At six months, in addition to breast milk, other products are introduced into the baby’s diet - lure. Parents immediately have a lot of questions about products that will benefit the baby and do no harm. One of the most common questions is: Can I give my child tea?
Tea is a common and popular drink; in many families it is consumed daily and in considerable quantities. To understand whether children need tea, it is worth considering in detail its composition.
Tea components and their effects on the child
The composition of tea includes a large number of different substances. Many of them have different effects (positive or negative) on the child's body.
- Tannin is the tannin of tea. It reacts with iron in the stomach. This leads to lowering hemoglobin in the blood. The risk of developing anemia is increased.
- Thein is an alkaloid of mild, but prolonged, exciting action. It has a positive effect on intestinal function and metabolism. The high content of thein in tea helps inhibition of the formation of vitamin D. This leads to the development of rickets.
- Other alkaloids that make up tea, but in smaller quantities than thein. They have a diuretic and vasodilating effect.
- Purine bases contribute to the formation of excess uric acid and oxalates (its salts). For the withdrawal of these compounds, the work of the kidneys, which are still weak in the baby, is enhanced.
- Oxalic acid binds calcium in the body. This will lead to the destruction of the first deciduous teeth and poor bone growth.
- Vitamins C and Group B.
- Valuable trace elements: zinc, magnesium, potassium, manganese, fluorine.
- Flavonoids are antioxidants. They help to eliminate harmful substances from the body.
- Methionine helps to normalize the metabolism of fats in the body.
For an adult organism, when drinking tea, all these compounds do not have a pronounced negative effect. For children, even a small number of them has a strong effect on the development of the body.
So, regular tea for babies will not bring benefits. Most likely it is even harmful. Tea can be introduced into the baby’s diet after one and a half to two years.
White, black or green
There are several types of tea, and it is worth determining which tea children can drink after 1.5-2 years. All varieties of tea are the leaves of one plant, but have undergone different processing. The most saturated in terms of tannin and thein is green tea. Therefore, at the moment when the child can begin to give tea, it is better to stop on black.
What is better to use when brewing tea: bags or leaves?
It has long been known that it is best to refuse the use of sachets. They contain undesirable impurities. They can cause allergic reactions in children and the quality of such tea is doubtful.You can use only freshly brewed tea. After an hour, the content of nutrients in tea drops sharply, and when reheated, harmful compounds are formed.
When brewing tea for a child, you must ensure that it is not strong, light brown in color and warm. You need to give black tea during the day, for example, during breakfast. Otherwise, the invigorating effect of the drink will lead to poor falling asleep.
Tea Additives
Many drink tea with the addition of milk, sugar, lemon or other flavors. Should kids add any additives? And if possible, then when to give tea with sugar or honey.
Tea with milk is good for babies. When milk is added, all the beneficial substances of tea are preserved, and the effect of some compounds harmful to the baby is neutralized. In preschool institutions and hospitals, it must be included in the menu. Many nutritionists even recommend diluting tea for a child with half milk. This is due to the action of milk on some components of tea:
- binding of tannins eliminates the risk of lowering hemoglobin levels;
- neutralization of oxalic acid reduces the leaching of calcium from tooth enamel;
- Tea pigments neutralized with milk will not work with tooth enamel.
It is better to abandon the use of sugar for tea altogether or put it in very small quantities. You can use honey instead of sugar if you want a baby. However, you should be careful, since honey is the strongest allergen.
As additives, you can use apples, dried rosehip berries, currants, strawberries or raspberries. Aromatic herbs (linden, chamomile, peppermint flowers) add taste and aroma to the drink and bring benefits. All of them have pronounced medicinal properties, therefore, before use, you should consult your doctor.
In principle, tea, like coffee, is an “adult” drink. Up to two years, it is better to completely abandon the use of this drink.
On sale there are many herbal and fruit gathers (teas) designed specifically for young children. There are even teas that can be used from two months. If you want to drink your baby, such drinks will not only remove thirst, but also bring benefits.
Updated: for kids there are special herbal and vegetable teas. For example, with chamomile, lemon balm, mint, hypericum, fennel, rose hip, linden. Such a drink also heals. For example, it normalizes digestion, soothes, and facilitates the separation of sputum when coughing. In pharmacies, a large selection of tea in granules, with them it is important to observe the indicated dosage. But before you buy a package of tea, do not be lazy, consult a doctor: you must be extremely careful with herbs. Artificial babies can be given tea as early as 3-4 months, infants after six.
Read on:
Consider options for weakly brewed tea, fruit or vegetable decoction. We speak on this subject in the block of Irina Zaitseva with the pediatrician Sofia Nikolaevna:
Girls are interested to know when you started giving your child black tea, and what kind of tea bags were brewed or leaf tea,
I give my son a weak chamomile tea, he is only 2 months old. Straight very weak, so that a little bit of water is colored and that's it. He drinks with pleasure and sleeps well at night. I used to suffer a lot. My mother, the younger sister, also began to drink tea early, she also did weak, they bought herbal in a pharmacy. My sister gives her ordinary son from 6 months, grows healthy and energetic.