for parents is the question of how to give honey to a child so as not to harm his health.

Firstly, even observing the dosage, you should not abuse the product and give it for more than 1 month. Reception can be resumed in 2-3 months.

Second, don't give honey undiluted to your baby. It can be diluted with milk, water, added to warm tea, but not to hot tea. Honey for children can successfully replace sugar in cereals, cottage cheese, yoghurts. But even if honey is necessary for a child in this particular case, and he does not transfer it to the spirit, there is no need to give it by force.

Do not give this product unnecessarily. The later the need arises, the better.

At school age, honey will bring maximum benefits to the child. As a last resort, you can give a baby over 2 years old half a teaspoon a day. Giving honey to babies before they turn 2 is an unjustified risk... Responsibility for the consequences, wholly and completely, will lie with the parents. And it is almost impossible to foresee them. At best, it could be a skin rash from over-eating bee products. To prevent this from happening, you need to observe the dosage of honey for children in accordance with age.

Contraindications for taking honey by children

Contraindications are due to the content of biologically active substances in the product. You can not give honey to children if:

• The child is under 1 year old;
• The child showed allergic reactions to bee products, there is a diathesis;
• Diagnosed with scrofula or external tuberculosis;
• There is an individual intolerance to some components of honey;
• The child suffers from diabetes mellitus;
• There is a predisposition to obesity or obesity is diagnosed. If you give him honey, he will acquire new ones for the extra pounds he has.

It is unlikely that any of the parents will risk neglecting contraindications. After all, this is fraught with very serious health problems for the baby.

Why is honey dangerous for children?

If it is too early to give honey to a child, or give a product of poor quality, and also do not observe contraindications, the following complications may occur:

• Allergy manifestations from rash to Quincke's edema;
• Botulism is a disease that affects the nervous system and respiratory organs;
• With an individual intolerance to honey, a child may experience some allergy symptoms: urticaria, runny nose and others;
• Excessive consumption of the product leads to the development of tooth decay and weight gain.

To the question, is it possible for children to receive honey, there is still no definite answer from the parents. As a rule, those who have experienced the hardships of complications will never give this product to the child again, others are sure that only with its help the baby's cold goes away quickly and without consequences. In any case, it is better to refuse to use honey at an early age. And after 2 years, honey should be introduced into the baby's menu with caution.