Can six-month-old babies drink yogurt?

Many people like to drink yogurt. The nutritional value of yogurt is very high. It can help strengthen the stomach and aid digestion. It is especially helpful for the baby's digestion and absorption. This is because yogurt can regulate the baby's intestinal flora. Therefore, we say that it is good for the baby's health to drink some yogurt. Babies aged 6 months can drink a little, but don't drink too much, otherwise the lactic acid bacteria in the yogurt may destroy the beneficial bacteria group for the baby, thereby affecting its digestive function.

1. Can six-month-old babies drink yogurt?

American experts suggest that babies can eat yogurt as early as when they are able to eat solid food. Most pediatricians recommend that you start giving your baby yogurt when he or she is 7-8 months old. Some pediatricians also believe that yogurt is an ideal first food for babies and recommend that babies as young as 6 months old can start eating yogurt. my country's infant dietary guidelines point out that babies under one year old should be fed with breast milk or formula milk, and children aged 1-3 years old should still be fed with breast milk or formula milk. At the same time, you can add yogurt appropriately, especially for young children who are prone to constipation.

2. Why children under one year old should not drink yogurt

The microbial flora in the gastrointestinal tract of infants is in the growth and change stage and is not yet stable. Drinking yogurt may cause excessive intake of Lactobacillus acidophilus, leading to an imbalance in the ecological balance of the original microbial flora in the intestine, thereby causing intestinal diseases. Therefore, children under one year old should not drink yogurt.

3. What nutritional value does yogurt have for babies?

In addition to the calcium needed for strong baby bones, yogurt is also rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to babies. Let’s take a cup of Stonyfield (an American organic yogurt brand) whole-fat yogurt as an example to see what vitamins and minerals it contains that are good for babies. Vitamins: Vitamin A – 8%, Vitamin B6-4%, Vitamin B12–20%, Vitamin D – 25%, Vitamin B2–25%, Vitamin B5- 8%, Vitamin B1 – 8%Minerals: Calcium-30%, Magnesium–8%, Phosphorus–25%. In addition, yogurt is a good source of protein. The fermentation process makes the protein easier for the baby's stomach to digest.

4. What should you pay attention to when feeding your baby yogurt?

1. Before the baby is 1 year old, yogurt cannot be used as the baby’s staple food. Babies should eat a variety of solid foods, and yogurt is only a small part of them.

2. Do not add honey to sweeten yogurt for babies under 1 year old, because honey contains bacteria that can cause botulism poisoning in babies of this age.

3. Don’t buy flavored yogurt for your baby. Just buy plain yogurt for your baby and add fresh fruit. Almost all commercially available yogurts have sugar or other sweeteners added to them. Check the product ingredient label when purchasing. Sometimes even yogurt that says "fruit" or "vanilla" has sweeteners added.