Today we have to find out at what age you can give a child kefir. Actually, answering this question is not as easy as it seems. Why? There are many reasons for this. Firstly, the children's diet is individual. It is impossible to say with confidence that all kids are allowed kefir at one age or another. Secondly, the mentioned drink is different. And they are allowed to give it at different times. What about feeding and kefir is necessary for each mother to know? How should a child eat at 6-7 months? The answers to all these questions will be found later.
Feeding and Feeding
First you need to understand how the child will use this or that product. The thing is that there are several scenarios. Most often, children are introduced to new products as complementary foods. It will be discussed about him further.
Nutrition refers to the introduction into the baby’s diet of new liquid or puree products that do not replace feeding. Typically, treats are given before the main course (mixture or breast milk).
At what age can a child give kefir as a complementary food or main course? As already mentioned, to give the correct answer to this question is problematic. Every child is an individual. Only a doctor will be able to 100% say exactly when to introduce this or that product into the infant's diet.
Beginning of feeding
First of all, it is necessary to understand that the beginning of complementary foods is recommended by doctors and WHO at about 6 months. Earlier weaning of the baby from breastfeeding is not welcome.
How long can kefir be for a child? You should not rush with this product. This is due to the features of the formation of the gastrointestinal tract in the baby. At 6 months, according to doctors, the baby’s body is already ready for the first feeding. It is recommended to start it with vegetable purees and baby cereals. But dairy products must first be excluded from the diet of the baby. Only breast milk or artificial formulas!
First experiments
So where to start getting to know your baby with adult food? As already mentioned, vegetable purees are ideal. It is recommended to postpone fruit and berry baby food. You can’t start with it - the child will refuse vegetables after sweet and tasty fruits. Not the most pleasant phenomenon.
At what age can you give kefir to your child? As already mentioned, you should not rush with this product. At 6 months, you can introduce the baby to the first vegetable puree. Zucchini and cauliflower are ideal for this venture. In addition, you can stop at the pumpkin - it contains a lot of betacarotene, which is necessary to improve digestion.
Second attempt
So, the first lure is introduced. What's next? At 7 months, children are usually offered a more varied diet. At this age, masters of various kinds are also given. But in addition to them, many doctors recommend introducing cereal. They are needed when the child is gaining weight poorly.
At 7 months, the baby, as already mentioned, must be given dairy-free cereal. Rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, corn - all this is extremely useful for the baby. The main thing is that they do not have dairy and sour-milk products. This is the technique that many doctors adhere to.
Among the vegetable purees can be distinguished:
It is these products that can be given to a baby who is 8 months old. Of course, you should not forget zucchini, pumpkin and cauliflower.
Kefir - the first samples
What kind of yogurt to give the child and at what age to start such complementary foods? The mentioned delicacy is not included in any feeding scheme of modern children. It can be used as additional food, but nothing more.
Pediatricians recommend postponing the child's acquaintance with kefir. The first time you can offer a product no earlier than 8 months. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the fact that "adult" kefir is generally prohibited for baby food. This is due to the fact that the child’s body simply cannot process such a product.
Artificial Feeding
Every mother should understand that the baby’s diet will directly depend on the type of feeding the baby. Not earlier than 8 months, it is recommended to give homemade kefir for children only to babies who are breast-fed. It is generally accepted that breast milk provides enough vitamins and nutrients for the development of the baby. Therefore, complementary foods for such babies are introduced later.
Feeding children on artificial feeding is somewhat different. Such babies begin to be introduced to new products not at 6, but at 4-5 months. Dairy and dairy products are given to them earlier. This is a normal occurrence.
At what age can you give kefir to your child? At 6 months (sometimes at 7), if the baby is completely on artificial feeding. Mixed feeding involves the acquaintance of the baby with kefir at 8 months.
Consumption rates
And how much to give this product? Any complementary foods has its limitations on the amount of consumption per day. For example, mashed potatoes are first given 1/2 teaspoon, gradually increasing the amount of food.
In the case of kefir, everything is somewhat different. The first time it can be given to a baby in about 7-8 months. You need to start with 30 milliliters. Further, if there is no allergic reaction, you can gradually increase such complementary foods.
It should be noted that kefir for children at 9 months is not very often given. In addition, he, as already mentioned, completely replaces one feeding. Thus, you can give up to 200 milliliters of kefir per day for 9 months. And nothing more.
About child and adult kefir
As has already been emphasized, “adult” kefir is not allowed for infants. For feeding, you will have to use a special children's product. Typically, the package with such kefir indicates the approximate age at which you can introduce the child to complementary foods. It is easy to guess that basically parents will see the inscription "8+".
Baby kefir (from 6 months or from 8 months) fully meets the requirements of the baby's digestive tract. Such products have a low acidity. In addition, kefir for babies is not so sour. It has a delicate taste. All this helps a good assimilation of the product.
Normal, bio, bifido
Another very important nuance is the type of kefir for kids. There are several interpretations of this product. For example, ordinary kefir, biokefir, bifidokefir. What is the difference?
Kefir without a variety of prefixes contains milk fungi that stimulate the growth of the microflora of the intestines of the child. Therefore, such a product is recommended not to be administered immediately.
The prefixes bio- and bifido- indicate that the drink contains bifidobacteria necessary for the development of its own intestinal microflora. Typically, this kefir serves to improve digestion.
What is better to give preference? There is no definite answer. If the baby tolerates all types of kefir equally well, it is recommended to stop only on one of them. A drink with prebiotics is in great demand among parents and doctors.
Summary and Conclusions
Now it’s clear at what age you can give your child kefir. In fact, only the pediatrician can give the exact answer, as has already been emphasized. It cannot be argued that at 7-8 months, each child should first try baby kefir. This scenario is possible, but it is not required.
As a rule, it is recommended that children from sour-milk and dairy products be given not kefir as a complementary food, but children's cottage cheese. It does not replace feeding, but it fully meets the needs of the baby's body.
What kind of yogurt to give the child? Mandatory on the packaging with the product must be marked "children's". Parents should pay special attention to the composition and labeling - there must be indicated the minimum age at which it is allowed to introduce the baby to the product.
Doctors do not consider kefir as complementary foods or a staple food in infants. Therefore, in any table of complementary foods, this delicacy will not be detected. This is a normal occurrence.
At 6-7 months, a baby is given quite often with artificial feeding kefir. But with breastfeeding, the product is introduced into the diet much later. It is simply not necessary.