How much honey to give a child 3 years old for a cold. Is it possible for a child to have bee honey? Can small children have honey

The fact is that the body's responses (especially children's) to biologically active substances (and honey, undoubtedly, belongs to those) are hardly predictable. Maybe everything is just fine, but there can be serious reactions, most often allergic. Although, in relation to honey, the matter is not limited to the risk of allergies. There is also a potential risk of the so-called. baby botulism: honey may contain botulism spores, in young children, due to certain age-related physiological characteristics, they (these spores) can linger in the intestines and form a deadly poison. That is why honey is strongly not recommended for children of the first two years of life (although the authors of many recommendations believe that after a year it is already possible). The main thing: trying to give honey to babies is in principle risky, while the risk is obviously higher than the possible benefit. You, not knowing about the theoretical danger, involuntarily took a chance, it turned out that your baby was lucky so far. Now you will stop the unjustified risk and suffer up to 1-2 years.

Honey is extremely useful product. Scientists, doctors and just lovers of natural sweetness talk about this tirelessly, but how useful or harmful is this product for children? Many mothers, trying to give their child all the best and most useful, often ask - is honey possible for children, when can honey be given to a child and how much?

Honey for children - only quality, only nature

Honey is a product, no doubt, useful, in addition, it is often used both in pharmacology and in traditional medicine. Everyone has probably heard that honey is the best cough medicine? But these statements are true only in relation to a quality product, and today there are a lot of fakes of honey. On the shelves of stores you can easily find honey, which is mixed with sugar or starch molasses, flour and even various very unhealthy materials - gypsum, minerals, glue. Therefore, you should always be careful about the choice of goodies, buy only a quality product, preferably natural, from trusted beekeepers.

Many parents believe that the benefits of honey are so great that it is fashionable to use this product at any age, almost from the cradle. Grandmothers recommend mixing a teaspoon of honey into milk or dry formula for babies aged three months and older.

In fact, British scientists have found that it is very, very dangerous to give honey to children under one year old: at this age, a treat can create a very favorable environment for the development of botulism in the baby's digestive system. This is due to the content in the honeycombs spore-forming bacillus Clostridium botulinum. The entry of these spores into the human body can cause severe toxic damage to the body, and if an adult is able to endure such a strong one more or less normally, then for children under one year old it can be, in rare cases, even fatal. That is why doctors strongly do not recommend giving honey to children under one year old, in some countries - up to 18 months. Think about it, and the next time you decide to ask if honey is possible for a baby, weigh all the benefits and possible risks from using this product and make the right decision.

Interestingly, in many Western countries, packages with a natural delicacy always indicate that honey is strictly forbidden for children under one year old.

Attention: It is forbidden to give honey to infants in many countries of the world, in the countries of the former CIS it is not recommended to give honey to children under 18 months old!

When can you give honey to a child?

Many pediatricians recommend giving honey to a child only after they reach the age of three. Skeptics and lovers of bee delicacy are of the opinion that it is necessary to start giving honey to a child already in the second year of life. But in the only thing both sides agree on: you need to start giving honey to a child in small doses to check the reaction. child's body for sweetness.

Do not forget that honey is a strong allergen, along with citrus fruits. Although honey allergy is not common in a child, it is important to monitor the baby in order to be able to take action in time if any symptoms appear. In addition, it is important to understand that even if a child is not allergic to honey, overuse of this product at a young age can cause the development of allergies in the future!

Is it possible to give honey to a child: a few more facts

It is important for parents who decide to pamper their child with a tasty and sweet treat, it is important to understand that we are talking about the benefits or harms of honey only against the background of a quality product and, in no case, honey analogues or fakes that are often found on supermarket shelves.

It is also important to understand that not always honey from an apiary can be completely safe. There is a so-called poisonous honey or "drunk honey". It is not made by wrong bees, as Winnie the Pooh said, but completely ordinary ones with only one difference - they collect nectar from plants containing poisonous substances (flowers of aconite, henbane, tobacco, rhododendron). After drinking poisonous honey, weakness, deterioration of health, dizziness and even fainting may occur. Fortunately, such "drunk honey" is rare.

How much honey can a child?

If you decide to introduce honey into your child's diet, you need to know the recommended doses of this product.

• Children under the age of two are advised to eat no more than half a teaspoon of honey per day.
• Children over two years old can eat a teaspoon of honey per day.

At the same time, according to doctors, honey has a beneficial effect on the nervous system of the child and has a calming effect. That is why it is recommended to take half or a whole teaspoon of honey at night, for example, dissolved in warm milk or tea. This will improve and also help to cope with bedwetting in young children.

Many people know that honey is not only delicious treat, but also very useful, which favorably affects the state of the immune system.

It is widely used in the treatment and prevention of most diseases.

However, with all this, honey is a very allergenic product.

Therefore, young mothers give it to their babies with caution and quite often ask themselves the question: “At what age, and what kind of honey can children use?”.

Is it possible to give honey to children under one year old

Given all the beneficial properties of this product, many believe that honey is a real treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. useful substances for the baby. Especially often it is mixed in a mixture with artificial feeding as a sweetener. Indeed, often, young mothers note that if honey is added to the mixture or milk, the babies do not get colds, do not suffer from gas formation, and sleep better.

However, despite all the positive feedback from young mothers, doctors still do not recommend giving honey to children under one year old. This is due to the fact that natural honey in its composition contains spores of bacteria that bees collect along with nectar. Purifying honey from such bacteria is not possible, even with the use of special technologies.

The adult human body is immune to this type of bacteria, as its immune system and digestive tract suppress and process them. As for babies up to a year old, their immunity is not yet perfect at that age, and digestive juices do not have sufficient acidity to suppress such microorganisms. Therefore, in the case of the penetration of such bacteria into the body of an infant, microorganisms begin to actively develop and multiply in the intestines of the baby, producing and releasing toxins.

This process contributes to the development of serious intestinal poisoning like botulism. Therefore, the use of honey by a child under one year old is considered extremely dangerous, which can even lead to death. In many Western countries, it is officially forbidden to give honey to children under one year old, and this is even indicated on the packaging of this product.

At what age can children be given honey

Some doctors believe that honey can be given to children in small quantities only after reaching 18 months. However, most doctors are inclined to the fact that honey should not be consumed by children before 30 years. Do not forget that this sweet treat is a serious allergen. And even if there are no allergic manifestations, but consume honey in large quantities from an early age, this can contribute to the development of allergies in the future.

If the parents still decide to give the child honey, they should follow the dosages recommended by the doctors so as not to harm the child. Up to 2 years, the amount of honey eaten per day should not exceed half a teaspoon. After reaching the age of two, it is allowed to eat up to one spoon per day. It is advisable to add honey to tea, milk or cereals. Do not dilute honey with boiled water.

Parents should monitor the condition of the skin and the reaction of the child to this product, so as not to miss the effects of allergies. If diathesis or other manifestations of an allergic reaction appear, it is forbidden to continue giving honey to the child.

In addition, if the baby cries and refuses to eat honey, you should not insist and force the child. It is recommended to use honey in the evening or at night. This will favorably affect the processes of digestion and will not allow gas formation, and will also contribute to a good restful sleep for the baby.

What types of honey can children

The softest and low-allergenic type of honey is lime. It is with him that you should start if you decide to give honey to a child. It is not recommended to dissolve it in hot drinks, as it loses its beneficial properties. Linden honey should not be given before walks. This is due to the fact that this type of honey has a stimulating effect on the sweating system, which can cause a cold if you are in a draft.

Preschool children are not recommended to give honey from herbs. It is desirable that the product was from one honey plant. This is due to the fact that mixed varieties of honey are considered more allergenic. In addition, you should choose light varieties. They also carry a lower risk of developing allergies than dark varieties.

At the age of 7 years it is recommended to use honey with propolis. This is the most powerful means of protecting the body from colds. However, unlike linden honey, propolis should be given to the child immediately before the walk. If such a procedure is taken as a rule, then colds will not be terrible for the child even in the autumn-winter period. In addition to the fact that propolis has a beneficial effect on the immune system, it is also an excellent natural antibiotic, to which resistance is not developed. For colds, doctors recommend not only taking honey inside, but also gargling with propolis tincture. However, this applies to children over 7 years of age. For preschool children, it is recommended to dilute linden honey in a glass of warm milk for colds.

Honey is a truly natural storehouse of vitamins and nutrients for the human body. And strengthening the immune system should be dealt with from childhood. However, it is always necessary to observe the measure and a sound approach. If parents decide to give honey to a baby, they should carefully listen to the advice of experts so as not to harm him, and also carefully observe the reaction of the child to this unique product.

One of the problematic issues for young parents is whether it is possible for a child up to a year old to give honey and from what age is this product generally allowed? Read our article about the effect of a bee product on the body of children! We will figure out whether it is possible to give a bee product to an infant.

There are 2 sides of the same coin here. After all, as you know, it greatly enhances immunity, has a lot of useful vitamins and minerals, which is so important for a growing and developing organism. And yet, there are rumors that it can cause a severe allergic reaction, which is why if you use it hastily, you won’t get around.

Since young children have not yet developed their own normal immune system, they have to be constantly supervised. This is especially true for toddlers who, at age 2, try to eat almost everything they can get their hands on. The very approach to the diet is very important here, as it can greatly spoil the state of health. The point is not that at 10 years this will not work, but the resistance of the organism itself at that age will be much higher.

In fact, honey is an anti-allergic substance - that is, it cannot cause an allergic reaction. The irritant is pollen, which, although in small quantities, is still present in its composition.

Allergy test

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should make sure that honey can be given to your child.

To do this, apply a little honey to the skin of the hand. And do not slap the whole hand, just a little bit on the wrist. If within a few minutes the place of skin contact with this substance turns red, the baby complains of itching, or unpleasant pain from it, feels a rise in temperature, then further use is out of the question.

In fact, not everything is so sad, since such phenomena are very rare. About one in 12 dozen children may have this reaction. And if nothing happened after the test application, then you can safely give this amazing product to children.

What is good for children?

1. It is endowed with a mass of trace elements that stimulate blood circulation.
2. Normalizes cardiac activity.
3. Provides oxygen to the cells of the body.
4. Helps synthesize vitamin C.
5. Accelerates the very renewal of blood cells.
6. Vitamin activity is several orders of magnitude higher than in synthetic imitators.

Those who are aware of their interaction with mineral salts need not worry - in honey this ratio is optimal.

Let's remember childhood

If you think a little, you can remember how in childhood, when it was even less than 10 years old, at a high temperature, their own parents ran for honey and gave a tablespoon of this sweet edible until 10 pm, before going to bed. It acted as an excellent diaphoretic, and if one did not get out of bed for another day, then one more dose of this life-giving remedy often brought the disease to naught. Just in case, spoon number 2 was used early in the morning, even before breakfast.

Sometimes such sweetness is mixed with milk, and then it is completely impossible to refuse it. Highly useful feature of this substance is its feature to be quickly assimilated, while not depressing the stomach at all by prolonged work.

Disease prevention

For the prevention of diseases, children over 10 years old, as well as those who are close to this figure, it is enough to give a teaspoon in the morning and evening. Do not forget about half-hour intervals before meals and sleep. In Western countries, such a bee product has long been included in the diet of the younger generation, as a mandatory food for normal development.

Is it possible for a baby?

In the situation with an infant, everything is a little different than with an older one. First of all, because of the reasonable caution of the parents. However, if you make sure that a month-old child does not have a predisposition to rejection of this product, then it is advisable to give it in small doses. Such actions will provide an excellent start to the development of a completely healthy organism.

Already in ancient Greece, mothers smeared their nipples with honey to a month-old baby in order to strengthen his health. After all, so many years ago already realized the value of this substance. But it is important to understand that if, nevertheless, it happened to an infant to catch a cold, then in this case it is undesirable to rely only on honey. It would be better to take the advice and recommendations of a specialist.

Is it possible for children under one year old?

Legendary scientists from the British Isles found it necessary to conduct research on this issue. The results of their research were astonishing. It turns out that in children who are not yet a year old, honey forms a good environment for botulism. In most of its cases, this is not critical, but the young body does not always cope with the infection.

In some countries, doctors still insist that children can eat this product only after reaching the age of 2 years. This means that a one-year-old child falls under the main risk group, and even in order to check him for the possibility of an allergic reaction, because this can lead to a rise in temperature.

Can children be 2 years old?

In fact, even opinions about the possibility of using bee products by children who are only 2 years old are completely ambiguous. According to many assurances, only at the age of three is it worth starting to eat it. One thing is known for sure - upon reaching 10 years, it is certainly possible to apply it. In addition, the remedy perfectly resists an increase in body temperature, treats colds well.

Correct Dosage

If you decide to give children this remedy at the age of 2, then do not neglect daily rate in half a teaspoon. Not 10, not 5, but only half. Even such a small amount will be enough for such years of life. This will strengthen the immune system and provide a supply of vitamins, which is especially important in winter, when they are not enough.

In fact, the responsibility for when it is actually worth starting to add this healing agent to the baby's diet is entirely entrusted to his parents. Therefore, they must make a worthy choice.

Video "Honey for children"

Is it possible to give sweet Honey babies who are still suckling their mother's breasts? If not, at what age can honey be given to a child without fear? Is this product as useful as they say, and is there a risk of causing an allergic reaction in a newborn? What do doctors think about the common parental practice of smearing honey on a pacifier to get a baby to fall asleep faster? We will answer these and other questions in our article.

Honey has many useful properties, but its improper use can harm the health of the child.

O healing properties oh honey, our ancestors knew in ancient times. People of the older generation still consider it a truly magical product that saves from many diseases - it is not surprising that our grandmothers are so fond of offering milk with honey to their grandchildren. But before young parents begin to treat their babies with honey, it would be useful to know in advance at what age it is recommended to give it to children so as not to harm.

None of the pediatricians object to the healing properties of honey:

• this product is famous for its pleasant taste, and even capricious kids enjoy it with pleasure;
• parents can give honey to children in cases where you want to limit them in sweets;
• healthy recipes traditional medicine, in which honey is used as a remedy for colds and coughs, are probably kept in the arsenal of every family.

honey has pleasant taste, replaces sweets and helps well in the treatment of colds and coughs.

What is the danger

And yet, doctors warn parents against excessive admiration for this golden and viscous delicacy. Alas, honey itself is an extremely strong allergen, and instead of improving the health of your crumbs, you risk causing him serious harm. This is due to several factors.

1. The biological activity of honey is so great that it is dangerous to give it to an infant in the first year of life. A violent reaction to a product in a baby can develop so rapidly that you simply do not have time to take him to the hospital, where he will be given the necessary assistance. A child can easily die in your arms from anaphylactic shock!
2. If you start introducing honey into the diet of newborns, then there is a risk of developing a serious disease in babies - botulism. This is a severe food poisoning, accompanied by intoxication and damage to the central nervous system.
3. The risk of hives and itching, runny nose, severe headaches will increase sharply.
4. In children, excess weight appears, from where it is not far from obesity.

It is not a fact that all these troubles will happen to your baby, because the reaction to the products is individual. But this is just the case when experimenting means putting the life of a newborn in danger. Remember - it is absolutely impossible to give honey to children under one year old!

A severe allergic reaction to honey in a child can lead to anaphylactic shock.

Lubricating the nipples with honey as a means to calm the baby is generally nonsense. Sweet at such a young age, even in microscopic doses, is highly undesirable. A small portion can also cause an allergic reaction. Also, do not forget about the threat of caries (honey is too sweet for emerging children's teeth) and diabetes.

Do children need honey at an early age

Doctors say that in the first year of life it is unnecessary to give honey to a child. Judge for yourself.

1. Baby being on breastfeeding, and so receives with mother's milk all the components that the body needs for successful development.
2. Honey, even if it is not so allergenic, is hard to digest, so do not overload the children's body with it.

From five to six months, babies are allowed to give complementary foods so that their body begins to receive additional vitamins and minerals. But in these cases, it is quite possible to get by with other products. The queue for honey will not come soon.

Breastfed babies receive all the necessary substances with mother's milk, therefore they do not need honey.

Is honey dangerous after a year

After all of the above, any parent may well have a reasonable fear: is it possible to give honey to older children, those who are already a year old or more? Maybe it’s better not to risk at all until two or three years?

In the complete rejection of honey up to two or even three years, doctors do not see the need. However, in order not to take risks, you can completely abandon honey for up to three years, if there is no urgent need to introduce it into the diet. baby food you don `t see. Even if a three-year-old child shows negative reactions, at this age they will no longer be so scary.

However, everything should be in moderation. You should not overdo it with honey at any age. Remember, however, that this is not just a sweet, but also an active biological product. And he, like other substances of this kind, has contraindications and side effects.

Even at the age of two and three, honey should be given to a child with caution.

When honey is desirable

But in cases where the baby is already a year old and has health problems, honey can be very useful. This happens when:

• the child has weakened immunity;
• the baby often catches a cold;
• the baby is sick with respiratory diseases.

In such cases, give him honey, but with reasonable care. This product has unique properties, for example, with the help of honey it is possible to fight fungal infections, children's candidiasis in the mouth.

But, we repeat, it is necessary to gradually accustom the body of the crumbs to this product after a year, not earlier.

In what cases honey will not hurt a one-year-old baby

The baby's body successfully absorbs honey in cases where:

• a one-year-old baby is completely healthy;
• he does not have allergic reactions to other products, which he has tried a lot by this age;
• all adults in the family consume bee products without any consequences.

giving one year old baby honey in small quantities is possible only when it is absolutely not prone to allergies.

Many parents ask if honey should be limited to certain daily allowances when giving it to children. Yes, doctors insist that age dosages be observed when introducing honey into the diet of babies. We present them in a table.

Also, when introducing honey into the children's diet, adhere to the following rules:

• you can’t eat the whole portion at a time, divide it into 2-3 smaller servings (we indicated this in the table);
• it is advisable for children to eat only a liquid drink, since comb honey is not suitable for them.

It is strictly forbidden to dilute honey in boiling water. At temperatures above 60 °, all vitamins and enzymes are destroyed in it. Moreover, honey also produces a toxic carcinogen - a poison that can accumulate in the liver and cause food poisoning over time.

Adding to the diet

Any new product in the baby's diet should be introduced with caution in order to minimize the possible negative effect. Honey, as we found out, has high allergenic properties, which is why parents need to conduct a kind of allergen test for their child before using it. This is done in the following way.

1. First, a small amount of honey should be smeared on the inside of the baby's wrist.. Next, see if some redness appears in this place before the evening, if the baby starts itching, etc.
2. If everything is normal, give the next day the baby to taste a few drops of honey for testing., and again follow until the end of the day for a possible allergic reaction.
3. Only on the third day, you can give the baby to eat half or a full teaspoon of honey., depending on the norm indicated in the table.

It is necessary to start giving honey with one drop, and the maximum dose should not exceed half a teaspoon.

Although honey is most beneficial to eat in its pure form, for example, drinking it with tea, you can still feed it to your baby:

• adding a spoonful of honey to jelly or compote;
• sweetening them with cottage cheese or porridge. Such honey product children like it very much;
• diluting it in warm milk or tea (with a temperature not exceeding 60 °, be sure to remember this).

It would be nice if instead of the usual sweets and chocolates, which are quite harmful for children, you accustom your baby to honey.

How to make a compress with honey

If your baby often catches a cold, and at the same time the disease is accompanied by a cough, you can use honey as a medicine, but not for oral administration, but to create a special honey compress. Such a compress helps to effectively get rid of a cough, and to treat a cold itself.

Honey compress has the following healing properties:

• warms the bronchi;
• dilates blood vessels;
• promotes increased blood circulation.

Even small children can make such a compress, although an allergic test should be performed first., as we indicated earlier.

Here is the easiest honey compress recipe.

1. They take a fresh and elastic cabbage leaf, put honey in it, wrap it and then apply it to the chest or back. It helps a lot with coughs. The cabbage leaves themselves can be dipped in boiling water first to make them softer and “obedient”.
2. Attached sheets cover cling film, then tied to the body with a towel so that they hold on tighter.

It is advisable to make such a compress before going to bed already for a lying baby. During the night, honey fully warms up both the chest and the back.

Summary

Considering all the features of honey as a highly active biological substance, we can draw the following conclusion: giving it to small children who have not yet turned at least a year old is a very dangerous lottery. It all depends on the individual tolerance of the baby. A parent who gives honey at such an early age is at great risk.

There are parents who treat their children with honey almost from the cradle, and then they are not overjoyed at how healthy and plump it grows in them. In the future, this could seriously backfire on them. For other dads and moms, the very first introduction of honey into the diet of the crumbs ends with sleepless vigils in a hospital bed, after the baby was saved from anaphylactic shock.

So the conclusion here might be:

• children under one year old should not be given honey;
• it is undesirable to give it to children under three years of age if they do not experience any special need for this;
• starting to give honey from a year or two years old, be sure to adhere to the daily allowance.