What to Never Serve a Baby

Salt or Sugar:
There is never a reason to add salt or sweetener or sugars to baby food. Babies' kidneys are not enough developed to be able to handle too much salt, so the salt can has been linked to diabetes later in life.

Honey:
Never serve children under two-years-old honey because honey can contain bacterial spores that can lead to infant botulism. This is a rare but very serious disease that can be fatal.

Fish and Eggs:
Many pediatricians recommend against giving eggs and fish in the first year of life because of allergic reactions.

Nitrates:
Also avoid spinach, cabbage, beets, turnips, broccoli, and carrots because these vegetables are high in nitrate and are foods to avoid for babies younger than four-months-old.

Nuts:
Nuts should be avoided because children may develop allergy, especially peanuts are very allergenic and they are a potential choking hazard.

Cow's Milk:
In the United States, the general recommendation is to start with small servings of dairy products when the baby is nine-months-old and to wait with cow's milk as a drink until the baby is one-year-old. Infants fed whole cow's milk receive inadequate amounts of vitamin E, iron, and essential fatty acids. They also receive excessive amounts of protein, sodium, and potassium. These levels may be too high for the baby's system to handle. Additionally, whole cow's milk protein and fat are difficult for an infant to digest and absorb. Also, some babies may not be able to handle the milk protein. If your baby throws up or has a stomach pain after consuming dairy products, contact a pediatrician to schedule an investigation.

Wheat:
Babies can develop gluten intolerance, also called celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten intolerance is hard to diagnose, but if a baby has diarrhea that won't go away, smelly stools, does not gain weight, and maybe has a bloated abdomen, you should contact a doctor. The tendency to get the disease is inherited.

Reference: American Academy of Pediatrics

Have any children under your care ever been ill from feeding them ingredients on this list?