Before giving your baby chocolate read this…
If you love the taste of chocolate, chances are you’re going to want to share some with your baby as a treat. But while chocolate tastes yummy, healthcare professionals advise waiting until your baby is a year old before giving him his first taste of chocolate. New food introductions Just like any food, chocolate …
If you love the taste of chocolate, chances are you’re going to want to share some with your baby as a treat. But while chocolate tastes yummy, healthcare professionals advise waiting until your baby is a year old before giving him his first taste of chocolate.
New food introductions
Just like any food, chocolate or otherwise, you need to be careful when introducing a new food into your baby’s diet. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises your wait three to five days between each new food you introduce to your baby when you’re weaning him onto solids. This way you can watch out for any food reactions that might indicate an allergy.
Be aware of allergies According to the CDC, the eight most common allergenic foods are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. While milk and peanuts are often used in many regular chocolate products, what you might not know is that they may also contain traces of soy, which some children are allergic to.
Sugar can be dangerous
The main reason why doctors want you to wait before introducing chocolate to your baby is because of the amount of added sugar and caffeine found in a serving of most chocolate products. (Did you know just 28g of milk chocolate contains 4mg of caffeine?) While there’s no specific guidelines on how and when you should introduce chocolate to your baby, most experts suggest not introducing sweets for at least the first year of your baby’s life. However, the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) takes it a step further and highly recommends you skip the chocolate until the age of two. While an occasional bite of chocolate may not cause harm, giving your baby chocolate (or any sweets) as a treat frequently can not only lead to tooth decay but also put him in danger of developing illnesses like diabetes and obesity later on.
Always chat to your paediatrician or your GP if you have a specific question or concern about introducing a new food to your baby.
