Recipes, recipes, recipes!

Top 2. Jul 16, 2000 9:54 PM

» Kalebsmom - Actually ...

You are correct that honey is a definite no-no for babies. However, yogurt, in general, is safe to give babies who are older than six months of age, which is the best age to begin solids in the first place. Obviously, care must be given when giving your baby ANY food for the first time with respect to allergies. This is especially true for those who have milk allergies. If you have a milk allergy, you would not want to give your baby dairy products at a very early age.
According to "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron, yogurt may be introduced to baby after six months of age (page 86). Also, yogurt has been shown to be very beneficial to adults and babies: "Yogurt bacteria cultures, which multiply at body temperature, produce B vitamins in the intestines and attack harmful bacteria in the colon. Yogurt soothes stomach ailments and its cultures help digest casein, a milk protein. Yogurt helps restore the health-giving flora that naturally occur in the human intestines and helps to prevent gastrointestinal infections. In fact, Adelle Davis claims that babies who frequently eat yogurt have less diarrhea. Yogurt is easily digested and well-tolerated by babies and its protein is better assimilated." -- Page 252, "Super Baby Food"
Another well-respected source on infant care -- Dr. William Sears (and of course, his wife Martha!) -- also recommends yogurt for babies beginning at nine months of age. On page 219 of his book, "The Baby Book: Everything you need to know about your baby from birth to age 2," Sears states: "Instead of introducing cow's milk, if your child does not have a family history of dairy allergies or is generally not an allergic baby, you may try dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese between nine months and a year. Yogurt gives all the nutritional benefits of milk but with fewer problems. Yogurt is made by adding a bacterial culture to milk. This culture ferments the milk and breaks down the milk lactose into simple sugars, which are more easily absorbed -- good to know when your baby is recovering from diarrhea. Milk proteins are also modified by the culturing process, making yogurt less allergenic than milk. Most infants enjoy yogurt around nine months. Sweeten plain yogurt using your own fresh fruit or no-sugar-added fruit concentrates rather than using the heavily sweetened fruit-flavoring yogurt."
Indeed, the big baby food manufacturers, such as Gerber, Heinz and Beech-Nut, also add yogurt into their jarred "Second-Stage" varieties. And, my son has been enjoying plain, whole fat yogurt (yuck! I hate plain yogurt!) since he was about 8 months old.
As is the case with any foods, YMMV ("your mileage may vary"). So again, use common sense when introducing any new food. And remember, no honey (and no chocolate, by the way) until at least one year old!

Thanks for your feedback!
Kristine

-- posted by Kalebsmom

Top 3. Nov 30, 2000 7:00 PM

» neenerone - Re: Blueberry Banana Yogurt Recipe

In response to message posted by Aoife:
My six month old has been eating yogurt since he started solids at four months and three weeks old. I have never heard of any babies dying from yogurt and I know for a fact that myself, my two sisters and all four of my cousins were all raised on yogurt starting at three months. People need to give yogurt a chance and stop being so paranoid.

-- posted by neenerone

Top 4. May 14, 2001 5:41 PM

» pam4 - Re: Re: Blueberry Banana Yogurt Recipe

These days it is not enough to say that since you were brought up on a food that it is good for everyone- there are more pollutants etc to consider now. Every caution should be taken when introducing milk products before the age of 8 months, when introduced too early there can be harmful consequences. Therefore, when speaking of babies, paranoid behavior perhaps is appropriate to some degree to avoid needless harm.

-- posted by pam4