Kefir is a useful sour-milk product for adults and children. It contains many valuable substances that the body needs. At the same time, not all parents know at what age you can give a child kefir to a child . The answer to this question is proposed in this material.
Benefits
Baby kefir is useful for a child due to its positive properties:
- The product is a valuable source of beneficial components. It has proteins, vitamins and lactic acid bacteria. It is indispensable for anemia and rickets.
- With it, an acidic environment is created in the stomach, which allows you to quickly absorb various nutrients - calcium and vitamin D.
- Kefir has a positive effect on the intestinal microflora.
- It improves appetite and strengthens the immune system.
- Due to the partial hydrolysis of proteins in this product, it can be drunk to babies with an allergy to milk. It is also advised to use with lactose deficiency.
- It has lactic acid, which is considered an excellent antiseptic.
- It has a positive effect on the nervous system, as it has a calming, tonic effect. Helps eliminate fatigue.
- Fresh (one-day) kefir has a laxative effect, and if it is 2 days or more, the effect will be fixing.
Which baby kefir is better? It is advisable to prepare the drink yourself, because only in this case you can get a useful composition. Many store products have additives that cause negative reactions.
disadvantages
If early to introduce baby kefir in the diet, then it will exert a strong burden on the kidneys and digestive system. Carbohydrates and fats present in the composition are very different from these components in the mixture or breast milk. Among the disadvantages are:
- The difficulty of digesting, because it contains casein.
- Refusal of some babies from such nutrition due to special taste.
- The exception to frequent use with frequent diarrhea and increased acidity of the stomach.
Adverse reactions
Baby kefir can cause intolerance. It manifests itself in the form:
- nausea
- high temperature;
- vomiting
- abdominal pain;
- rash
- runny nose;
- sneezing
- redness on the skin.
Other symptoms may be observed. If storage conditions are not observed, as well as when using an expired product, food poisoning occurs.
Age
At what age can a child give kefir to a child? There is no consensus on this. As you can see from the reviews, many mothers believe that baby kefir can be introduced into the baby’s diet from 6 months. Which is better to use for this, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Only then will it be possible to eliminate the negative impact of this drink.
Although kefir is allowed from 6 months, nevertheless, it is advisable for infants who are breast-fed with breast milk to give it from 8 months. With artificial feeding, a dairy product is best introduced into the diet from 7 months. By this age, the baby's intestines are ripening, so there are no difficulties with digestion.
What does Dr. Komarovsky think?
A well-known pediatrician advises giving baby kefir from 6 months as the first complementary foods. A drink is more like eating a baby for up to six months than vegetable and fruit dishes. The specialist recommends introducing it into the diet in the second feeding. In this case, the first portion should be 15-20 ml. Over time, you need to increase the portion, from 5 days add curd to it.
Komarovsky adds that the product has long been used as complementary foods in Russia. Negative effects are not supported by research. Therefore, parents should not worry if the menu does not include only kefir or they did not begin to introduce it before 6 months. Contraindication is considered to be an early age and allergy.
Menu Introduction
It is better to introduce baby kefir into the diet gradually, like the rest of the complementary foods. First you need only 1 tsp., Which should be given in the morning. If there is no negative reaction, the portion should be doubled daily, until the volume is equal to the norm by age.
In what form to provide?
The drink should be at room temperature. It is given both from a spoon and from a small cup. If the child does not like kefir in its pure form, it is mixed with banana, apple or other fruit puree. But it is undesirable to add fruit juices, as they neutralize milk bacteria. Some children prefer to use kefir as a standalone drink, while others like a combination with fruit purees.
The choice
It is undesirable to give the baby a drink from the store if there is no mark on the package that kefir is intended for children. It’s best to cook it yourself. If, nevertheless, it is decided to purchase a product, you should familiarize yourself with the composition, it should contain no harmful components.
It is necessary to choose fresh kefir with a minimum shelf life. By fat content, it should be 2-3%. When choosing baby kefirs "Agusha" and "Subject", care must be taken, since they are not suitable for all kids. Some have allergies and other troubles.
Home cooking
The recipe for baby kefir will allow you to cook a delicious and natural product that will be absolutely safe for the child. Usually mothers use special starter cultures, adding them to milk. Sourdough can be store kefir.
To prepare a drink, you will need to add 1 liter of product to milk (1 glass), which is boiled and cooled in advance (you can dilute milk 2: 1 with water), and then left for 9-12 hours in a thermos or in a warm place. It is advisable to cook it in the evening, and then the composition will be ready by morning. For 2 days, the finished kefir is suitable for use as a starter for a new drink.
Unlike usual
The procedure for making both drinks is almost the same. There are only differences between the choice of the product from which kefir is created, and therefore there is a difference in fat content and acidity. The baby has not yet fully formed the body, so it can not tolerate fatty foods, as well as low-quality drinks.
The main differences are as follows:
- Lactic fermentation is used for the production of a children's product, and for an adult, usually lactic acid and alcohol.
- There is a difference in acidity (in children it is less, therefore it is easier to digest, especially since the children's stomach cannot absorb the acidity of adult kefir).
- The production of a children's drink is made from milk of the highest grade, and an adult is created from raw materials of the first grade.
- High demands are made on children's products in the production process, it goes through more verification, so the risk of acquiring spoiled goods is minimal.
It should be borne in mind that a children's product is more expensive than an adult. There are differences in taste. Kids usually don’t like a drink for adults, and they use children’s drink with pleasure. In addition, the amount of sugar in it is adjusted by specialists taking into account its negative effect on the children's body. Before using the product, it is advisable to consult a therapist and only with his permission to include kefir in the child’s menu.
Recommendations
It is important for parents planning supplementary foods for fermented milk products to observe the following rules:
- If you give kefir in the morning, then the baby will be alert throughout the day. A portion at night can improve sleep.
- Store the product preferably in the refrigerator. But it is advisable for the baby to give it after preparation or purchase.
- You can give a drink every day, but experts believe that it is better to get along 2-3 times a week.
- If it is difficult for a child to use the product in its pure form, then it can be mixed with fruits or given with cookies. If the baby does not like it in this form, then it should be postponed for some time or replaced with another sour-milk complementary foods.
Replacement
There are cases of allergic reactions to the product. In addition, the child may not like its taste, smell or texture. In this case, biolact is an excellent replacement. It is made from processed cow's milk, and can be given from 9 months.
Thus, baby kefir is great as a food. The main thing is to remember the gradual introduction and the provision of a fresh and high-quality product.