Citrus fruits For Baby are a great source of Vitamin C and antioxidants. Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. They can be easily added to your baby’s diet once they turn 6 months old and are breastfed or bottle-fed on whole milk. Some of these citrus fruits include lime, lemon, grapefruit, orange and tangerine. You can also give them orange juice, but this is only recommended occasionally. Citrus fruits are used to treat constipation and other childhood problems. Here’s what citrus fruits can do for your baby.
Citrus for Babies: When and How to Introduce
Citrus fruits are delicious and beneficial to your health because they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Is it okay to give citrus fruits to babies if you want them to benefit from all the vitamin C they have to offer?
A baby’s physique is undeveloped, and his stomach is unable to digest food in the same ways that an adult stomach can. Any food that needs to be progressively given to a newborn should be done so. For this reason, infants should be breastfed for their first four months of life before gradually introducing milk, semi-solid food, and finally solid food. It may be harder for a baby’s tummy than you think to give them citrus as food. You should not give children fruits that their bodies are not prepared to digest because of this.
When Can Babies Eat Citrus?
A infant needs only approximately 35mg of vitamin C each day before turning one. Other than citrus fruits, foods such as broccoli, cabbage, spinach, baked potatoes, ripe papaya, cantaloupe, etc. are great sources of vitamin C. If you’re concerned that your kid might not be getting enough vitamin C, you can feed him or her all of them. Citrus fruits may induce allergies or food sensitivity reactions in youngsters, so it is preferable to use these other sources of vitamin C instead.
These allergic reactions typically present as diaper rashes, hives, or wheezes in children under the age of one year old, where they are more prevalent. Citrus fruits should be introduced gradually into the diet with tiny portions provided over a period of many days in order to avoid full-blown allergic responses. As you administer, look out for any symptoms of an allergy. Avoid giving your child any citrus fruit, including strawberries, tomatoes, and citrus juice, if they have a citrus allergy.
Sometimes the membranes on citrus oranges prevent kids from eating them. Use canned mandarin oranges, which have soft membranes and are simple to chew, instead of laboriously removing all the fruit’s skins.
The probability that a baby would develop an allergy to citrus fruits declines after age one. Citrus fruits can then be offered as a snack.
How Can You Introduce Citrus To Babies?
| METHODS | DESCRIPTIONS |
|---|---|
| Take it slow | Slowly introduce citrus fruits after the baby is one year old. The citrus acid in the fruit can cause adverse reactions if given to a baby younger than one year of age. |
| Watch out for allergic reaction | After you give citrus fruits to your baby, watch for any signs or indications of allergic reaction. Allergic reactions to citrus fruits can manifest as rashes, swelling inside and around the mouth, wheeze, hives, nausea or vomiting. Food sensitivity reactions to citrus fruits present as diaper rashes and are fairly common in children less than 12 months of age. |
| Cut citrus into pieces | Cut the fruit into fingertip-sized pieces. These small pieces are easier for the baby to swallow and reduce the hazard of choking. |
| Mix citrus with another food | Sometimes babies do not like the bitter taste of citrus juice. If that happens, you can try mixing the fruit with another food. Mixing citrus fruit with foods such as yogurt give it a pleasant taste. However, make sure that you mix the citrus juice with a food that the baby is not allergic to and has eaten before. This is to ensure that if there is an allergic reaction, you would know which food caused it. |
| Wait until your baby is ready | Since citrus fruits contain citric acid, it can sometimes upset the baby’s stomach. This is especially common in children with stomach issues such as acid reflux disease and other sensitivities. For these babies, it is better to wait until the babies are a little older before introducing citrus fruits. |
More Tips on Introducing Citrus to Babies
1. Wait for Three Days Before Moving to the Next
Wait at least three days after introducing one new food to a baby before introducing another. This enables you to keep an eye on the infant for any negative reactions brought on by the meal, and you can immediately cease feeding him that if necessary. Citrus can make a baby’s stomach acidic due to gastro-esophageal reflux disorder, in addition to allergies and food sensitivity reactions like diaper rash.
2. Keep a Food Journal
A food diary can help you remember what the baby ate, how he or she responded to different foods, what he or she enjoyed or didn’t like, and what was safe for them. This is a fantastic approach to monitor your baby’s eating.
3. Talk to the Doctor If You Are Still Concerned
Ask your pediatrician for advice if you are still unsure whether to introduce citrus to infants.
Oranges for Babies – Benefits and Recipes
Your baby’s nutritional needs shift as he begins to mature. And when it comes time to introduce him to new meals, you and your child will embark on a completely new journey. Since they are organic and healthy, fruits could appear like one of the greatest options for introducing solid foods to your infant. However, this isn’t always the case because fruits might include acids and oils that the baby may or may not be able to digest or that occasionally trigger negative reactions.
In this piece, we’ll focus on one such fruit: the orange. Continue reading to learn when and how to give oranges to your child.
When Can Babies Eat Oranges?
Only once the child reaches the age of one can orange be given in any manner. Making orange juice for a 6-month-old is not advised as his delicate stomach might not be able to handle the fruit’s acidic composition. Oranges mostly contain citrus acid, which can also cause rashes to emerge on premature babies. Oranges are therefore best given when your child is getting near to turning a year old.
Amazing Health Benefits of Oranges for Babies
Here are a few advantages of giving oranges to infants.
1. Great Nutritional Constitution
Oranges are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. These are absolutely required and crucial for babies and kids during the early stages of development. Orange juice can be given to babies who are having problems with their physical development as a nutritional supplement.
2. Counter Indigestion
Infrequently, almost all newborns and children experience dyspepsia. This is mostly because their digestive system is starting to steadily strengthen. Orange’s natural ingredients are advantageous in this way since they speed up digestion.
3. Reduce Constipation
Fibre is lacking in your baby’s diet when they are still developing. It takes fiber to have a healthy bowel movement. Giving your child fruits can help in that regard. Given that oranges contain a fair quantity of fiber, giving orange juice to a baby who is constipated is an excellent suggestion.
4. Strong Bones
Oranges are a fantastic source of supplements for substances like calcium and phosphate due to the abundance of minerals and salts they contain. They can aid in preventing diseases like rickets, which weakens bones and softens joints, with frequent ingestion.
5. Lower Chances of Cough and Cold
When your baby is ill, the common culprits are a cold and a cough. When the mercury drops, oranges can supply enough nutrition to combat a cold and a cough.
6. Remedy for Mumps
The mumps, or parotitis as it is also known, is a viral disease that is extremely contagious, albeit it is more commonly seen in children than in infants. Orange juice, along with a variety of other fruit juices, is a common remedy for mumps.
7. Best Liquid Diet Alternative
The stomach won’t be able to properly digest the food if your youngster doesn’t chew it while eating, which will result in indigestion. Your youngster is permitted to drink raw fruit juices like orange juice in this situation for a few days. The youngster can continue eating only fruits until the bowel movement returns, at which point they can gradually transition back to their regular diet.
9. Assist In Typhoid Recovery
Along with producing severe abdominal pain, a cough, a headache, a fever, and other symptoms, typhoid fever is known to weaken a person’s digestive system. Orange juice is one of the greatest possibilities to feed your child who has typhoid because the stomach is only able to digest juices and liquids.
The minerals found in oranges make these health advantages feasible. Let’s look at them now.
Nutritional Value of Orange
A medium-sized orange consists of:
- Potassium – 232 mg
- Phosphorous – 32 mg
- Magnesium – 15 mg
- Calcium – 50 mg
- Sodium – 2 mg
- Iron – 0.18 mg
- Vitamin A – 346 IU
- Vitamin C – 82 mg
- Thiamine – 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin – 0.07 mg
- Niacin – 0.59 mg
- Folate – 0.48 mg
It also contains small quantities of copper, zinc, and manganese
Let’s now take a look at how you can introduce or feed oranges to your little one.
How to Serve Oranges to Babies
Before offering it to your child, remove the membranes and deseed the pieces. To prevent your baby from choking on one of the pieces, break them up into little, bite-sized pieces.
Since he might not necessarily enjoy the strong acidic flavor of an ordinary orange, try to start off by giving him sweet oranges. Examine the fruit carefully to make sure there are no soft patches or odd colors.
Orange juice or pulp sold in bottles on the market should not be given. To maintain taste, those have several preservatives as well as sugar. Purchase wholesome, recent oranges from the store, then prepare your own juice at home.
Foods You Can Mix With Oranges
You may also combine oranges with a variety of other foods to play around with the flavor. Among them are:
- Avocado – This is a great fruit to pair with the sour taste of the orange.
- Blueberries and Cranberries – The difference in the tastes of each of these fruits when fed with oranges can be a welcome change for your little one.
- Sweet Potato – You can try your hand at making a soufflé using sweet potato and orange juice.
- Chicken – As your child starts eating meat, you can use orange as a glaze on the meat.
Precaution to Take When Giving Oranges to Your Baby
Before giving your child oranges, take the following measures into consideration.
1. No Peels, No Fibres, No Seeds
By individually, each of these foods has an odd flavor. Your infant might shove the entire fruit away if he decides he doesn’t like them. Pick an orange whose seeds, peel, and fibers you can remove without difficulty.
2. Trouble Chewing? Mash It!
After removing the skins, fibers, and seeds from the orange, if your infant still has problems eating small bits, you can mash the fruit to make a puree. Your baby would find this very simple to taste and eat.
3. No Sour Oranges for Now
Make an additional effort to only purchase the sweetest oranges. The sourness of the fruit might be too much for your baby’s tastebuds to take. They will like the fruit more if the sweetness level is kept high.
4. Fresh Fruits Always
Always give your infant ripe, fresh fruit. An excellent orange should be firm in all directions. Avoid it and choose a different one if you press it and it becomes soft.
Easy Orange Recipes for Infants
Here are some innovative recipes for making orange juice for babies that go well beyond basic juices if you’re wondering how to do it.
1. Frozen Orange Cranberry
What You Will Need
- Cranberry juice
- Orange juice
How to Prepare
- Blend it all together until it has a thick consistency.
- Serve it to your baby.
2. Juicy Orange Carrots
What You Will Need
- Diced carrots, peeled and steamed
- Orange juice
- Water (if required)
How to Prepare
- In a bowl, take the steamed carrots and mash them well.
- Add the orange juice and give it a good mix. You may add some water to adjust the consistency.
Foods That Cause Diaper Rash—And Others That Might Help
Several foods have been linked to diaper rash, did you know that? Find out which ones can cause damage to your baby’s bottom and how to deal with it.
Bright red, irritated skin on a baby’s bottom is a sign of diaper rash. The majority of parents blame environmental elements such intolerance to colours or fragrances, infrequent diaper changes, or chafing. But did you realize that your child’s diet might really contribute to itchiness and inflammation? It is real. Some meals have been linked to diaper rash.
Latanya Benjamin, M.D., clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto, California, cautions that exposure to certain foods can make baby skin rashes worse. “Instead of actual food allergies, infants typically have food sensitivities. There is a distinction, and your dermatologist and allergist can assist you in making the right choice.”
Here is all the information you require on the connection between diet and diaper rash.
Foods That Cause Diaper Rash
The quantity and nature of a baby’s bowel movements vary when they begin eating solid meals. Particularly in infants 9 months of age or older, all those novel foods can increase the likelihood of diaper rash. Acidic meals like citrus and tomato-based sauces are frequently to blame for causing a baby’s skin to get irritated and develop a red, painful ring around the anus—and frequently around the mouth as well.
The top four meals that cause diaper rash are listed below:
Citrus fruits and juices: Due to their high acidity, these foods might be difficult on a baby’s digestive tract. Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, and juices manufactured from any citrus fruit should be avoided.
Tomatoes and tomato-based products: Another extremely acidic food that can exacerbate diaper rash symptoms is tomatoes. Additionally, you should keep your kid away from tomato-based foods like ketchup, tomato soup, and spaghetti sauce.
Strawberries: Strawberry flavor is pleasant, but the fruit’s acidity can aggravate your baby’s digestive tract..
Pineapples and other tart fruits: Because pineapples are acidic, not all tropical fruit should be avoided by a baby. Try mango or papaya as an alternative.
Additionally, if your kid has a lot of loose feces, they could have diaper rash. So it makes sense to steer clear of other typical causes of diarrhea, including dairy, fruit juice, peaches, plums, prunes, and more.
Preventing and Treating Diaper Rash Through Diet
When babies begin eating solids, they frequently try a variety of new meals, making it challenging to pinpoint the particular food that is to blame for a poor reaction. Here is a remedy: One at a time, gradually introduce new meals, and then observe your baby for three to four days as her digestive system adjusts. They may be sensitive if you see any adverse effects from the diet, like diaper rash. If the reaction is mild, speak with your doctor about the best course of action; they could advise reintroducing the meal at a later time.
Feed your baby starchy foods that digest quickly if diaper rash does occur. Pasta, bread, rice, full grain cereal, and crackers are dependable choices. These will prevent diarrhea, which aggravates diaper rash, and thicken your infant’s stool.
Along with altering your baby’s food, there are further methods you can treat diaper rash. For instance, you should frequently change diapers, clean the region with non-soap cleansers with a neutral pH, and apply pastes containing zinc oxide. If you have a severe diaper rash that spreads, blisters, or is accompanied by a fever, see your doctor.